Jeremiah 4

Blessing or Curse

1 If you return,  * 4:1 Or Repent Israel —

this is the  Lord’s declaration —

you will return to me,  * 4:1 Zch 1:3

if you remove your abhorrent idols  * 4:1 Jr 7:30; 16:18; 32:34

from my presence

and do not waver,

2 then you can swear, "As the  Lord  lives,"  * 4:2 Dt 6:13; 10:20; Jr 5:2

in truth,  * 4:2 Is 65:16 justice, and righteousness,  * 4:2 Hs 2:19

and then the nations will be blessed  * 4:2 Or will bless one another by him  * 4:2 Gn 26:3–4

and will boast in him.  * 4:2 Gn 12:1–3; 18:18; 22:18; 1Co 1:31

3 For this is what the Lord says to the men of Judah and Jerusalem:

Break up the unplowed ground;  * 4:3 Hs 10:12

do not sow among the thorns.  * 4:3 Mt 13:7

4 Circumcise yourselves to the  Lord;

remove the foreskin of your hearts,  * 4:4 Gn 17:14; Dt 10:16; Jr 9:25; Rm 2:28–29

men of Judah and residents of Jerusalem.

Otherwise, my wrath will break out like fire

and burn with no one to extinguish it  * 4:4 Is 1:31; Jr 21:12; Am 5:6; Mal 4:1

because of your evil deeds.

Judgment from the North

5 Declare in Judah, proclaim in Jerusalem, and say,

Blow the ram’s horn throughout the land.  * 4:5 Jr 6:1; Hs 5:8; Jl 2:1; 1Th 4:16–17

Cry out loudly and say,

"Assemble yourselves,

and let’s flee to the fortified cities."

6 Lift up a signal flag toward Zion.  * 4:6 Is 62:10

Run for cover! Don’t stand still!

For I am bringing disaster from the north —

a crushing blow.  * 4:6 Is 14:31; 41:25; Jr 1:13; 4:20; 6:1; 15:12; 47:2; 50:3,9,41; 51:48; Ezk 26:7

7 A lion has gone up from his thicket;  * 4:7 Ps 10:9; 17:12; Is 5:29; Jr 2:15; 5:6; 25:38; 49:19; 50:17,44

a destroyer of nations has set out.

He has left his lair

to make your land a waste.

Your cities will be reduced to uninhabited ruins.  * 4:7 Is 1:7; 6:11

8 Because of this, put on sackcloth;

mourn and wail,  * 4:8 Jl 1:13

for the Lord’s burning anger  * 4:8 Nm 25:4; Ps 78:49

has not turned away from us.

9 "On that day" — this is the Lord’s declaration — "the king and the officials will lose their courage. The priests will tremble in fear, and the prophets will be scared speechless."

10 I said, "Oh no, Lord God, you have certainly deceived  * 4:10 1Kg 22:22; Ezk 14:9; 2Th 2:11 this people and Jerusalem, by announcing, ‘You will have peace,’  * 4:10 Jr 6:14; 23:17 while a sword is at  * 4:10 Lit sword touches our throats."

11 "At that time it will be said to this people and to Jerusalem, ‘A searing wind  * 4:11 Ezk 17:10 blows from the barren heights in the wilderness on the way to my dear  * 4:11 Lit to the daughter of my people. It comes not to winnow or to sift; 12 a wind too strong for this comes at my call.  * 4:12 Lit comes for me Now I will also pronounce judgments against them.’ "  * 4:12 Jr 1:16; Ezk 5:8

13 Look, he advances like clouds;  * 4:13 Rv 1:7

his chariots are like a storm.  * 4:13 Is 5:28; 66:15

His horses are swifter than eagles.  * 4:13 2Sm 1:23; Jb 9:26; Lm 4:19

Woe to us, for we are ruined!  * 4:13 Lm 5:16

14 Wash the evil from your heart,  * 4:14 Ps 51:2,7; Is 1:16; Jr 2:22; Ti 3:5; Jms 4:8  Jerusalem,

so that you will be delivered.

