Jeremiæ 4
1 Si reverteris Israel, ait Dominus, ad me convertere: si abstuleris offendicula tua a facie mea, non commoveberis.
If thou wilt return, O Israel, saith the Lord, return to me: if thou wilt take away thy stumblingblocks out of my sight, thou shalt not be moved.
2 Et iurabis: Vivit Dominus in veritate, et in iudicio, et in iustitia: et benedicent eum Gentes, ipsumque laudabunt.
And thou shalt swear: As the Lord liveth, in truth, and in judgement, and in justice: and the Gentiles shall bless him, and shall praise him.
3 Hæc enim dicit Dominus viro Iuda, et Ierusalem: Novate vobis novale, et nolite serere super spinas:
For thus saith the Lord to the men of Juda and Jerusalem: Break up anew your fallow ground, and sow not upon thorns:
4 Circumcidimini Domino, et auferte præputia cordium vestrorum viri Iuda, et habitatores Ierusalem: ne forte egrediatur ut ignis indignatio mea, et succendatur, et non sit qui extinguat, propter malitiam cogitationum vestrarum.
Be circumcised to the Lord, and take away the foreskins of your hearts, ye men of Juda, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem: lest my indignation come forth like fire, and burn, and there be none that can quench it: because of the wickedness of your thoughts.
5 Annunciate in Iuda, et in Ierusalem auditum facite: loquimini, et canite tuba in terra: clamate fortiter, et dicite: congregamini, et ingrediamur civitates munitas:
Declare ye in Juda, and make it heard in Jerusalem: speak, and sound with the trumpet in the land: cry aloud, and say: Assemble yourselves, and let us go into strong cities.
6 Levate signum in Sion. Confortamini, nolite stare, quia malum ego adduco ab Aquilone, et contritionem magnam.
Set up the standard in Sion. Strengthen yourselves, stay not: for I bring evil from the north, and great destruction.
7 Ascendit leo de cubili suo, et prædo Gentium se levavit: egressus est de loco suo ut ponat terram tuam in solitudinem: civitates tuæ vastabuntur, remanentes absque habitatore.
The lion is come up out of his den, and the robber of nations hath roused himself: he is come forth out of his place, to make thy land desolate: thy cities shall be laid waste, remaining without an inhabitant.
8 Super hoc accingite vos ciliciis, plangite et ululate: quia non est aversa ira furoris Domini a nobis.
For this gird yourselves with haircloth, lament and howl: for the fierce anger of the Lord is not turned away from us.
9 Et erit in die illa, dicit Dominus: Peribit cor regis, et cor principum: et obstupescent sacerdotes, et prophetæ consternabuntur.
And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the Lord: That the heart of the king shall perish, and the heart of the princes: and the priests shall be astonished, and the prophets shall be amazed.
10 Et dixi: Heu, heu, heu, Domine Deus, ergo ne decepisti populum istum et Ierusalem, dicens: Pax erit vobis: et ecce pervenit gladius usque ad animam?
And I said: Alas, alas, alas, O Lord God, hast thou then deceived this people and Jerusalem, saying: You shall have peace: and behold the sword reacheth even to the soul?
11 In tempore illo dicetur populo huic et Ierusalem: Ventus urens in viis, quæ sunt in deserto viæ filiæ populi mei, non ad ventilandum, et ad purgandum.
At that time it shall be said to this people, and to Jerusalem: A burning wind is in the ways that are in the desert of the way of the daughter of my people, not to fan, nor to cleanse.
12 Spiritus plenus ex his veniet mihi: et nunc ego loquar iudicia mea cum eis.
A full wind from these places shall come to me: and now I will speak my judgments with them.
13 Ecce quasi nubes ascendet, et quasi tempestas currus eius: velociores aquilis equi illius: Væ nobis! quoniam vastati sumus.
Behold he shall come up as a cloud, and his chariots as a tempest: his horses are swifter than eagles: woe unto us, for we are laid waste.
14 Lava a malitia cor tuum Ierusalem, ut salva fias: usquequo morabuntur in te cogitationes noxiæ?
Wash thy heart from wickedness, O Jerusalem, that thou mayst be saved: how long shall hurtful thoughts abide in thee?
15 Vox enim annunciantis a Dan, et notum facientis idolum de monte Ephraim.
For a voice of one declaring from Dan, and giving notice of the idol from mount Ephraim.
