Jeremiah 4

Judah Threatened with Invasion

1“IfH518 you will 1returnH7725, O IsraelH3478,” declaresH5002 the LordH3068, “Then you should returnH7725 to Me. And 2ifH518 you will putH5493 awayH5493 your detestedH8251 thingsH8251 from My presenceH6440, And will not waverH5110,2And you will 3swearH7650, ‘As the LordH3068 livesH2416,’ 4In truthH571, in justiceH4941 and in righteousnessH6666; Then the 5nationsH1471 will blessH1288 themselves in Him, And 6in Him they will gloryH1984.”

3For thusH3541 saysH559 the LordH3068 to the menH376 of JudahH3063 and to JerusalemH3389, “78BreakH5214 up your fallowH5215 groundH5215, And 9do not sowH2232 amongH413 thornsH6975.410CircumciseH4135 yourselves to the LordH3068 And removeH5493 the foreskinsH6190 of your heartH3824, MenH376 of JudahH3063 and inhabitantsH3427 of JerusalemH3389, OrH6435 elseH6435 My 11wrathH2534 will goH3318 forthH3318 like fireH784 And burnH1197 with 12noneH369 to quenchH3518 it, BecauseH4480H6440 of the evilH7455 of your deedsH4611.”

5DeclareH5046 in JudahH3063 and proclaimH8085 in JerusalemH3389, and sayH559, “13BlowH8628 the trumpetH7782 in the landH776; CryH7121 aloudH4390 and sayH559, ‘14AssembleH622 yourselves, and let us goH935 Into the fortifiedH4013 citiesH5892.’6LiftH5375 up a 15standardH5251 toward ZionH6726! SeekH5756 refugeH5756, do not standH5975 still, For I am bringingH935 16evilH7463 from the northH6828, And greatH1419 destructionH7667.7A 17lionH743 has goneH5927 up from his thicketH5441, And a 18destroyerH7843 of nationsH1471 has setH5265 out; He has goneH3318 out from his placeH4725 To 19makeH7760 your landH776 a wasteH8047. Your citiesH5892 will be ruinsH5327 WithoutH369 inhabitantH3427.8For thisH2088, 20putH2296 on sackclothH8242, LamentH5594 and wailH3213; For the 21fierceH2740 angerH639 of the LordH3068 Has not turnedH7725 backH7725 from us.” 9“It shall comeH1961 about in that dayH3117,” declaresH5002 the LordH3068, “that the 22heartH3820 of the kingH4428 and the heartH3820 of the princesH8269 will failH6; and the priestsH3548 will be appalledH8074 and the 23prophetsH5030 will be astoundedH8539.”

10Then I saidH559, “AhH162, LordH136 24GodH3068! SurelyH403 You have utterlyH5378 25deceivedH5378 thisH2088 peopleH5971 and JerusalemH3389, sayingH559, ‘26You will haveH1961 peaceH7965’; whereas a swordH2719 touchesH5060 the 27throatH5315.”

11In that timeH6256 it will be saidH559 to thisH2088 peopleH5971 and to JerusalemH3389, “A 28scorchingH6703 windH7307 from the bareH8205 heightsH8205 in the wildernessH4057 in the directionH1870 of the daughterH1323 of My peopleH5971--not to winnowH2219 and not to cleanseH1305, 12a windH7307 tooH4480 strongH4392 for 29thisH428--will comeH935 30at My command; nowH6258 I will alsoH1571 pronounceH1696 judgmentsH4941 against them.13BeholdH2009, he 31goesH5927 up like cloudsH6051, And his 32chariotsH4818 like the whirlwindH5492; His horsesH5483 are 33swifterH7043 thanH4480 eaglesH5404. WoeH188 to us, for 34we are ruinedH7703!”

