1 I f you will return, O Israel, says the Lord, if you will return to Me, and if you will put away your abominable false gods out of My sight and not stray or waver,

If thou wilt return, O Israel, saith Jehovah, return unto me; and if thou wilt put away thine abominations out of my sight, then shalt thou not be a wanderer;

2 A nd if you swear, As the Lord lives, in truth, in judgment and justice, and in righteousness (uprightness in every area and relation), then the nations will bless themselves in Him and in Him will they glory.

—and thou shalt in truth, in justice, and in righteousness swear, Jehovah liveth! and the nations shall bless themselves in him, and in him shall they glory.

3 F or thus says the Lord to the men of Judah and to Jerusalem: Break up your ground left uncultivated for a season, so that you may not sow among thorns.

For thus saith Jehovah to the men of Judah and Jerusalem: Break up for you a fallow ground, and sow not among thorns.

4 C ircumcise yourselves to the Lord and take away the foreskins of your hearts, you men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem, lest My wrath go forth like fire and burn so that no one can quench it because of the evil of your doings.

Circumcise yourselves for Jehovah, 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, and there be none to quench it, because of the evil of your doings.

5 D eclare in Judah and publish in Jerusalem and say: Blow the trumpet in the land; cry aloud and say: Assemble yourselves, and let us go into the fortified cities.

Declare ye in Judah, and cause it to be heard in Jerusalem, and say, … and blow the trumpet in the land, cry aloud and say, Assemble yourselves, and let us enter into the fenced cities.

6 R aise a standard toward Zion! Flee for safety, stay not, for I bring evil from the north, and great destruction.

Set up a banner toward Zion; take to flight, stay not! For I am bringing evil from the north, and a great destruction.

7 A lion has gone up from his thicket, and a destroyer of nations is on his way. He has gone forth from his place to make your land a desolate waste; and your cities shall be left in ruins without an inhabitant.

The lion is come up from his thicket, the destroyer of the nations is on his way; he is gone forth from his place, to make thy land desolate; thy cities shall be laid waste, without inhabitant.

8 F or this, gird yourselves with sackcloth, lament and wail, for the fierce anger of the Lord has not turned back from us.

For this, gird you with sackcloth, lament and howl! for the fierce anger of Jehovah is not turned away from us.

9 A nd it shall be in that day, says the Lord, that the understanding and courage of the king shall fail (be paralyzed), and also that of the princes; the priests shall be appalled and the prophets astounded and dazed with horror.

And it shall come to pass in that day, saith Jehovah, that the heart of the king shall perish, and the heart of the princes; and the priests shall be astonished, and the prophets shall be amazed.

10 T hen I said, Alas, Lord God! Surely You have greatly deceived and misled this people and Jerusalem, saying, You shall have peace, whereas the sword has reached to life.

And I said, Alas, Lord Jehovah! surely thou hast greatly deceived this people and Jerusalem, saying, Ye shall have peace; whereas the sword reacheth unto the soul.

11 A t that time it will be said to this people and to Jerusalem, A hot wind from the bare heights in the wilderness against the daughter of My people—not to fan or cleanse

At that time shall it be said to this people and to Jerusalem, A hot wind from the heights in the wilderness, on the way of the daughter of my people, not for fanning, nor for cleansing.

12 A wind too strong and full for winnowing comes at My word. Now I will also speak in judgment against.

A wind more vehement than that shall come from me: now will I also pronounce judgments against them.

13 B ehold, comes up like clouds, his chariots like the whirlwind; his horses are swifter than eagles. Woe to us, for we are ruined (destroyed)!

Behold, he cometh up as clouds, and his chariots are as a whirlwind; his horses are swifter than eagles. Woe unto us! for we are destroyed.

14 O Jerusalem, wash your heart from wickedness, that you may be saved! How long shall your iniquitous and grossly offensive thoughts lodge within you?

Wash thy heart, Jerusalem, from wickedness, that thou mayest be saved. How long shall thy vain thoughts lodge within thee?