16 Dicite gentibus: Ecce auditum est in Ierusalem custodes venire de terra longinqua, et dare super civitates Iuda vocem suam.
Say ye to the nations: Behold it is heard in Jerusalem, that guards are coming from a far country, and give out their voice against the cities of Juda.
17 Quasi custodes agrorum facti sunt super eam in gyro: quia me ad iracundiam provocavit, dicit Dominus.
They are set round about her, as keepers of fields: because she hath provoked me to wrath, saith the Lord.
18 Viæ tuæ, et cogitationes tuæ fecerunt hæc tibi: ista malitia tua, quia amara, quia tetigit cor tuum.
They ways, and thy devices have brought these things upon thee: this is thy wickedness, because it is bitter, because it hath touched thy heart.
19 Ventrem meum, ventrem meum doleo, sensus cordis mei turbati sunt in me: non tacebo, quoniam vocem buccinæ audivit anima mea, clamorem prælii.
My bowels, my bowels are in pain, the senses of my heart are troubled within me, I will not hold my peace, for my soul hath heard the sound of the trumpet, the cry of battle.
20 Contritio super contritionem vocata est, et vastata est omnis terra: repente vastata sunt tabernacula mea, subito pelles meæ.
Destruction upon destruction is called for, and all the earth is laid waste: my tents are destroyed on a sudden, and my pavilions in a moment.
21 Usquequo videbo fugientem, audiam vocem buccinæ?
How long shall I see men fleeing away, how long shall I hear the sound of the trumpet?
22 Quia stultus populus meus me non cognovit: filii insipientes sunt, et vecordes: sapientes sunt ut faciant mala, bene autem facere nescierunt.
For my foolish people have not known me: they are foolish and senseless children: they are wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge.
23 Aspexi terram, et ecce vacua erat, et nihili: et cælos, et non erat lux in eis.
I beheld the earth, and lo it was void, and nothing: and the heavens, and there was no light in them.
24 Vidi montes, et ecce movebantur: et omnes colles conturbati sunt.
I looked upon the mountains, and behold they trembled: and all the hills were troubled.
25 Intuitus sum, et non erat homo: et omne volatile cæli recessit.
I beheld, and lo there was no man: and all the birds of the air were gone.
26 Aspexi, et ecce Carmelus desertus: et omnes urbes eius destructæ sunt a facie Domini, et a facie iræ furoris eius.
I looked, and behold Carmel was a wilderness: and all its cities were destroyed at the presence of the Lord, and at the presence of the wrath of his indignation.
27 Hæc enim dicit Dominus: Deserta erit omnis terra, sed tamen consummationem non faciam.
For thus saith the Lord: All the land shall be desolate, but yet I will not utterly destroy.
28 Lugebit terra, et mœrebunt cæli desuper: eo quod locutus sum, cogitavi, et non pœnituit me, nec aversus sum ab eo.
The earth shall mourn, and the heavens shall lament from above: because I have spoken, I have purposed, and I have not repented, neither am I turned away from it.
29 A voce equitis, et mittentis sagittam fugit omnis civitas: ingressi sunt ardua, et ascenderunt rupes: universæ urbes derelictæ sunt, et non habitat in eis homo.
At the voice of the horsemen, and the archers, all the city is fled away; they have entered into thickets and have climbed up the rocks: all the cities are forsaken, and there dwelleth not a man in them.
30 Tu autem vastata quid facies? Cum vestieris te coccino, cum ornata fueris monili aureo, et pinxeris stibio oculos tuos, frustra componeris: contempserunt te amatores tui, animam tuam quærent.
But when thou art spoiled what wilt thou do? though thou deckest thee with ornaments of gold, and paintest thy eyes with stibic stone, thou shalt dress thyself out in vain: thy lovers have despised thee, they will seek thy life.
31 Vocem enim quasi parturientis audivi, angustias ut puerperæ: Vox filiæ Sion intermorientis, expandentisque manus suas: Væ mihi, quia defecit anima mea propter interfectos!
For I have heard the voice as of a woman in travail, anguishes as of a woman in labor of a child. The voice of the daughter of Sion, dying away, spreading her hands: Woe is me, for my soul hath fainted because of them that are slain.
