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,” 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,

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 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.”

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 fallow ground, And do 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 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.”

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 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.’

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.

“Lift up a standard toward Zion! Seek refuge, do not stand still, For I am bringing 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 has set out; He has gone out from his place To make your land a waste. Your cities will be ruins Without 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, put on 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.”

“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.”

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, “Ah, Lord God! Surely You have utterly deceived this people and Jerusalem, saying, ‘ You will have peace’; whereas a sword touches the throat.”

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.

In 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,

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 for this—will come at My command; now I will also pronounce judgments against them.

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

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

Wash your heart from evil, O Jerusalem, That you may be saved. How long will your wicked 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 wickedness 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.

“Report it to the nations, now! Proclaim over Jerusalem, ‘Besiegers come from a far country, And lift their voices 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 watchmen of a field they are against her round about, Because she has rebelled against Me,’ declares 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 deeds Have brought these things to you. This is your evil. How bitter! How it has touched your heart!” Lament over Judah’s Devastation

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 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.

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.

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

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

How long must I see the standard 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 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.”

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 on the earth, and behold, it was formless and void; And to 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 on the mountains, and behold, they were quaking, And all the hills moved 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 heavens 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 wilderness, And all its cities were pulled down Before the Lord, 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 shall be a desolation, Yet I will not execute a complete destruction.

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 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.”

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.

At 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.

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, 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.

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 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.”