Jeremiah 4

1“If you return, O Israel,” || A declaration of YHWH, || “Return to Me, || And if you turn aside Your abominations from My face, || Then you do not bemoan.

2And you have sworn—YHWH lives, || In truth, in judgment, and in righteousness, || And nations have blessed themselves in Him, || And they boast themselves in Him.”

3For thus said YHWH, || To the man of Judah, and to Jerusalem: “Till for yourselves tillage, || And do not sow to the thorns.

4Be circumcised to YHWH, || And turn aside the foreskins of your heart, || O man of Judah, and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, || Lest My fury goes out as fire, and has burned, || And there is none quenching, || Because of the evil of your doings.”

5Declare in Judah, and sound in Jerusalem, and say: “Blow a horn in the land, || Call, Fill up together, || And say, Assemble yourselves and let us go into the fortified cities.

6Lift up an ensign toward Zion, || Strengthen yourselves, do not stand still, || For I am bringing evil in from the north, || And a great destruction.”

7A lion has gone up from his thicket, || And a destroyer of nations has journeyed, || He has come forth from his place || To make your land become a desolation, || Your cities are laid waste, without inhabitant.

8For this, gird on sackcloth, lament and howl, || For the fierce anger of YHWH has not turned back from us.

9“And it has come to pass in that day,” || A declaration of YHWH, || “The heart of the king perishes, || And the heart of the princes, || And the priests have been astonished, || And the prophets wonder.”

10And I say, “Aah! Lord YHWH, || Surely you have entirely forgotten this people and Jerusalem, || Saying, Peace is for you, || And a sword has struck to the soul!”

11At that time it is said of this people, || And of Jerusalem: “A dry wind of high places in the wilderness, || The way of the daughter of My people || (Not for winnowing, nor for cleansing),

12A full wind from these comes for Me, || Now also, I speak judgments with them.”

13“Behold, he comes up as clouds, || And his chariots as a windstorm, || His horses have been lighter than eagles, || Woe to us, for we have been spoiled.”

14Wash evil from your heart, O Jerusalem, || That you may be saved, || Until when do you lodge in your heart || Thoughts of your strength?

15For a voice is declaring from Dan, || And sounding sorrow from Mount Ephraim:

16“Make mention to the nations, || Behold, sound to Jerusalem, || Besiegers are coming from the far-off land, || And they give forth their voice against cities of Judah.

17As the keepers of a field || They have been against her all around, || For she has been rebellious with Me,” || A declaration of YHWH.

18“Your way and your doings have done these to you, || This [is] your distress, for [it is] bitter, || For it has struck to your heart.”

19My bowels, my bowels! I am pained [in] the walls of my heart, || My heart makes a noise for me, I am not silent, || For I have heard the voice of a horn, || O my soul—a shout of battle!

20Destruction on destruction is proclaimed, || For all the land has been spoiled, || My tents have suddenly been spoiled, || In a moment—my curtains.

21Until when do I see an ensign? Do I hear the voice of a horn?

22“For My people [are] foolish, || They have not known Me, || They [are] foolish sons, || Indeed, they [are] not intelligent, || They [are] wise to do evil, || And they have not known to do good.”

23I looked [to] the earth, and behold—formless and void, || And to the heavens, and they [had] no light.

24I have looked [to] the mountains, || And behold, they are trembling. And all the hills moved themselves lightly.

25I have looked, and behold, man is not, || And all birds of the heavens have fled.

26I have looked, and behold, || The fruitful place [is] a wilderness, || And all its cities have been broken down, || Because of YHWH, || Because of the fierceness of His anger.

27For thus said YHWH: “All the land is a desolation, but I do not make a completion.

28For this the earth mourns, || And the heavens above have been black, || Because I have spoken—I have purposed, || And I have not relented, || Nor do I turn back from it.

29From the voice of the horseman, || And of him shooting with the bow, || All the city is fleeing, || They have come into thickets, || And they have gone up on cliffs, || All the city is forsaken, || And there is no one dwelling in them.

30And you, O spoiled one, what do you do? For you put on scarlet, || For you adorn yourself [with] ornaments of gold. For you tear your eyes with pain, || In vain you make yourself beautiful, || Unhealthy ones have kicked against you, || They seek your life.

31For I have heard a voice as of a travailing woman, || Distress, as of one bringing forth a firstborn, || The voice of the daughter of Zion, || She laments herself, || She spreads out her hands, || Woe to me now, my soul is weary of slayers!”