Jeremiah 4
1. If thou wilt return * , O Israel, saith * the LORD, return * unto me: and if thou wilt put away * thine abominations out of my sight, then shalt thou not remove * .
2. And thou shalt swear * , The LORD liveth, in truth, in judgment, and in righteousness; and the nations shall bless * themselves in him, and in him shall they glory * .
3. For thus saith * the LORD to the men of Judah and Jerusalem, Break up * your fallow ground, and sow * not among thorns.
4. Circumcise * yourselves to the LORD, and take away * the foreskins of your heart, ye men of Judah and inhabitants * of Jerusalem: lest my fury come forth * like fire, and burn * that none can quench * it, because of the evil of your doings.
5. Declare * ye in Judah, and publish * in Jerusalem; and say * , Blow * ye the trumpet in the land: cry * , gather together * , and say * , Assemble * yourselves, and let us go * into the defenced cities.
6. Set up * the standard toward Zion: retire * , stay * not: for I will bring * evil from the north, and a great destruction.
7. The lion is come up * from his thicket, and the destroyer * of the Gentiles is on his way * ; he is gone forth * from his place to make * thy land desolate; and thy cities shall be laid waste * , without an inhabitant * .
8. For this gird * you with sackcloth,lament * and howl * : for the fierce anger of the LORD is not turned back * from us.
9. And it shall come to pass at that day, saith * the LORD, that the heart of the king shall perish * , and the heart of the princes; and the priests shall be astonished * , and the prophets shall wonder * .
10. Then said * I, Ah, Lord GOD ! surely thou hast greatly * deceived * this people and Jerusalem, saying * , Ye shall have peace; whereas the sword reacheth * unto the soul.
11. At that time shall it be said * to this people and to Jerusalem, A dry wind of the high places in the wilderness toward the daughter of my people, not to fan * , nor to cleanse * ,
12. Even a full wind from those places shall come * unto me: now also will I give * sentence against them.
13. Behold, he shall come up * as clouds,and his chariots shall be as a whirlwind: his horses are swifter * than eagles.Woe unto us! for we are spoiled * .
14. O Jerusalem, wash * thine heart from wickedness, that thou mayest be saved * . How long shall thy vain thoughts lodge * within thee?
15. For a voice declareth * from Dan, and publisheth * affliction from mount Ephraim.
16. Make ye mention * to the nations;behold, publish * against Jerusalem, that watchers * come * from a far country, and give out * their voice against the cities of Judah.
17. As keepers * of a field, are they against her round about; because she hath been rebellious * against me, saith * the LORD.
18. Thy way and thy doings have procured * these things unto thee; this is thy wickedness, because it is bitter, because it reacheth * unto thine heart.
19. My bowels, my bowels ! I am pained * at my very heart; my heart maketh a noise * in me; I cannot hold my peace * , because thou hast heard * , O my soul, the sound of the trumpet, the alarm of war.
20. Destruction upon destruction is cried * ; for the whole land is spoiled * : suddenly are my tents spoiled * , and my curtains in a moment.
21. How long shall I see * the standard,and hear * the sound of the trumpet?
22. For my people is foolish, they have not known * me; they are sottish children, and they have none understanding * : they are wise to do evil * , but to do good * they have no knowledge * .
23. I beheld * the earth, and, lo, it was without form, and void; and the heavens,and they had no light.
24. I beheld * the mountains, and, lo, they trembled * , and all the hills moved lightly * .
25. I beheld * , and, lo, there was no man,and all the birds of the heavens were fled * .
26. I beheld * , and, lo, the fruitful place was a wilderness, and all the cities thereof were broken down * at the presence of the LORD, and by his fierce anger.
27. For thus hath the LORD said * , The whole land shall be desolate; yet will I not make * a full end.
28. For this shall the earth mourn * , and the heavens above be black * : because I have spoken * it, I have purposed * it, and will not repent * , neither will I turn back * from it.
29. The whole city shall flee * for the noise of the horsemen and bowmen * ; they shall go * into thickets, and climb up * upon the rocks: every city shall be forsaken * , and not a man dwell * therein.
30. And when thou art spoiled * , what wilt thou do * ? Though thou clothest * thyself with crimson, though thou deckest * thee with ornaments of gold, though thou rentest * thy face with painting, in vain shalt thou make thyself fair * ; thy lovers * will despise * thee, they will seek * thy life.
31. For I have heard * a voice as of a woman in travail * , and the anguish as of her that bringeth forth her first child * , the voice of the daughter of Zion, that bewaileth * herself, that spreadeth * her hands, saying, Woe is me now! for my soul is wearied * because of murderers * .
