1 “ If you will return, O Israel,” says the Lord, “return to Me. If you will put away your false gods from Me and be faithful to Me,

If 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,

2 a nd promise, ‘As the Lord lives,’ by what is true and right and good, then the nations will be happy in Him. And in Him they will have honor.”

And 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.

3 F or the Lord says to the men of Judah and Jerusalem, “Break up your ground which has not been planted, and do not plant seeds among thorns.

For 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.

4 S et yourselves apart to the Lord, and put away the flesh from your heart, men of Judah and people of Jerusalem. Or My anger will go out like fire and burn with no one to stop it, because of the sinful things you do.” Armies from the North Are Coming

Circumcise 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.

5 M ake it known in Judah and Jerusalem, and say, “Sound the horns in the land.” Cry out and say, “Gather together, and let us go into the strong cities made ready for battle.”

Declare 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.

6 L ift up a flag toward Zion! Run to a safe place, do not stand still. For I am bringing much trouble from the north that will destroy much.

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

7 A lion has gone up from his secret place. A destroyer of nations has begun to move. He has gone out from his place to make your land a waste. Your cities will be destroyed and no people will live in them.

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.

8 C over yourselves with cloth made from hair because of this. Cry out in sorrow. For the burning anger of the Lord has not turned away from us.

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

9 “ In that day,” says the Lord, “the heart of the king and the hearts of the rulers will become weak. The religious leaders will be filled with fear. And the men of God will be troubled and filled with wonder.”

And 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.

10 T hen I said, “O Lord God, for sure You have fooled these people and Jerusalem, saying, ‘You will have peace,’ when in truth a sword brings danger to their lives.”

Then 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.

11 A t that time it will be said to these people and Jerusalem, “A hot wind from the open hill-tops in the desert will come toward My people, but not to blow away what is of no worth, and not to make clean.

At 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

12 A wind too strong for this will come at My word. Now I will bring punishment against them.” Armies Are All Around Judah

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

13 S ee, he comes up like clouds. His war-wagons come like the strong-wind. His horses are faster than eagles. It is bad for us, for we are destroyed!

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

14 W ash your heart from sin, O Jerusalem, that you may be saved. How long will your sinful thoughts stay within you?

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

15 F or a voice calls out from Dan, and tells of sin from Mount Ephraim.

For a voice declares from Dan and proclaims evil from Mount Ephraim.

16 “ Tell it to the nations now! Make it known over all Jerusalem, saying, ‘An army is coming from a far country, and they lift up their voices against the cities of Judah.

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

17 T hey are against her all around, like watchmen of a field, because she has turned against Me,’ says the Lord.

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

18 “ Your ways and what you do have brought these things to you. This is your sin. How bitter it is! It has touched your very heart!” Jeremiah Feels Pain for His People

Your 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!

19 M y soul, my soul! I am in pain! O, my heart! My heart is beating so hard! It cannot be quiet, for I hear the sound of the horn, telling of the coming war.

My 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.

20 N ews of much trouble comes again and again, for the whole land is laid waste. All at once my tents and my curtains are destroyed.

News 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.

21 H ow long must I see the flag and hear the sound of the horn?

how long must I see the flag and hear the sound of the trumpet ?

22 “ For My people are foolish. They do not know Me. They are children who do not think, and they have no understanding. They know a lot about how to do sinful things, but they do not know how to do good.” Jeremiah Saw What the Future Would Be Like

for 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.

23 I looked on the earth and saw that it was an empty waste. I looked to the heavens, and they had no light.

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

24 I looked on the mountains and saw they were shaking, and all the hills moved this way and that.

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

25 I looked and saw that there were no people. And all the birds of the heavens had left.

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

26 I looked and saw that the rich land was a desert. All its cities were laid waste before the Lord and His burning anger.

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.

27 F or the Lord says, “The whole land will be laid waste, yet I will not destroy everything.

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

28 F or the earth will be filled with sorrow and the heavens above will be dark, because I have spoken. I have planned it, and will not change My mind or turn back.”

For 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.

29 E very city runs as they hear the sound of the horseman and the one who fights with arrows. They go among the trees and the rocks. Every city is left empty, and no one lives in them.

Every 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.

30 A nd you, O destroyed one, what will you do? Even when you dress in red, and wear objects of gold, and color your eyes to make them look bigger, you make yourself beautiful for nothing. Your lovers hate you, and want to kill you.

And 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.

31 I heard a cry as of a woman in pain, as if she were giving birth to her first child. It was the cry of the people of Zion, working hard to breathe, holding out hands, and saying, “O, it is bad for me! I am losing strength in front of those who want to kill me.”

For 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.