Jeremiah 4
1 “If you return, Israel—this is Yahweh's declaration—then it should be to me that you return. If you remove your detestable things from before me and do not wander from me again,
If thou will return, O Israel, says Jehovah, if thou will return to me, and if thou will put away thine abominations out of my sight, then thou shall not be removed.
2 You must be truthful, just, and righteous when you swear, 'As Yahweh lives.' Then the nations will bless themselves in him, and in him they will glory.”
And thou shall swear, As Jehovah lives, in truth, in justice, and in righteousness. And the nations shall bless themselves in him, and in him they shall glory.
3 For Yahweh says this to each person in Judah and Jerusalem: 'Plow your own ground, and do not sow among thorns.
For thus says Jehovah to the men of Judah and to Jerusalem, Break up your fallow ground, and sow not among thorns.
4 Circumcise yourselves to Yahweh, and remove the foreskins of your heart, men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem, or else my fury will break out like fire, and burn with no one to quench it, because of the wickedness of your deeds.
Circumcise yourselves to Jehovah, and take away the foreskins of your heart, ye men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem, lest my wrath go forth like fire, and burn so that none can quench it, because of the evil of your doings.
5 Report in Judah and let it be heard in Jerusalem. Say, “Blow the trumpet in the land.” Proclaim, “Gather together. Let us go to the fortified cities.”
Declare ye in Judah, and publish in Jerusalem, and say, Blow ye the trumpet in the land. Cry aloud and say, Assemble yourselves, and let us go into the fortified cities.
6 Lift up the signal flag and point it toward Zion, and run for safety! Do not stay, for I am bringing disaster from the north and a great collapse.
Set up a standard toward Zion. Flee for safety, do not stay. For I will bring evil from the north, and a great destruction.
7 A lion is coming out from his thicket and someone who will destroy nations is setting out. He is leaving his place to bring horror to your land, to turn your cities into ruins, where no one will live.
A lion has gone up from his thicket, and a destroyer of nations. He is on his way, he has gone forth from his place, to make thy land desolate, that thy cities be laid waste, without inhabitant.
8 Because of this, wrap yourself in sackcloth, lament and wail. For the force of Yahweh's anger has not turned away from us.
For this gird you with sackcloth, lament and wail, for the fierce anger of Jehovah is not turned back from us.
9 Then it will happen in that day—this is Yahweh's declaration—that the hearts of the king and his officials will die. The priests will be appalled, and the prophets will be horrified.'”
And it shall come to pass at that day, says Jehovah, that the heart of the king shall perish, and the heart of the rulers, and the priests shall be astonished, and the prophets shall wonder.
10 So I said, “Ah! Lord Yahweh. Surely you have completely deceived this people and Jerusalem by saying, 'There will be peace for you.' Yet the sword is striking against their life.”
Then I said, Ah, lord Jehovah! Surely thou have greatly deceived this people and Jerusalem, saying, Ye shall have peace, whereas the sword reaches to the life.
11 In that time it will be said of this people and Jerusalem, “A burning wind from the plains of the desert will make its way to the daughter of my people. It will not winnow or cleanse them.
At that time it shall be said to this people and to Jerusalem, A hot wind from the bare heights in the wilderness toward the daughter of my people, not to winnow, nor to cleanse,
12 A wind far stronger than that will come at my command, and I will now pass sentence against them.
a full wind from these shall come for me. Now I will also utter judgments against them.
13 See, he is attacking like clouds, and his chariots are like a storm. His horses are faster than eagles. Woe to us, for we will be devastated!
Behold, he shall come up as clouds, and his chariots as the whirlwind. His horses are swifter than eagles. Woe to us! For we are ruined.
14 Cleanse your heart from wickedness, Jerusalem, so that you might be saved. How long will your deepest thoughts be about how to sin?
O Jerusalem, wash thy heart from wickedness, that thou may be saved. How long shall thine evil thoughts lodge within thee?
