Jeremias 4
Omvender du dig, Israel, lyder det fra Herren, så vend dig til mig; hvis du fjerner dine væmmelige Guder, skal du ikke fly for mit Åsyn.
Thi så siger HERREN til Judas Mænd og Jerusalems Borgere: Bryd eder Nyjord og så dog ikke blandt, Torne!
Omskær jer for HERREN og fjern eders Hjertes Forhud, Judas Mænd og Jerusalems Borgere, at min Vrede ikke slår ud som Ild og hrænder uslukket for eders onde Gerningers Skyld.
Forkynd i Juda og Jerusalem, kundgør og tal, lad Hornet gjalde i Landet, råb, hvad I kan, og sig: Flok jer sammen! Vi går ind i de faste Stæder!
Rejs Banner hen imod Zion, fly uden Standsning! Thi Ulykke sender jeg fra Nord, et vældigt Sammenbrud.
En Løve steg op fra sit Krat, en Folkehærger brød op, gik bort fra sin Hjemstavn for at gøre dit Land til en Ørk; dine Byer skal hærges, så ingen bor der.
Derfor skal I klæde jer i Sæk og klage og jamre, thi ej vender HERRENs glødende Vrede sig fra os.
På hin Dag, lyder det fra HERREN, skal Kongen og Fyrsterne tabe Modet, Præsterne stivne af Skræk og Profeterne slås af Rædsel;
På hin Tid skal der siges til dette Folk og Jerusalem: Et glødende Vejr fra Ørkenens nøgne Høje trækker op mod mit Folks Datter, ej til Kastning og Rensning af Korn,
et Vejer for vældigt dertil kommer mod mig. Derfor vil jeg også nu tale Domsord imod dem.
Se, det kommer som Skyer, dets Vogne som Stormvejr, dets Heste er hurtigere end Ørne; ve, vi lægges øde!
Rens dit Hjerte for ondt, Jerusalem, at du må frelses! Hvor længe skal dit Indre huse de syndige Tanker?
Thi hør, en Råber fra Dan, et Ulykkesbud fra Efraims Bjerge:
Kundgør Folkene: Se! Lad det høres i Jerusalem! Belejrere kommer fra et Land i det fjerne, de opløfter Røsten mod Byerne i Juda.
Som Markens Vogtere stiller de sig rundt omkring det, thi genstridigt var det imod mig, lyder det fra HERREN.
Det kan du takke din Færd, dine Gerninger for; det skyldes din Ondskab; hvor bittert! Det gælder Livet.
Mit indre, mit Indre! Jeg skælver! Mit Hjertes Vægge! Mit Hjerte vånder sig i mig, ej kan jeg tie. Thi Hornets klang må jeg høre, Skrig fra Kampen;
der meldes om Fald på Fald, thi alt Landet er hærget. Mine Telte hærges brat, i et Nu mine Forhæng.
Hvor længe skal jeg skue Banneret, høre Hornet?
Thi mit Folk er tåbeligt, kender ej mig, de er dumme Sønner og uden Indsigt; de er vise til at gøre det onde, men Tåber til det gode.
Jeg så på Jorden, og se, den var øde og tom, på Himlen, dens Lys var borte;
Bjergene så jeg, og se, de skjalv, og alle Højene bæved;
jeg så, og se, der var mennesketomt, og alle Himlens Fugle var fløjet;
jeg så, og se, Frugthaven var Ørken, alle dens Byer lagt øde for HERREN, for hans glødende Vrede.
Thi så siger HERREN: Al Jorden bliver Ørk, men helt ødelægger jeg ikke.
Derfor sørger Jorden, og Himlen deroppe er sort; thi jeg talede og angrer det ikke, tænkte og går ikke fra det.
For Larmen af Ryttere og Bueskytter flyr alt Landet, de tyr ind i Krat, stiger op på Klipper; hver By er forladt, og ikke et Menneske bor der.
Og du, hvad vil du mon gøre? Om end du klæder dig i Skarlagen, smykker dig med Guld og gør Øjnene store med Sminke det er spildt, du gør dig smuk. Elskerne agter dig ringe, dit Liv vil de have.
