Jeremiah 4:5-31

5Declare in Judah and proclaim in Jerusalem, and say, “1Blow the trumpet in the land; Cry aloud and say, ‘2Assemble yourselves, and let us go Into the fortified cities.’6Lift up a 3standard toward Zion! Seek refuge, do not stand still, For I am bringing 4evil from the north, And great destruction.7A 5lion has gone up from his thicket, And a 6destroyer of nations has set out; He has gone out from his place To 7make your land a waste. Your cities will be ruins Without inhabitant.8For this, 8put on sackcloth, Lament and wail; For the 9fierce anger of the Lord Has not turned back from us.” 9“It shall come about in that day,” declares the Lord, “that the 10heart of the king and the heart of the princes will fail; and the priests will be appalled and the 11prophets will be astounded.”

10Then I said, “Ah, Lord 12God! Surely You have utterly 13deceived this people and Jerusalem, saying, ‘14You will have peace’; whereas a sword touches the 15throat.”

11In that time it will be said to this people and to Jerusalem, “A 16scorching 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 17this--will come 18at My command; now I will also pronounce judgments against them.13Behold, he 19goes up like clouds, And his 20chariots like the whirlwind; His horses are 21swifter than eagles. Woe to us, for 22we are ruined!”

14Wash your heart from evil, O Jerusalem, That you may be saved. How long will your 23wicked thoughts Lodge within you?15For a voice declares from 24Dan, And proclaims wickedness from Mount Ephraim.16“Report it to the nations, now! Proclaim over Jerusalem, ‘Besiegers come from a 25far country, And 26lift their voices against the cities of Judah.17Like watchmen of a field they are 27against her round about, Because she has 28rebelled against Me,’ declares the Lord.18Your 29ways and your deeds Have 30brought these things to you. This is your evil. How 31bitter! How it has touched your heart!”

1932My 33soul, my 34soul! I am in anguish! 35Oh, my heart! My 36heart is pounding in me; I cannot be silent, Because 37you have heard, O my soul, The 38sound of the trumpet, The alarm of war.2039Disaster on disaster is proclaimed, For the 40whole land is devastated; Suddenly my 41tents are devastated, My curtains in an instant.21How long must I see the standard And hear the sound of the trumpet?22“42For My people are foolish, They know Me not; They are stupid children And have no understanding. They are shrewd to 43do evil, But to do good they do not know.”

23I looked on the earth, and behold, it was 4445formless and void; And to the heavens, and they had no light.24I looked on the mountains, and behold, they were 46quaking, And all the hills 47moved to and fro.25I looked, and behold, there was no man, And all the 48birds of the heavens had fled.26I looked, and behold, 49the 50fruitful land was a wilderness, And all its cities were pulled down Before the Lord, before His fierce anger.

27For thus says the Lord, “The 51whole land shall be a desolation, Yet I will 52not execute a complete destruction.28For this the 53earth shall mourn And the 54heavens above be dark, Because I have 55spoken, I have purposed, And I will not 56change My mind, nor will I turn from it.”29At the sound of the horseman and bowman 57every city flees; They 58go into the thickets and climb among the rocks; 59Every city is forsaken, And no man dwells in them.30And you, O desolate one, 60what will you do? Although you dress in scarlet, Although you decorate yourself with ornaments of gold, Although you 61enlarge your eyes with paint, In vain you make yourself beautiful. Your 6263lovers despise you; They seek your life.31For I heard a 64cry as of a woman in labor, The anguish as of one giving birth to her first child, The 65cry of the daughter of Zion 66gasping for breath, 67Stretching out her 68hands, saying, “Ah, woe is me, for 69I faint before murderers.”