How long will you harbor

malicious thoughts?  * 4:14 Ps 119:113

15 For a voice announces from Dan,

proclaiming malice from Mount Ephraim.

16 Warn the nations: Look!

Proclaim to Jerusalem:

Those who besiege are coming

from a distant land;  * 4:16 Is 39:3

they raise their voices

against the cities of Judah.

17 They have her surrounded  * 4:17 2Kg 25:1–4

like those who guard a field,

because she has rebelled against me.  * 4:17 Is 1:20

This is the  Lord’s declaration.

18 Your way and your actions

have brought this on you.  * 4:18 Ps 107:17; Pr 1:31; Jr 7:3,5; 17:10; 18:11; 23:22; 25:5; 26:3,13; 32:19; Hs 4:9; 12:2; Zch 1:4,6

This is your punishment. It is very bitter,

because it has reached your heart!

Jeremiah’s Lament

19 My anguish, my anguish!  * 4:19 Lit My inner parts, my inner parts I writhe in agony!

Oh, the pain in  * 4:19 Lit the walls of  my heart!  * 4:19 Is 16:11; Hab 3:16; Rm 9:1–2

My heart pounds;

I cannot be silent.

For you, my soul,

have heard the sound of the ram’s horn —

the shout of battle.

20 Disaster after disaster  * 4:20 Ezk 7:26 is reported

because the whole land is destroyed.

Suddenly my tents are destroyed,

my tent curtains, in a moment.

21 How long must I see the signal flag

and hear the sound of the ram’s horn?

22 "For my people are fools;

they do not know me.

They are foolish children,

without understanding.  * 4:22 Ps 82:5; Is 1:3

They are skilled in doing what is evil,

but they do not know how to do what is good."  * 4:22 Rm 16:19

23 I looked at the earth,

and it was formless and empty.  * 4:23 Gn 1:2; Jb 26:7; Is 45:18

I looked to the heavens,

and their light was gone.  * 4:23 Is 5:30; 13:10

24 I looked at the mountains,

and they were quaking;  * 4:24 Jdg 5:5; Ps 46:1–3

all the hills shook.

25 I looked, and there was no human being,  * 4:25 Gn 2:5

and all the birds of the sky had fled.  * 4:25 Zph 1:3

26 I looked, and the fertile field  * 4:26 Jr 2:7 was a wilderness.  * 4:26 Ps 107:34

All its cities were torn down

because of the  Lord

and his burning anger.  * 4:26 Ps 76:7

27 For this is what the Lord says:

"The whole land will be a desolation,  * 4:27 Is 6:11

but I will not finish it off.  * 4:27 Neh 9:31; Jr 5:10,18; Rm 11:1–7

28 Because of this, the earth will mourn;  * 4:28 Jr 8:13; 14:2; Hs 4:3

the skies above will grow dark.  * 4:28 Ps 105:28; Is 13:10; 50:3; Ezk 30:18

I have spoken; I have planned,

and I will not relent or turn back from it."  * 4:28 Nm 23:19; Is 46:11; 48:15; Ezk 37:14

29 Every city flees  * 4:29 2Kg 25:4

at the sound of the horseman and the archer.

They enter the thickets

and climb among the rocks.  * 4:29 Is 2:19–21

Every city is abandoned;

no inhabitant is left.

30 And you, devastated one, what are you doing  * 4:30 Is 10:3

that you dress yourself in scarlet,

that you adorn yourself with gold jewelry,

that you enhance your eyes with makeup?  * 4:30 2Kg 9:30

You beautify yourself for nothing.

Your lovers reject you;  * 4:30 Jr 30:14; Lm 1:19

they intend to take your life.  * 4:30 Ezk 23:9–10,22

31 I hear a cry like a woman in labor,  * 4:31 Ps 48:6; Is 13:8; 21:3; 42:14; Jr 6:24; 13:21; 22:23; 30:6; 50:43; Mc 4:9–10; 1Th 5:3

a cry of anguish like one bearing her first child.

The cry of Daughter Zion gasping for breath,

stretching out her hands:  * 4:31 Is 1:15

"Woe is me, for my life is weary

because of the murderers! "