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 will not be removed; 2 and you will swear, ‘As Yahweh lives,’ in truth, in justice, and in righteousness. The nations will bless themselves in him, and they will glory in him."

3 For Yahweh says to the men of Judah and to Jerusalem, "Break up your fallow ground, and don’t sow among thorns. 4 Circumcise 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. 5 Declare in Judah, and publish in Jerusalem; and say, ‘Blow the trumpet in the land!’ Cry aloud and say, ‘Assemble yourselves! Let’s go into the fortified cities!’ 6 Set up a standard toward Zion. Flee for safety! Don’t wait; for I will bring evil from the north, and a 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. 8 For this, clothe yourself with sackcloth, lament and wail; for the fierce anger of Yahweh hasn’t turned back from us. 9 "It will happen at that day," says Yahweh, "that the heart of the king will perish, along with the heart of the princes. The priests will be astonished, and the prophets will wonder."

10 Then I said, "Ah, Lord Yahweh! Surely you have greatly deceived this people and Jerusalem, saying, ‘You will have peace;’ whereas the sword reaches to the heart."

11 At that time it will be said to this people and to Jerusalem, "A hot wind blows from the bare heights in the wilderness toward the daughter of my people, not to winnow, nor to cleanse. 12 A full wind from these will come for me. Now I will also utter judgments against them."

13 Behold, he will come up as clouds, and his chariots will be as the whirlwind. His horses are swifter than eagles. Woe to us! For we are ruined. 14 Jerusalem, wash your heart from wickedness, that you may be saved. How long will your evil thoughts lodge within you? 15 For a voice declares from Dan, and publishes evil from the hills of Ephraim: 16 "Tell the nations, behold, publish against Jerusalem, ‘Watchers come from a far country, and raise their voice against the cities of Judah. 17 As keepers of a field, they are against her all around, because she has been rebellious against me,’" says Yahweh. 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."

19 My anguish, my anguish! I am pained at my very heart! My heart trembles within me. I can’t hold my peace, because you have heard, O my soul, the sound of the trumpet, the alarm of war. 20 Destruction on destruction is decreed, for the whole land is laid waste. Suddenly my tents are destroyed, and my curtains gone in a moment. 21 How long will I see the standard 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 they don’t know how to do good." 23 I saw the earth and, behold, it was waste and void, and the heavens, and they had no light. 24 I saw the mountains, and behold, they trembled, and all the hills moved back and forth. 25 I saw, and behold, there was no man, and all the birds of the sky 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. 27 For Yahweh says, "The whole land will be a desolation; yet I will not make a full end. 28 For this the earth will mourn, and the heavens above be black, because I have spoken it. I have planned it, and I have not repented, neither will I turn back from it."

29 Every 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. 30 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 enlarge your eyes with makeup, you make yourself beautiful in vain. Your lovers despise you. They seek your life. 31 For 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."

1 As jy jou bekeer, Israel, spreek die HERE, bekeer jou tot My; en as jy jou verfoeisels van my aangesig af verwyder, hoef jy nie rond te swerwe nie.

2 Dan sal jy sweer: So waar as die HERE leef! in waarheid, in reg en in geregtigheid; en die nasies sal hulleself in Hom seën en hulle in Hom beroem.

3 Want so sê die HERE aan die manne van Juda en aan Jerusalem: Braak vir julle 'n braakland en saai nie onder die dorings nie.

4 Besny julle vir die HERE en verwyder die onbesnedenheid van julle hart, manne van Juda en inwoners van Jerusalem, dat my grimmigheid nie soos 'n vuur uitgaan en brand sonder dat iemand kan blus nie, weens die boosheid van julle handelinge.

5 Verkondig in Juda en laat dit hoor in Jerusalem en sê: Blaas die basuin in die land! Roep hardop en sê: Kom bymekaar, en laat ons in die versterkte stede ingaan!

6 Steek op die banier na Sion toe! Vlug, bly nie staan nie! Want Ek bring 'n onheil uit die Noorde en 'n groot verwoesting.

