Chapter 4

If thou wilt return,⁴ O Israel, saith⁷ the LORD, return⁴ unto me: and if thou wilt put away⁵⁵ thine abominations out of my sight, then shalt thou not remove.⁴

And thou shalt swear,⁸ The LORD liveth, in truth, in judgment, and in righteousness; and the nations shall bless⁹⁸ themselves in him, and in him shall they glory.¹⁰¹

For thus saith¹ the LORD to the men of Judah and Jerusalem, Break up³ your fallow ground, and sow⁴ not among thorns.

Circumcise¹⁰ yourselves to the LORD, and take away⁵⁴ the foreskins of your heart, ye men of Judah and inhabitants⁶ of Jerusalem: lest my fury come forth⁴ like fire, and burn¹ that none can quench¹⁸ [it], because of the evil of your doings.

Declare⁵⁴ ye in Judah, and publish⁵⁴ in Jerusalem; and say,³ Blow³ ye the trumpet in the land: cry,³ gather together,¹⁶ and say,³ Assemble¹⁰ yourselves, and let us go⁴ into the defenced cities.

Set up³ the standard toward Zion: retire,⁵⁴ stay⁴ not: for I will bring⁵⁶ evil from the north, and a great destruction.

The lion is come up¹ from his thicket, and the destroyer⁵⁶ of the Gentiles is on his way;¹ he is gone forth¹ from his place to make² thy land desolate; [and] thy cities shall be laid waste,⁴ without an inhabitant.⁶

For this gird³ you with sackcloth, lament³ and howl:⁵⁴ for the fierce anger of the LORD is not turned back¹ from us.

And it shall come to pass at that day, saith⁷ the LORD, [that] the heart of the king shall perish,⁴ and the heart of the princes; and the priests shall be astonished,⁸ and the prophets shall wonder.⁴

Then said⁴ I, Ah, Lord GOD! surely thou hast greatly⁵³ deceived⁵² this people and Jerusalem, saying,² Ye shall have peace; whereas the sword reacheth¹ unto the soul.

At that time shall it be said¹¹ to this people and to Jerusalem, A dry wind of the high places in the wilderness toward the daughter of my people, not to fan,² nor to cleanse,⁵³

[Even] a full wind from those [places] shall come⁴ unto me: now also will I give¹⁷ sentence against them.

Behold, he shall come up⁴ as clouds, and his chariots [shall be] as a whirlwind: his horses are swifter¹ than eagles. Woe unto us! for we are spoiled.²⁷

O Jerusalem, wash¹⁶ thine heart from wickedness, that thou mayest be saved.¹¹ How long shall thy vain thoughts lodge⁵⁵ within thee?

For a voice declareth⁵⁶ from Dan, and publisheth⁵⁶ affliction from mount Ephraim.

Make ye mention⁵⁴ to the nations; behold, publish⁵⁴ against Jerusalem, [that] watchers⁶ come⁶ from a far country, and give⁴ out their voice against the cities of Judah.

As keepers⁶ of a field, are they against her round about; because she hath been rebellious¹ against me, saith⁷ the LORD.

Thy way and thy doings have procured¹ these [things] unto thee; this [is] thy wickedness, because it is bitter, because it reacheth¹ unto thine heart.

My bowels, my bowels! I am pained^{4 3176 55} at my very heart; my heart maketh a noise⁶ in me; I cannot hold my peace,⁵⁵ because thou hast heard,¹ O my soul, the sound of the trumpet, the alarm of war.

Destruction upon destruction is cried;⁸ for the whole land is spoiled:²⁷ suddenly are my tents spoiled,²⁷ [and] my curtains in a moment.

How long shall I see⁴ the standard, [and] hear⁴ the sound of the trumpet?

For my people [is] foolish, they have not known¹ me; they [are] sottish children, and they have none understanding:¹² they [are] wise to do evil,⁵³ but to do good⁵³ they have no knowledge.¹

I beheld¹ the earth, and, lo, [it was] without form, and void; and the heavens, and they [had] no light.

I beheld¹ the mountains, and, lo, they trembled,⁵ and all the hills moved lightly.¹¹⁵

I beheld,¹ and, lo, [there was] no man, and all the birds of the heavens were fled.¹

I beheld,¹ and, lo, the fruitful place ³⁷⁵⁹ [was] a wilderness, and all the cities thereof were broken down⁸ at the presence of the LORD, [and] by his fierce anger.

For thus hath the LORD said,¹ The whole land shall be desolate; yet will I not make⁴ a full end.

For this shall the earth mourn,⁴ and the heavens above be black:¹ because I have spoken¹⁴ [it], I have purposed¹ [it], and will not repent,⁸ neither will I turn back⁴ from it.

The whole city shall flee⁶ for the noise of the horsemen and bowmen; ^{7411 6} they shall go¹ into thickets, and climb up¹ upon the rocks: every city [shall be] forsaken,⁷ and not a man dwell⁶ therein.

And [when] thou [art] spoiled,⁷ what wilt thou do?⁴ Though thou clothest⁴ thyself with crimson, though thou deckest⁴ thee with ornaments of gold, though thou rentest⁴ thy face with painting, in vain shalt thou make thyself fair;¹⁰¹ [thy] lovers⁶ will despise¹ thee, they will seek¹⁷ thy life.

For I have heard¹ a voice as of a woman in travail,⁶ [and] the anguish as of her that bringeth forth her first child,⁵⁶ the voice of the daughter of Zion, [that] bewaileth¹⁰¹ herself, [that] spreadeth¹⁷ her hands, [saying], Woe [is] me now! for my soul is wearied¹ because of murderers.⁶