4
1 “If
you will return,
Israel,” says the
LORD, “if you will
return to me,
and if you will
put away your
abominations out
of my sight;
then you will
not be removed;
2 and
you will swear, ‘As
the LORD lives,’
in truth, in
justice, and in
righteousness. The
nations will
bless themselves in
him, and they
will glory in
him.”
3 For
the LORD says
to the men of
Judah and to
Jerusalem, “Break
up your fallow
ground, and don’t
sow among thorns.
4 Circumcise
yourselves to the
LORD, and take
away the foreskins
of your heart,
you men of Judah
and inhabitants of
Jerusalem; lest my
wrath go out
like fire, and
burn so that
no one can quench
it, because of
the evil of
your doings.
5 Declare
in Judah, and
publish in
Jerusalem; and say, ‘Blow
the trumpet in
the land!’ Cry
aloud and say, ‘Assemble
yourselves! Let’s go
into the fortified
cities!’
6 Set
up a standard
toward Zion. Flee
for safety! Don’t
wait; for I
will bring evil
from the north,
and a great
destruction.”
7 A lion
has gone up
from his thicket,
and a destroyer
of nations. He
is on his
way. He has
gone out from
his place, to
make your land
desolate, that
your cities be
laid waste,
without inhabitant.
8 For
this, clothe yourself
with sackcloth,
lament and wail;
for the fierce
anger of the
LORD hasn’t turned
back from us.
9 “It
will happen at
that day,” says
the LORD, “that
the heart of
the king
will perish, along with
the heart of
the princes. The
priests will be
astonished, and
the prophets will
wonder.”
10 Then
I said, “Ah, Lord
GOD! Surely you
have greatly
deceived this
people and
Jerusalem, saying, ‘You
will have peace;’
whereas the sword
reaches to the
heart.”
11 At
that time it
will be said to
this people and
to Jerusalem, “A
hot wind blows from
the bare heights
in the wilderness
toward the
daughter of my
people, not to
winnow, nor to
cleanse.
12 A
full wind from
these will come
for me. Now
I will also
utter judgments
against them.”
13 Behold,
he will come
up as clouds,
and his chariots
will be as
the whirlwind. His
horses are swifter
than eagles. Woe
to us! For
we are ruined.
14 Jerusalem,
wash your heart
from wickedness,
that you may
be saved. How
long will your
evil thoughts
lodge within you?
15 For
a voice declares
from Dan,
and publishes evil from
the hills
of Ephraim:
16 “Tell
the nations,
behold, publish
against Jerusalem, ‘Watchers
come from a
far country, and
raise their voice
against the cities
of Judah.
17 As
keepers of a
field, they are
against her all
around, because
she has been
rebellious against
me,’ ” says the
LORD.
18 “Your
way and your
doings have
brought these
things to you.
This is your
wickedness, for it
is bitter, for
it reaches to
your heart.”
19 My
anguish, my
anguish! I am
pained at my
very heart! My
heart trembles within
me. I can’t hold
my peace, because
you have heard,
O my soul,
the sound of
the trumpet, the
alarm of war.
20 Destruction
on destruction
is decreed, for
the whole land
is laid waste.
Suddenly my tents
are destroyed, and
my curtains gone
in a moment.
21 How
long will I
see the standard
and hear the
sound of the
trumpet?
22 “For
my people are
foolish. They don’t
know me. They
are foolish
children, and they
have no understanding.
They are skillful
in doing evil,
but they don’t
know how to
do good.”
23 I
saw the earth
and, behold, it
was waste and void,
and the heavens,
and they had
no light.
24 I
saw the mountains,
and behold, they
trembled, and all
the hills
moved back and forth.
25 I
saw, and behold,
there was no
man, and all
the birds of
the sky had
fled.
26 I
saw, and behold,
the fruitful field
was a wilderness,
and all its
cities were broken
down at the
presence of the
LORD, before his
fierce anger.
27 For
the LORD says, “The
whole land will be
a desolation; yet
I will not
make a full
end.
28 For
this the earth
will mourn, and
the heavens above
be black, because
I have spoken
it. I have
planned it, and
I have not
repented, neither
will I turn
back from it.”
29 Every
city flees for
the noise of
the horsemen and
archers. They go
into the thickets
and climb up
on the rocks.
Every city is
forsaken, and not
a man dwells
therein.
30 You,
when you are
made desolate,
what will you
do? Though you
clothe yourself
with scarlet,
though you deck
yourself with
ornaments of gold,
though you enlarge
your eyes
with makeup, you
make yourself
beautiful in vain.
Your lovers
despise you. They
seek your life.
31 For
I have heard
a voice as
of a woman
in travail, the
anguish as of
her who gives
birth to her
first child, the
voice of the
daughter of Zion,
who gasps for
breath, who
spreads her hands,
saying, “Woe is me
now! For my
soul faints before
the murderers.”