15 For a voice is bringing news from Dan, and the coming disaster is heard from the mountains of Ephraim.
For a voice declares from Dan, and publishes evil from the hills of Ephraim:
16 Make the nations think about this: See, announce to Jerusalem that besiegers are coming from a distant land to shout in battle against the cities of Judah.
Make ye mention to the nations. Behold, publish against Jerusalem, that watchers come from a far country, and give out their voice against the cities of Judah.
17 They will be like the watchmen of a cultivated field against her all around, since she has been rebellious against me—this is Yahweh's declaration—
They are as keepers of a field against her round about, because she has been rebellious against me, says Jehovah.
18 and your conduct and your deeds have done these things to you. This will be your punishment. How terrible it will be! It will strike your very heart.
Thy way and thy doings have procured these things to thee. This is thy wickedness, for it is bitter, for it reaches to thy heart.
19 My heart! My heart! I am in anguish in my heart. My heart is turbulent within me. I cannot keep quiet for I hear the sound of the horn, an alarm for battle.
My anguish, my anguish! I am pained at my very heart. My heart is disquieted in me. I cannot hold my peace, because thou have heard, O my soul, the sound of the trumpet, the alarm of war.
20 Disaster follows after disaster; for all the land lies in ruins. Suddenly my tents are destroyed, my curtains in a moment.
Destruction upon destruction is cried, for the whole land is laid waste. Suddenly my tents are destroyed, and my curtains in a moment.
21 How long will I see the standard? Will I hear the sound of the horn?
How long shall I see the standard, and hear the sound of the trumpet?
22 For the foolishness of my people—they do not know me. They are idiotic people and they have no understanding. They have skill at evil, but do not know to do good.
For my people are foolish. They do not know me. They are sottish sons, and they have no understanding. They are wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge.
23 I saw the land. Behold! It was formless and empty. For there was no light for the heavens.
I beheld the earth, and, lo, it was waste and void, and the heavens, and they had no light.
24 I looked at the mountains. Behold, they were trembling, and all the hills were shaking about.
I beheld the mountains, and, lo, they trembled, and all the hills moved to and fro.
25 I looked. Behold, there was no one, and all the birds of the heavens had fled.
I beheld, and, lo, there was no man, and all the birds of the heavens were fled.
26 I looked. Behold, the orchards were a wilderness and all the cities had been pulled down before Yahweh, before the fury of his wrath.”
I beheld, and, lo, the fruitful field was a wilderness, and all the cities thereof were broken down at the presence of Jehovah, and before his fierce anger.
27 This is what Yahweh says, “All the land will become a devastation, but I will not completely destroy it.
For thus says Jehovah: The whole land shall be a desolation, yet I will not make a full end.
28 For this reason, the land will mourn, and the heavens above will darken. For I have declared my intentions; I will not hold back; I will not turn from carrying them out.
For this the earth shall mourn, and the heavens above be black, because I have spoken it, I have purposed it, and I have not relented, nor will I turn back from it.
29 Every city will flee from the noise of the cavalry and the archers with a bow; they will run into the forests. Every city will climb up into the rocky places. The cities will be abandoned, for there will be no one to inhabit them.
Every city flees for the noise of the horsemen and bowmen. They go into the thickets, and climb up upon the rocks. Every city is forsaken, and not a man dwells in it.
30 Now that you have been devastated, what will you do? For though you dress in scarlet, adorn yourself with gold jewelry, and make your eyes look bigger with paint, the men who lusted for you now reject you. Instead, they are trying to take away your life.
And thou, when thou are made desolate, what will thou do? Though thou clothe thyself with scarlet, though thou deck thee with ornaments of gold, though thou enlarge thine eyes with paint, in vain thou make thyself fair. Thy lovers despise thee, they seek thy life.
31 So I hear the sound of anguish, distress as in the birth of a firstborn child, the sound of the daughter of Zion. She is gasping for breath. She spreads out her hands, 'Woe to me! I am fainting because of these murderers.'”
For I have heard a voice as of a woman in travail, the anguish as of her who brings forth her first child, the voice of the daughter of Zion, who gasps for breath, who spreads her hands, saying, Woe is me now! For my soul faints before the murderers.
