1 “ If you will return, O Israel,” declares the Lord, “ Then you should return to Me. And if you will put away your detested things from My presence, And will not waver,

“If you will return, Israel,” says Yahweh, “if you will return to me, and if you will put away your abominations out of my sight; then you shall not be removed;

2 A nd you will swear, ‘As the Lord lives,’ In truth, in justice and in righteousness; Then the nations will bless themselves in Him, And in Him they will glory.”

and you shall swear, ‘As Yahweh lives,’ in truth, in justice, and in righteousness. 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 fallow ground, And do not sow among thorns.

For Yahweh 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 remove the foreskins of your heart, Men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem, Or else My wrath will go forth like fire And burn with none to quench it, Because of the evil of your deeds.”

Circumcise yourselves to Yahweh, 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 D eclare in Judah and proclaim 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 in Judah, and publish in Jerusalem; and say, ‘Blow the trumpet in the land!’ Cry aloud and say, ‘Assemble yourselves! Let us go into the fortified cities!’

6 “ Lift up a standard toward Zion! Seek refuge, do not stand still, For I am bringing evil from the north, And great destruction.

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 has set out; He has gone out from his place To make your land a waste. Your cities will be ruins Without inhabitant.

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, put on sackcloth, Lament and wail; For the fierce anger of the Lord Has not turned back from us.”

For this clothe yourself with sackcloth, lament and wail; for the fierce anger of Yahweh hasn’t turned back from us.

9 “ It shall come about in that day,” declares the Lord, “that the heart of the king and the heart of the princes will fail; and the priests will be appalled and the prophets will be astounded.”

“It shall happen at that day,” says Yahweh, “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 T hen I said, “Ah, Lord God! Surely You have utterly deceived this people and Jerusalem, saying, ‘ You will have peace’; whereas a sword touches the throat.”

Then I said, “Ah, Lord Yahweh! Surely you have greatly deceived this people and Jerusalem, saying, ‘You shall have peace;’ whereas the sword reaches to the heart.”

11 I n that time it will be said to this people and to Jerusalem, “A scorching wind from the bare heights in the wilderness in the direction of the daughter of My people—not to winnow and not to cleanse,

At that time it will be said to this people and to Jerusalem, “A hot wind from the bare heights in the wilderness toward the daughter of my people, not to winnow, nor to cleanse;

12 a wind too strong for this—will come at My command; now I will also pronounce judgments against them.

a full wind from these shall come for me. Now I will also utter judgments against them.”

13 “ Behold, he goes up like clouds, And his chariots like the whirlwind; His horses are swifter than eagles. Woe to us, for we are ruined!”

Behold, he shall come up as clouds, and his chariots shall be as the whirlwind: his horses are swifter than eagles. Woe to us! For we are ruined.

14 W ash your heart from evil, O Jerusalem, That you may be saved. How long will your wicked thoughts Lodge within you?

Jerusalem, wash your heart from wickedness, that you may be saved. How long shall your evil thoughts lodge within you?

15 F or a voice declares from Dan, And proclaims wickedness from Mount Ephraim.

For a voice declares from Dan, and publishes evil from the hills of Ephraim:

16 “ Report it to the nations, now! Proclaim over Jerusalem, ‘Besiegers come from a far country, And lift their voices against the cities of Judah.

“Tell the nations; behold, publish against Jerusalem, ‘Watchers come from a far country, and raise their voice against the cities of Judah.

17 ‘ Like watchmen of a field they are against her round about, Because she has rebelled against Me,’ declares the Lord.

As keepers of a field, they are against her all around, because she has been rebellious against me,’” says Yahweh.

18 “ Your ways and your deeds Have brought these things to you. This is your evil. How bitter! How it has touched your heart!” Lament over Judah’s Devastation

“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 M y soul, my soul! I am in anguish! Oh, my heart! My heart is pounding in me; I cannot be silent, Because you have heard, O my soul, The sound of the trumpet, The alarm of war.

My anguish, my anguish! I am pained at my very heart; my heart is disquieted in me; I can’t hold my peace; because you have heard, O my soul, the sound of the trumpet, the alarm of war.

20 D isaster on disaster is proclaimed, For the whole land is devastated; Suddenly my tents are devastated, My curtains in an instant.

Destruction on destruction is cried; for the whole land is laid waste: suddenly are my tents destroyed, and my curtains in a moment.

21 H ow long must I see the standard And hear the sound of the trumpet?

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

22 “ For My people are foolish, They know Me not; They are stupid children And have no understanding. They are shrewd to do evil, But to do good they do not know.”

“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 to do good they have no knowledge.”

23 I looked on the earth, and behold, it was formless and void; And to the heavens, and they had no light.

I saw the earth, and, behold, it was waste and void; and the heavens, and they had no light.

24 I looked on the mountains, and behold, they were quaking, And all the hills moved to and fro.

I saw the mountains, and behold, they trembled, and all the hills moved back and forth.

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

I saw, and behold, there was no man, and all the birds of the sky had fled.

26 I looked, and behold, the fruitful land was a wilderness, And all its cities were pulled down Before the Lord, before His fierce anger.

I saw, and behold, the fruitful field was a wilderness, and all its cities were broken down at the presence of Yahweh, before his fierce anger.

27 F or thus says the Lord, “The whole land shall be a desolation, Yet I will not execute a complete destruction.

For Yahweh says, “The whole land shall be a desolation; yet will I not make a full end.

28 “ For this the earth shall mourn And the heavens above be dark, Because I have spoken, I have purposed, And I will not change My mind, nor will I turn from it.”

For this the earth will mourn, and the heavens above be black; because I have spoken it, I have purposed it, and I have not repented, neither will I turn back from it.”

29 A t the sound of the horseman and bowman every city flees; They go into the thickets and climb among the rocks; Every city is forsaken, And no man dwells in them.

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 A nd you, O desolate one, what will you do? Although you dress in scarlet, Although you decorate yourself with ornaments of gold, Although you enlarge your eyes with paint, In vain you make yourself beautiful. Your lovers despise you; They seek your life.

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 F or I heard a cry as of a woman in labor, The anguish as of one giving birth to her first child, The cry of the daughter of Zion gasping for breath, Stretching out her hands, saying, “Ah, woe is me, for I faint before murderers.”

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.”