1 « Si te has de volver, Israel», dice Jehová, «vuélvete a mí. Si quitas de delante de mí tus abominaciones y no andas de acá para allá,

“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,

2 y si con verdad y conforme al derecho y la justicia juras: “Vive Jehová”, entonces las naciones serán benditas en él, y en él se gloriarán.

and 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.”

3 » Porque así dice Jehová a todo hombre de Judá y de Jerusalén: »Arad campo para vosotros y no sembréis entre espinos.

For 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.

4 C ircuncidaos para Jehová, quitad el prepucio de vuestro corazón, hombres de Judá y moradores de Jerusalén, no sea que mi ira salga como fuego, que se encienda y no haya quien la apague a causa de la maldad de vuestras obras. Judá es amenazada de invasión

Set 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

5 » Anunciadlo en Judá, proclamadlo en Jerusalén, diciendo: “Tocad trompeta en la tierra”; gritad a voz en cuello y decid: “¡Reuníos y entremos en las ciudades fortificadas!”

Make 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.”

6 A lzad bandera en Sión, huid, no os detengáis, porque del norte hago yo venir mal y quebrantamiento grande.

Lift 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.

7 E l león sube de la espesura, el destructor de naciones está en marcha; ha salido de su lugar para poner tu tierra en desolación; tus ciudades quedarán asoladas y sin morador.

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.

8 P or eso, vestíos con ropas ásperas, lamentaos y gemid, porque la ira de Jehová no se ha apartado de nosotros.

Cover 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.

9 » En aquel día», dice Jehová, «desfallecerá el corazón del rey y el corazón de los príncipes, los sacerdotes estarán atónitos y se espantarán los profetas.»

“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.”

10 Y o dije: «¡Ay, ay, Jehová, Dios, verdaderamente en gran manera has engañado a este pueblo y a Jerusalén, diciendo: “Tendréis paz”, pues la espada ha entrado hasta el alma!»

Then 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.”

11 E n aquel tiempo se dirá a este pueblo y a Jerusalén: «Un viento seco de las alturas del desierto viene hacia la hija de mi pueblo, y no para aventar ni para limpiar.

At 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.

12 U n viento más impetuoso que éste vendrá a servirme, y ahora yo pronunciaré juicios contra ellos.

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

13 » Subirá como las nubes, y su carro como un torbellino. Más ligeros son sus caballos que las águilas. ¡Ay de nosotros, porque entregados somos al despojo!

See, 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!

14 L ava tu corazón de maldad, Jerusalén, para que seas salva. ¿Hasta cuándo permitirás en medio de ti los pensamientos de iniquidad?

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

15 P orque una voz trae las noticias desde Dan y hace oír la calamidad desde los montes de Efraín.

For a voice calls out from Dan, and tells of sin from Mount Ephraim.

16 D ecid a las naciones, hacedlo oír sobre Jerusalén: “Invasores vienen de tierra lejana, y lanzarán su voz contra las ciudades de Judá.”

“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.

17 C omo guardas de campo la rodearán, porque se rebeló contra mí, dice Jehová.

They are against her all around, like watchmen of a field, because she has turned against Me,’ says the Lord.

18 » Tu camino y tus obras te hicieron esto; ésta es tu maldad, por lo cual la amargura penetrará hasta tu corazón.»

“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

19 ¡ Mis entrañas, mis entrañas! Me duelen las fibras de mi corazón; mi corazón se agita dentro de mí, no callaré, porque sonido de trompeta has oído, alma mía: ¡un pregón de guerra!

My 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.

20 S e anuncia quebranto tras quebranto, porque toda la tierra es destruida. ¡De repente son destruidas mis tiendas, en un momento mis cortinas!

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

21 ¿ Hasta cuándo he de ver bandera y he de oír sonido de trompeta?

How long must I see the flag and hear the sound of the horn?

22 P orque mi pueblo es necio, no me conocieron; son hijos ignorantes y faltos de entendimiento; son sabios para hacer el mal, pero no saben hacer el bien.

“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

23 M iré a la tierra, y vi que estaba desordenada y vacía; y a los cielos, y no había luz en ellos.

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

24 M iré a los montes, y vi que temblaban, y todos los collados fueron destruidos.

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

25 M iré, y no había hombre, y todas las aves del cielo se habían ido.

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

26 M iré, y vi que el campo fértil era un desierto, y todas sus ciudades estaban asoladas delante de Jehová, delante del ardor de su ira.

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

27 A sí dijo Jehová: «Toda la tierra será asolada, pero no la destruiré del todo.

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

28 P or esto se enlutará la tierra, y los cielos arriba se oscurecerán, porque hablé, lo pensé y no me arrepentiré ni desistiré de ello.

For 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.”

29 A l estruendo de la gente de a caballo y de los flecheros huye toda la ciudad; entran en las espesuras de los bosques y se suben a los peñascos; todas las ciudades fueron abandonadas y no queda en ellas morador alguno.

Every 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.

30 Y tú, destruida, ¿qué harás? Aunque te vistas de grana, aunque te adornes con atavíos de oro, aunque pintes con antimonio tus ojos, en vano te engalanas, pues te desprecian tus amantes, los que buscan tu vida.

And 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.

31 P orque he oído una voz como de mujer que está de parto, angustia como de primeriza. Es la voz de la hija de Sión, que lamenta y extiende sus manos, diciendo: “¡Ay de mí, pues mi alma desfallece a causa de los asesinos!”»

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.”