14WashH3526 your heartH3820 from evilH7463, O JerusalemH3389, That you may be savedH3467. HowH4970 longH5704H4970 will your 35wickedH205 thoughtsH4284 LodgeH3885 withinH7130 you?15For a voiceH6963 declaresH5046 from 36DanH1835, And proclaimsH8085 wickednessH205 from MountH2022 EphraimH669.16“ReportH2142 it to the nationsH1471, nowH2009! ProclaimH8085 overH5921 JerusalemH3389, ‘BesiegersH5341 comeH935 from a 37farH4801 countryH776, And 38liftH5414 their voicesH6963 againstH5921 the citiesH5892 of JudahH3063.17Like watchmenH8104 of a fieldH7706 they are 39againstH5921 her roundH5439 aboutH5439, BecauseH3588 she has 40rebelledH4784 against Me,’ declaresH5002 the LordH3068.18Your 41waysH1870 and your deedsH4611 Have 42broughtH6213 theseH428 thingsH428 to you. ThisH2088 is your evilH7463. HowH3588 43bitterH4751! HowH3588 it has touchedH5060 your heartH3820!”

Lament over Judah’s Devastation

1944My 45soulH4578, my 46soulH4578! I am in anguishH2342! 47OhH7023, my heartH3820! My 48heartH3820 is poundingH1993 in me; I cannotH3808 be silentH2790, BecauseH3588 49you have heardH8085, O my soulH5315, The 50soundH6963 of the trumpetH7782, The alarmH8643 of warH4421.2051DisasterH7667 on disasterH7667 is proclaimedH7121, For the 52wholeH3605 landH776 is devastatedH7703; SuddenlyH6597 my 53tentsH168 are devastatedH7703, My curtainsH3407 in an instantH7281.21HowH4970 longH5704H4970 must I seeH7200 the standardH5251 And hearH8085 the soundH6963 of the trumpetH7782?22“54For My peopleH5971 are foolishH191, They knowH3045 Me not; They are stupidH5530 childrenH1121 And haveH995 noH3808 understandingH995. They are shrewdH2450 to 55doH7489 evilH7489, But to doH3190 goodH3190 they do not knowH3045.”

23I lookedH7200 on the earthH776, and beholdH2009, it was 5657formlessH8414 and voidH922; And to the heavensH8064, and they hadH369 noH369 lightH216.24I lookedH7200 on the mountainsH2022, and beholdH2009, they were 58quakingH7493, And allH3605 the hillsH1389 59movedH7043 to and froH7043.25I lookedH7200, and beholdH2009, thereH369 was noH369 manH120, And allH3605 the 60birdsH5775 of the heavensH8064 had fledH5074.26I lookedH7200, and beholdH2009, 61the 62fruitfulH3759 landH3759 was a wildernessH4057, And allH3605 its citiesH5892 were pulledH5422 downH5422 BeforeH4480H6440 the LordH3068, beforeH4480H6440 His fierceH2740 angerH639.

27For thusH3541 saysH559 the LordH3068, “The 63wholeH3605 landH776 shall be a desolationH8077, Yet I will 64not executeH6213 a completeH3617 destructionH3617.28For thisH2088 the 65earthH776 shall mournH56 And the 66heavensH8064 aboveH4480H4605 be darkH6937, BecauseH5921H3588 I have 67spokenH1696, I have purposedH2161, And I will not 68changeH5162 My mindH5162, norH3808 will I turnH7725 from it.”29At the soundH6963 of the horsemanH6571 and bowmanH7411H7198 69everyH3605 cityH5892 fleesH1272; They 70goH935 into the thicketsH5645 and climbH5927 among the rocksH3710; 71EveryH3605 cityH5892 is forsakenH5800, And noH369 manH376 dwellsH3427 in them.30And you, O desolateH7703 one, 72whatH4100 will you doH6213? AlthoughH3588 you dressH3847 in scarletH8144, AlthoughH3588 you decorateH5710 yourself with ornamentsH5716 of goldH2091, AlthoughH3588 you 73enlargeH7167 your eyesH5869 with paintH6320, In vainH7723 you makeH3302 yourself beautifulH3302. Your 7475loversH5689 despiseH3988 you; They seekH1245 your lifeH5315.31For I heardH8085 a 76cryH6963 as of a woman in laborH2342, The anguishH6869 as of one givingH1069 birthH1069 to her firstH1069 childH1069, The 77cryH6963 of the daughterH1323 of ZionH6726 78gaspingH3306 for breathH3306, 79StretchingH6566 out her 80handsH3709, saying, “AhH4994, woeH188 is me, for 81I faintH5888 before murderersH2026.”