Jeremiæ 4
1 si converteris Israhel ait Dominus ad me convertere si abstuleris offendicula tua a facie mea non commoveberis
“O Israel, if you would return, says the Lord, then be converted to me. If you remove your offense from before my face, then you will not be shaken.
2 et iurabis vivit Dominus in veritate et in iudicio et in iustitia et benedicent eum gentes ipsumque laudabunt
And you will swear, ‘As the Lord lives,’ in truth and in judgment and in justice.” And the Gentiles will bless him, and they will praise him.
3 haec enim dicit Dominus viro Iuda et Hierusalem novate vobis novale et nolite serere super spinas
For thus says the Lord to the men of Judah and of Jerusalem: “Break new ground, and do not choose to sow upon thorns.
4 circumcidimini Domino et auferte praeputia cordium vestrorum vir Iuda et habitatores Hierusalem 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 from your hearts, O men of Judah, O inhabitants of Jerusalem. Otherwise my indignation may burst forth and flare up like a fire. And then there will be no one who can extinguish it, because of the wickedness of your thoughts.
5 adnuntiate in Iuda et in Hierusalem auditum facite loquimini et canite tuba in terra clamate fortiter dicite congregamini et ingrediamur civitates munitas
Declare it in Judah, and make it known in Jerusalem! Speak out and sound the trumpet in the land! Cry out strongly and say: ‘Gather yourselves! And let us go forth to fortified cities!’
6 levate signum in Sion confortamini nolite stare quia malum ego adduco ab aquilone et contritionem magnam
Lift up a standard in Zion. Be strengthened! Do not choose to stand still. For I am bringing an evil from the north, with great destruction.
7 ascendit leo de cubili suo et praedo gentium se levavit egressus est de loco suo ut ponat terram tuam in desolationem civitates tuae vastabuntur remanentes absque habitatore
The lion has ascended from his den, and the pillager of the nations has lifted himself up. He has gone forth from his place, so that he may set your land in desolation. Your cities will 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
Concerning this, wrap yourselves in haircloth, mourn and wail: ‘For the wrath of the fury of the Lord has not been turned away from us.’
9 et erit in die illa dicit Dominus peribit cor regis et cor principum et obstupescent sacerdotes et prophetae consternabuntur
And this shall be in that day, says the Lord: The heart of the king will perish, with the heart of the princes. And the priests will be stupefied, and the prophets will be in consternation.”
10 et dixi heu heu heu Domine Deus ergone decepisti populum istum et Hierusalem dicens pax erit vobis et ecce pervenit gladius usque ad animam
And I said: “Alas, alas, alas, O Lord God! Could it be that you have deceived this people and Jerusalem, saying: ‘Peace shall be yours,’ while, behold, the sword reaches even to the soul?”
11 in tempore illo dicetur populo huic et Hierusalem ventus urens in viis quae sunt in deserto viae filiae populi mei non ad ventilandum et ad purgandum
“In that time, it will be said to this people and to Jerusalem: ‘A burning wind is in the ways that are in the desert, along the way of the daughter of my people, but not to winnow and not to cleanse.’
12 spiritus plenus ex his veniet mihi et nunc ego sed loquar iudicia mea cum eis
A full spirit from these places will come to me. And now I will speak my judgments over them.
13 ecce quasi nubes ascendet et quasi tempestas currus eius velociores aquilis equi illius vae nobis quoniam vastati sumus
Behold, he will ascend like a cloud, and his chariot will ascend like a tempest. His horses are swifter than eagles. ‘Woe to us! For we are being devastated!’
14 lava a malitia cor tuum Hierusalem ut salva fias usquequo morabuntur in te cogitationes noxiae
Wash your heart from malice, O Jerusalem, so that you may be saved. How long will harmful thoughts abide in you?
15 vox enim adnuntiantis a Dan et notum facientis idolum de monte Ephraim
For there is a voice, of someone announcing from Dan, and he is making known the idol from mount Ephraim.