If thou wilt return, O Israel, saith the LORD, return unto me: and if thou wilt put away thine abominations out of my sight, then shalt thou not remove.
And thou shalt swear, The LORD liveth, in truth, in judgment, and in righteousness; and the nations shall bless themselves in him, and in him shall they glory.
For thus saith the LORD to the men of Judah and Jerusalem, Break up your fallow ground, and sow not among thorns.
Circumcise yourselves to the LORD, and take away the foreskins of your heart, ye men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem: lest my fury come forth like fire, and burn that none can quench {it}, because of the evil of your doings.
Declare ye in Judah, and publish in Jerusalem; and say, Blow ye the trumpet in the land: cry, gather together, and say, Assemble yourselves, and let us go into the defenced cities.
Set up the standard toward Zion: retire, stay not: for I will bring evil from the north, and a great destruction. {retire: or, strengthen} {destruction: Heb. breaking}
The lion is come up from his thicket, and the destroyer of the Gentiles is on his way; he is gone forth from his place to make thy land desolate; {and} thy cities shall be laid waste, without an inhabitant.
For this gird you with sackcloth, lament and howl: for the fierce anger of the LORD is not turned back from us.
And it shall come to pass at that day, saith the LORD, {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.
Then said I, Ah, Lord GOD! surely thou hast greatly deceived this people and Jerusalem, saying, Ye shall have peace; whereas the sword reacheth unto the soul.
At that time shall it be said 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, nor to cleanse,
{Even} a full wind from those {places} shall come unto me: now also will I give sentence against them. {a full...: or, a fuller wind than those} {give...: Heb. utter judgments}
Behold, he shall come up as clouds, and his chariots {shall be} as a whirlwind: his horses are swifter than eagles. Woe unto us! for we are spoiled.
O Jerusalem, wash thine heart from wickedness, that thou mayest be saved. How long shall thy vain thoughts lodge within thee?
For a voice declareth from Dan, and publisheth affliction from mount Ephraim.
Make ye mention to the nations; behold, publish against Jerusalem, {that} watchers come from a far country, and give out their voice against the cities of Judah.
As keepers of a field, are they against her round about; because she hath been rebellious against me, saith the LORD.
Thy way and thy doings have procured these {things} unto thee; this {is} thy wickedness, because it is bitter, because it reacheth unto thine heart.
My bowels, my bowels! I am pained at my very heart; my heart maketh a noise in me; I cannot hold my peace, because thou hast heard, O my soul, the sound of the trumpet, the alarm of war. {my very...: Heb. the walls of my heart}
Destruction upon destruction is cried; for the whole land is spoiled: suddenly are my tents spoiled, {and} my curtains in a moment.
How long shall I see the standard, {and} hear the sound of the trumpet?
For my people {is} foolish, they have not known me; they {are} sottish children, and they have none understanding: they {are} wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge.
I beheld the earth, and, lo, {it was} without form, and void; and the heavens, and they {had} no light.
I beheld the mountains, and, lo, they trembled, and all the hills moved lightly.
I beheld, and, lo, {there was} no man, and all the birds of the heavens were fled.
I beheld, and, lo, the fruitful place {was} a wilderness, and all the cities thereof were broken down at the presence of the LORD, {and} by his fierce anger.
For thus hath the LORD said, The whole land shall be desolate; yet will I not make a full end.
For this shall the earth mourn, and the heavens above be black: because I have spoken {it}, I have purposed {it}, and will not repent, neither will I turn back from it.
The whole city shall flee for the noise of the horsemen and bowmen; they shall go into thickets, and climb up upon the rocks: every city {shall be} forsaken, and not a man dwell therein.
And {when} thou {art} spoiled, what wilt thou do? Though thou clothest thyself with crimson, though thou deckest thee with ornaments of gold, though thou rentest thy face with painting, in vain shalt thou make thyself fair; {thy} lovers will despise thee, they will seek thy life. {face: Heb. eyes}
For I have heard a voice as of a woman in travail, {and} the anguish as of her that bringeth forth her first child, the voice of the daughter of Zion, {that} bewaileth herself, {that} spreadeth her hands, {saying}, Woe {is} me now! for my soul is wearied because of murderers.