15 F or a voice declares from Dan and proclaims evil from Mount Ephraim.

For a voice declareth from Dan, and publisheth affliction from mount Ephraim.

16 W arn the nations; announce to Jerusalem that besiegers are coming from a far country, and they shout against the cities of Judah.

Inform the nations; behold, make Jerusalem to hear: Besiegers come from a far country, and raise their voice against the cities of Judah.

17 L ike keepers of a field they are against her round about, because she has been rebellious against Me, says the Lord.

As keepers of a field are they against her round about; for she hath been rebellious against me, saith Jehovah.

18 Y our ways and your doings have brought these things upon you. This is your calamity and doom; surely it is bitter, for surely it reaches your very heart!

Thy way and thy doings have procured these unto thee; this is thy wickedness, yea, it is bitter, yea, it reacheth unto thy heart.

19 M y anguish, my anguish! I writhe in pain! Oh, the walls of my heart! My heart is disquieted and throbs aloud within me; I cannot be silent! For I have heard the sound of the trumpet, the alarm of war.

My bowels! my bowels! I am in travail! the walls of my heart! My heart maketh a noise in me; I cannot hold my peace: for thou hearest, my soul, the sound of the trumpet, the clamour of war.

20 N ews of one violent disaster and calamity comes close after another, for the whole land is laid waste; suddenly are my tents spoiled and destroyed, and my curtains ruined in a moment.

Destruction upon destruction is proclaimed; for the whole land is wasted: suddenly are my tents laid waste, my curtains, in a moment.

21 h ow long must I see the flag and hear the sound of the trumpet ?

How long shall I see the standard, hear the sound of the trumpet?

22 f or My people are stupid, says the Lord; they do not know and understand Me. They are thickheaded children, and they have no understanding. They are wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge.

For my people is foolish, they have not known me; they are sottish children, and they have no intelligence; they are wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge.

23 I looked at the land, and behold, it was waste and vacant (void); and at the heavens, and they had no light.

I beheld the earth, and lo, it was waste and empty; and the heavens, and they had no light.

24 I looked at the mountains, and behold, they trembled, and all the hills moved lightly to and fro.

I beheld the mountains, and lo, they trembled, and all the hills shook violently.

25 I looked, and behold, there was no man, and all the birds of the air had fled.

I beheld, and lo, man was not, and all the fowl of the heavens were fled.

26 I looked, and behold, the fruitful land was a desert, and all its cities were laid waste before the Lord’s presence, before His fierce anger.

I beheld, and lo, the fruitful land was a wilderness, and all the cities thereof were broken down, before Jehovah, before his fierce anger.

27 F or thus says the Lord: The whole land will be a desolation, yet I will not make a full and complete end of it.

For thus saith Jehovah: The whole land shall be a desolation; but I will not make a full end.

28 F or this will the earth mourn and the heavens above be black; because I have spoken, I have purposed, and I will not relent, nor will I turn back.

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 therefrom.

29 E very city flees because of the noise of the horsemen and bowmen. They go into the thickets and climb among the rocks; every city is forsaken, and not a man dwells in them.

At the noise of the horsemen and bowmen, every city fleeth; they go into the thickets, and climb up upon the rocks: every city is forsaken and no man dwelleth therein.

30 A nd 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 paint your eyelids and make them look farther apart, in vain you beautify yourself. Your lovers (allies) despise you; they seek your life.

—And thou, wasted one, what wilt thou do? Though thou clothest thyself with crimson, though thou deckest thee with ornaments of gold, though thou rendest thine eyes with paint, in vain dost thou make thyself fair: lovers despise thee, they seek thy life.

31 F or I have heard a cry as of a woman in travail, the anguish as of one who brings forth her first child—the cry of the Daughter of Zion, who gasps for breath, who spreads her hands, saying, Woe is me now! I am fainting before the murderers.

For I hear a voice, as of a woman in travail, anguish as of her that bringeth forth her first child, the voice of the daughter of Zion: she moaneth, she spreadeth forth her hands,, Woe unto me! for my soul faileth because of murderers.