7 'n Leeu het opgekom uit sy bos en 'n verderwer van nasies het weggetrek, uitgegaan uit sy plek om jou land 'n woesteny te maak; jou stede sal verwoes word, sonder inwoners.

8 Daarom, omgord julle met rouklere, klaag en huil, want die toorngloed van die HERE teen ons het nie bedaar nie.

9 En op die dag, spreek die HERE, sal die moed van die koning en die moed van die vorste vergaan, en die priesters sal verskrik wees en die profete verstom staan.

10 Toe het ek gesê: Ag, Here HERE, waarlik, U het hierdie volk en Jerusalem grootliks mislei met die woorde: Julle sal vrede hê -- terwyl die swaard tot aan die siel raak.

11 In die tyd sal aan hierdie volk en aan Jerusalem gesê word: 'n Gloeiende wind van die kaal heuwels in die woestyn op pad na die dogter van my volk, nie om te wan of te suiwer nie!

12 'n Wind te sterk vir hierdie dinge sal vir My kom; nou sal Ek ook oordele teen hulle uitspreek.

13 Kyk, soos wolke kom hy op, en soos 'n stormwind is sy strydwaens; sy perde is vinniger as arende. Wee ons, want ons is verwoes!

14 Was jou hart van boosheid, o Jerusalem, dat jy gered kan word. Hoe lank sal jou onheilsgedagtes in jou binneste vertoef?

15 Want 'n stem verkondig uit Dan en laat onheil hoor van die gebergte van Efraim af.

16 Vermeld dit aan die nasies! Kyk, laat dit hoor teen Jerusalem! Beleëraars kom uit 'n ver land en het hulle stem verhef teen die stede van Juda.

17 Soos veldwagters is hulle teen die stad rondom, omdat dit teen My wederstrewig was, spreek die HERE.

18 Jou wandel en jou handel het jou dit aangedoen; dit is jou boosheid; ja, bitter is dit, ja, dit raak tot aan jou hart.

19 o My ingewande, my ingewande, ek moet bewe van angs! o Mure van my hart! My hart steun in my, ek kan nie swyg nie; want jy, my siel, het basuingeluid gehoor, oorlogsgeskreeu!

20 Verwoesting op verwoesting word uitgeroep, want die hele land is verwoes; skielik is my tente verwoes, my tentdoeke in 'n oomblik.

21 Hoe lank sal ek die banier sien, die basuingeluid hoor?

22 Want my volk is dwaas; My ken hulle nie; dwase kinders is hulle, en hulle is onverstandig; slim is hulle om kwaad te doen, maar om goed te doen, weet hulle nie.

23 Ek het na die aarde gekyk, en dit was woes en leeg; ook na die hemel, en sy lig was daar nie.

24 Ek het na die berge gekyk, en hulle het gebewe, en al die heuwels het geskud.

25 Ek het gekyk, en daar was geen mens nie, en al die voëls van die hemel het weggevlieg.

26 Ek het gekyk, en die land van tuine was 'n woestyn, en al sy stede was afgebreek voor die HERE, voor sy toorngloed.

27 Want so sê die HERE: Die hele land sal 'n wildernis word, alhoewel Ek daar geen einde aan sal maak nie.

28 Hieroor sal die aarde treur en die hemel daarbo rou dra, omdat Ek dit gespreek, My dit voorgeneem het en Ek geen berou het en daarvan nie sal terugkom nie.

29 Vir die geluid van die ruiters en boogskutters vlug die hele stad; hulle het in die bosse ingegaan en op die rotse geklim; die hele stad is verlaat, en niemand woon daarin nie.

30 En jy, verwoeste, wat gaan jy doen? Al trek jy skarlaken klere aan, al versier jy jou met goue sieraad, al laat jy jou oë groter lyk met swart verf -- tevergeefs maak jy jou mooi; minnaars versmaad jou, hulle soek jou lewe.

31 Want ek het gehoor 'n stem soos van een wat inmekaar krimp, 'n benoudheid soos van een wat die eerste keer baar, die stem van die dogter van Sion; sy hyg na asem, sy brei haar hande uit en sê: Wee my tog, want my siel is magteloos teenoor die moordenaars.