< Jeremiah 4 >
1 If you will return O Israel - [the] utterance of Yahweh to me you will return and if you will remove detestable things your from before me and not you will waver.
2 And you will swear [by] [the] life of Yahweh in faithfulness in justice and in righteousness and they will bless themselves by him nations and in him they will boast.
3 For thus - he says Yahweh to [the] man of Judah and to Jerusalem plow of you unplowed ground and may not you sow to thorns.
4 Circumcise yourselves to Yahweh and remove [the] foreskins of heart your O man of Judah and [the] inhabitants of Jerusalem lest it should go forth like fire rage my and it will burn and there not [will be one who] extinguishes because of [the] wickedness of deeds your.
5 Declare in Judah and in Jerusalem make a proclamation and say (blow *Q(K)*) a trumpet in the land call out fill and say gather yourselves so let us go to [the] cities of fortification.
6 Lift up a standard Zion towards take refuge may not you stand still for calamity I [am] about to bring from [the] north and destruction great.
7 It has gone up a lion from thicket its and a destroyer of nations he has set out he has gone out from place his to make land your into a waste cities your they will fall in ruins from not inhabitant.
8 On this gird yourself sackcloth mourn and wail for not it has turned back [the] burning of [the] anger of Yahweh from us.
9 And it will be on the day that [the] utterance of Yahweh it will perish [the] heart of the king and [the] heart of the officials and they will be appalled the priests and the prophets they will be astounded.
10 And I said alas! - O Lord Yahweh truly certainly you have deceived the people this and Jerusalem saying peace it will belong to you and it will reach a sword to the throat.
11 At the time that it will be said to the people this and to Jerusalem a wind scorching bare heights in the wilderness [will be] [the] direction of [the] daughter of people my not to winnow and not to cleanse.
12 A wind [too] full for these [things] it will come for me now also I I will speak judgments with them.
13 There! - like clouds he is going up and like the storm-wind chariots his they are swift more than eagles horses his woe! to us for we are devastated.
14 Wash from evil heart your O Jerusalem so that you may be saved until when? will it remain in inner being your [the] thoughts of wickedness your.
15 For a voice [is] declaring from Dan and [is] proclaiming trouble from [the] hill country of Ephraim.
16 Make known to the nations here! proclaim to Jerusalem besiegers [are] coming from [the] land of distance and they have given forth on [the] cities of Judah voice their.
17 Like [those who] guard a field they are on it from round about for me it has been rebellious against [the] utterance of Yahweh.
18 Conduct your and deeds your they have brought about these [things] to you this [is] wickedness your for it is bitter for it has reached to heart your.
19 Inward parts my - inward parts my - (I am waiting *Q(K)*) [the] walls of heart my [is] in turmoil to me heart my not I will keep silent for [the] sound of a trumpet (you have heard *Q(K)*) O self my [the] shout of battle.
20 Destruction to destruction it has been proclaimed for it has been devastated all the land suddenly they have been devastated tents my a moment tent curtains my.
21 Until when? will I see a standard will I hear [the] sound of a trumpet.
22 For - [is] a fool people my me not they know [are] children fools they and not [are] having understanding they [are] skillful they to do evil and to do good not they know.
23 I looked at the earth and there! [it was] formlessness and emptiness and to the heavens and there not [was] light their.
24 I looked at the mountains and there! [they were] quaking and all the hills they shook to and fro.
25 I looked and there! there not [was] humankind and every bird of the heavens they had fled.
26 I looked and there! the garden-land [was] wilderness and all cities its they had been pulled down from before Yahweh from before [the] burning of anger his.
27 For thus he says Yahweh a desolation it will be all the earth and complete destruction not I will make.
28 On this it will mourn the earth and they will be dark the heavens above on for I have spoken I have resolved and not I have repented and not I will turn back from it.
29 From [the] sound of a horseman and a shooter of a bow [is] fleeing every city people will go in the thickets and on the rocks people will go up every city [is] abandoned and there not [is] dwelling in them anyone.
30 (And you *Q(K)*) O devastated [one] what? are you doing that you are dressing scarlet that you ornament yourself ornament[s] of gold that you tear open with eye-paint eyes your for vanity you beautify yourself they have rejected you lovers life your they seek.
31 For a sound like a sick [woman] I have heard distress like a [woman] bearing a first child [the] sound of [the] daughter of Zion she is gasping for breath she is spreading out hands her woe! please to me for it is weary self my to murderers.