1 “ 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;

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 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.”

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 Yahweh says to the men of Judah and to Jerusalem, “Break up your fallow ground, and don’t sow 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 C ircumcise 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.

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 D eclare 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!’

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 S et up a standard toward Zion. Flee for safety! Don’t wait; for I will bring evil from the north, and a great destruction.”

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 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.

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 F or this clothe yourself with sackcloth, lament and wail; for the fierce anger of Yahweh hasn’t turned back 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 “ 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.”

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

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 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;

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

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

13 B ehold, 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.

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 J erusalem, wash your heart from wickedness, that you may be saved. How long shall your evil thoughts lodge 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 declares from Dan, and publishes evil from the hills of Ephraim:

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

16 “ Tell the nations; behold, publish against Jerusalem, ‘Watchers come from a far country, and raise their voice 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 A s keepers of a field, they are against her all around, because she has been rebellious against me,’” says Yahweh.

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

18 “ 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.”

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 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.

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

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

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

22 “ 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.”

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 saw the earth, and, behold, it was waste and void; and 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 saw the mountains, and behold, they trembled, and all the hills moved back and forth.

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

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

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

26 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.

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

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 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.”

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 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.

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 Y ou, 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.

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 F or 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.”

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.