Jeremiah 4:3-31

3For thus says the Lord to the men of Judah and to Jerusalem, “12Break up your fallow ground, And 3do not sow among thorns.44Circumcise yourselves to the Lord And remove the foreskins of your heart, Men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem, Or else My 5wrath will go forth like fire And burn with 6none to quench it, Because of the evil of your deeds.”

5Declare in Judah and proclaim in Jerusalem, and say, “7Blow the trumpet in the land; Cry aloud and say, ‘8Assemble yourselves, and let us go Into the fortified cities.’6Lift up a 9standard toward Zion! Seek refuge, do not stand still, For I am bringing 10evil from the north, And great destruction.7A 11lion has gone up from his thicket, And a 12destroyer of nations has set out; He has gone out from his place To 13make your land a waste. Your cities will be ruins Without inhabitant.8For this, 14put on sackcloth, Lament and wail; For the 15fierce anger of the Lord Has not turned back from us.” 9“It shall come about in that day,” declares the Lord, “that the 16heart of the king and the heart of the princes will fail; and the priests will be appalled and the 17prophets will be astounded.”

10Then I said, “Ah, Lord 18God! Surely You have utterly 19deceived this people and Jerusalem, saying, ‘20You will have peace’; whereas a sword touches the 21throat.”

11In that time it will be said to this people and to Jerusalem, “A 22scorching wind from the bare heights in the wilderness in the direction of the daughter of My people--not to winnow and not to cleanse, 12a wind too strong for 23this--will come 24at My command; now I will also pronounce judgments against them.13Behold, he 25goes up like clouds, And his 26chariots like the whirlwind; His horses are 27swifter than eagles. Woe to us, for 28we are ruined!”

14Wash your heart from evil, O Jerusalem, That you may be saved. How long will your 29wicked thoughts Lodge within you?15For a voice declares from 30Dan, And proclaims wickedness from Mount Ephraim.16“Report it to the nations, now! Proclaim over Jerusalem, ‘Besiegers come from a 31far country, And 32lift their voices against the cities of Judah.17Like watchmen of a field they are 33against her round about, Because she has 34rebelled against Me,’ declares the Lord.18Your 35ways and your deeds Have 36brought these things to you. This is your evil. How 37bitter! How it has touched your heart!”

1938My 39soul, my 40soul! I am in anguish! 41Oh, my heart! My 42heart is pounding in me; I cannot be silent, Because 43you have heard, O my soul, The 44sound of the trumpet, The alarm of war.2045Disaster on disaster is proclaimed, For the 46whole land is devastated; Suddenly my 47tents are devastated, My curtains in an instant.21How long must I see the standard And hear the sound of the trumpet?22“48For My people are foolish, They know Me not; They are stupid children And have no understanding. They are shrewd to 49do evil, But to do good they do not know.”

23I looked on the earth, and behold, it was 5051formless and void; And to the heavens, and they had no light.24I looked on the mountains, and behold, they were 52quaking, And all the hills 53moved to and fro.25I looked, and behold, there was no man, And all the 54birds of the heavens had fled.26I looked, and behold, 55the 56fruitful land was a wilderness, And all its cities were pulled down Before the Lord, before His fierce anger.

27For thus says the Lord, “The 57whole land shall be a desolation, Yet I will 58not execute a complete destruction.28For this the 59earth shall mourn And the 60heavens above be dark, Because I have 61spoken, I have purposed, And I will not 62change My mind, nor will I turn from it.”29At the sound of the horseman and bowman 63every city flees; They 64go into the thickets and climb among the rocks; 65Every city is forsaken, And no man dwells in them.30And you, O desolate one, 66what will you do? Although you dress in scarlet, Although you decorate yourself with ornaments of gold, Although you 67enlarge your eyes with paint, In vain you make yourself beautiful. Your 6869lovers despise you; They seek your life.31For I heard a 70cry as of a woman in labor, The anguish as of one giving birth to her first child, The 71cry of the daughter of Zion 72gasping for breath, 73Stretching out her 74hands, saying, “Ah, woe is me, for 75I faint before murderers.”