16 concitate gentes ecce auditum est in Hierusalem custodes venire de terra longinqua et dare super civitates Iuda vocem suam
Say to the nations: ‘Behold, it has been heard in Jerusalem! Guardians are coming from a far away land, to utter their voice against the cities of Judah.’
17 quasi custodes agrorum facti sunt super eam in gyro quia me ad iracundiam provocavit ait Dominus
They have been stationed over her, like the guardians of fields, all around. For she has provoked me to wrath, says the Lord.
18 viae tuae et cogitationes tuae fecerunt haec tibi ista malitia tua quia amara quia tetigit cor tuum
Your ways and your thoughts have brought these things upon you. This is your own wickedness. And it is bitter, because it has touched your heart.
19 ventrem meum ventrem meum doleo sensus cordis mei turbati sunt in me non tacebo quoniam vocem bucinae audivit anima mea clamorem proelii
I am afflicted in my heart, in my heart. The senses of my heart have been stirred up within me. I will not remain silent. For my soul has heard the voice of the trumpet, the clamor of the battle.
20 contritio super contritionem vocata est et vastata est omnis terra repente vastata sunt tabernacula mea subito pelles meae
Destruction upon destruction has been called forth. And the entire earth has been devastated. My tabernacles have been destroyed suddenly, and my tents in an instant.
21 usquequo videbo fugientem audiam vocem bucinae
How long shall I watch those who are fleeing, and listen to the voice 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 mad sons. They are clever in doing evil, but they do not know how to do good.
23 aspexi terram et ecce vacua erat et nihili et caelos et non erat lux in eis
I gazed upon the earth, and behold, it was empty and brought to nothing. And I gazed upon the heavens, but there was no light in them.
24 vidi montes et ecce movebantur et omnes colles conturbati sunt
I watched the mountains, and behold, they trembled, and all the hills were shaken.
25 intuitus sum et non erat homo et omne volatile caeli recessit
I looked, and there was no man. And all the flying things of the air had gone away.
26 aspexi et ecce Carmelus desertus et omnes urbes eius destructae sunt a facie Domini et a facie irae furoris eius
I gazed, and behold, Carmel was a desert, and all its cities were destroyed before the face of the Lord, and before the face of the wrath of his fury.”
27 haec enim dicit Dominus deserta erit omnis terra sed tamen consummationem non faciam
For thus says the Lord: “All the earth will be desolate, but I will not yet bring about its consummation.
28 lugebit terra et maerebunt caeli desuper eo quod locutus sum cogitavi et non paenituit me nec aversus sum ab eo
The earth will mourn, and the heavens will lament from above. For I have spoken, I have decided, and I have not regretted. Neither will I be turned away from it.
29 a voce equitis et mittentis sagittam fugit omnis civitas ingressi sunt ardua et ascenderunt rupes universae urbes derelictae sunt et non habitat in eis homo
Before the voice of the horsemen and of those who send forth arrows, the entire city has fled. They have entered steep places, and they have ascended the cliffs. All of the cities have been abandoned, and no man lives within them.
30 tu autem vastata quid facies cum vestieris te coccino cum ornata fueris monili aureo et pinxeris stibio oculos tuos frustra conponeris contempserunt te amatores tui animam tuam quaerent
So then, when you have been devastated, what will you do? Though you will clothe yourself with scarlet, though you will adorn yourself with a gold necklace and tint your eyes with cosmetics, you will be dressing yourself up in vain. Your lovers have spurned you; they will be seeking your life.
31 vocem enim quasi parturientis audivi angustias ut puerperae vox filiae Sion intermorientis expandentisque manus suas vae mihi quia defecit anima mea propter interfectos
For I have heard a voice, like that of a woman giving birth, during the difficulties of labor. It is the voice of the daughter of Zion, dying, extending her hands: ‘Woe to me! For my soul is failing because of those who have been slain!’”
