Online Bible

Yahweh Calls Israel to Return to Him

“If you will ^areturn, O Israel,” declares Yahweh,“Then you should return to Me.And ^bif you will put away your detested things from My presenceAnd will not waver2 And you will ^aswear, ‘As Yahweh lives,’^bIn truth, in justice, and in righteousness;Then the ^cnations will ¹be blessed in Him,And ^din Him they will boast.”

3 For thus says Yahweh to the men of Judah and to Jerusalem,“¹^aBreak up your fallow ground,And ^bdo not sow among thorns.

4 “^aCircumcise yourselves to YahwehAnd remove the foreskins of your heart,Men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem,Lest My ^bwrath go forth like fireAnd burn with ^cnone to quench itBecause of the evil of your deeds.”

Evil from the North

5 Declare in Judah and make it heard in Jerusalem and say,“^aBlow the trumpet in the land;Call out, make your voice full, and say,‘^bGather yourselves, and let us goInto the fortified cities.’6 “Lift up a ^astandard toward Zion!Seek safety, do not stand still,For I am bringing ^bevil from the north,And great destruction.7 “A ^alion has gone up from his thicket,And a ^bdestroyer of nations has set out;He has gone out from his placeTo ^cmake your land a desolation.Your cities will be turned into ruinsWithout inhabitant.8 “For this, ^aI gird myself with sackcloth,Lament and wail;For the ^bburning anger of YahwehHas not turned back from us.”

9 “It will be in that day,” declares Yahweh, “that the ^aheart of the king and the heart of the princes will perish; and the priests will be appalled, and the ^bprophets will be astonished.”

10 Then I said, “Ah, Lord Yahweh! Surely You have utterly ^adeceived this people and Jerusalem, saying, ‘^bYou will have peace’; whereas a sword touches the ¹throat.”

11 In that time it will be said to this people and to Jerusalem, “A ¹^ascorching wind from the bare heights in the wilderness along the way of the daughter of My people—not to winnow and not to cleanse, 12 a wind too full for these things—will come ¹for My purpose; now I will also speak judgments against them.

13 “Behold, he ^agoes up like clouds,And his ^bchariots like the whirlwind;His horses are ^cswifter than eagles.Woe to us, for ^dwe are devastated!”

14 Wash your heart from evil, O Jerusalem,That you may be saved.How long will your ^awicked thoughtsLodge within you?15 For a voice declares from ^aDan,And makes wickedness heard from Mount Ephraim.16 “Make mention of it to the nations, saying, ‘Behold!’Make it heard over Jerusalem,‘Besiegers come from a ^afar country,And ^bgive forth their voices against the cities of Judah.17 ‘Like watchmen of a field they are ^aagainst her round aboutBecause she has ^brebelled against Me,’ declares Yahweh.18 “Your ^aways and your deedsHave done these things to you.This is your evil. How ^bbitter!How it has touched your heart!”

Anguish over Judah’s Desolation

19 ^aMy ¹soul, my ²soul! I am in anguish! ³Oh, my heart!My ^bheart is pounding in me;I cannot be silentBecause ⁴you have heard, O my soul,The ^csound of the trumpet,The shout of war.20 ^aDestruction upon destruction is called out,For the ^bwhole land is devastated;Suddenly my ^ctents are devastated,My curtains in an instant.21 How long must I see the standardAnd hear the sound of the trumpet?22 “^aFor My people are ignorant fools,They know Me not;They are simpleminded childrenAnd have no understanding.They are wise to ^bdo evil,But to do good they do not know.”

23 I saw on the earth, and behold, it was ¹^aformless and void;And to the heavens, and they had no light.24 I saw on the mountains, and behold, they were ^aquaking,And all the hills ¹moved to and fro.25 I saw, and behold, there was no man,And all the ^abirds of the sky had fled.26 I saw, and behold, ¹the ^afruitful orchard was a wilderness,And all its cities were torn downBefore Yahweh, before His burning anger.

27 For thus says Yahweh,“The ^awhole land shall be a desolation,Yet I will ^bnot execute a complete destruction.

28 “For this the ^aearth shall mournAnd the ^bheavens above be darkBecause I have ^cspoken; I have purposed,And I will not ¹relent, nor will I turn from it.”29 At the sound of the horseman and bowman ^aevery city flees;They ^bgo into the thickets and climb up among the rocks;^cEvery city is forsaken,And no man inhabits them.30 And you, O devastated one, ^awhat will you do?Although you dress in scarlet,Although you decorate yourself with ornaments of gold,Although you ^benlarge your eyes with paint,In vain you make yourself beautiful.Your ¹^clovers despise you;They seek your life.31 For I heard a sound as of a woman in labor pains,The distress as of one giving birth to her first child,The sound of the daughter of Zion ^agasping for breath,^bStretching out her ¹hands, saying,“Ah, woe is me, for my soul faints before murderers.”

Judah Threatened with Invasion

“If you will ^areturn, O Israel,” says the LORD,“If you will return to Me,And ^bif you will put away your detestable things and remove your man-made gods from My sight,And not stray or waver,2 And if you ^aswear your oaths, ‘As the LORD lives,’^bIn truth, in justice, and in righteousness,Then the ^cnations will bless themselves in Him,And ^din Him they will glory.”

3 For this is what the LORD says to the men of Judah and to Jerusalem,“^aPlow your uncultivated ground for a season,And ^bdo not sow among thorns.

4 “^aCircumcise (dedicate, sanctify) yourselves to the LORDAnd remove the foreskin sins of your heart,Men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem,Or else My ^bwrath will go forth like fire consuming all that gets in its wayAnd burn and there will be ^cno one to quench it,Because of the evil of your acts.”

5 Declare in Judah and proclaim in Jerusalem, and say,“^aBlow the trumpet in the land;Cry aloud and say,‘^bAssemble yourselves, and let us goInto the fortified cities.’6 “Raise a ^abanner toward Zion to mark the way for those seeking safety inside Jerusalem’s walls!Seek refuge, do not stand immobile,For I am bringing ^bevil from the north (the army of Babylon) ,And great destruction.7 “A ^alion has left his lair,And a ^bdestroyer of nations is on his way.He has gone out from his placeTo ^cdesolate your land;Your cities will be in ruinsWithout an inhabitant.8 “For this reason, ^aput on sackcloth for mourning,Lament (mourn with expressions of grief for the dead) and wail,For the ^bfierce anger of the LORDHas not turned back from us.”

9 “It shall come about in that day,” says the LORD, “that the ^aheart and courage of the king will fail (be paralyzed) , and also the heart of the princes; the priests will be appalled and the ^bprophets will be astounded and horrified.”

10 Then I said, “¹Alas, Lord GOD! Surely You have completely ^adeceived and misled this people and Jerusalem, for the prophets represented You as saying to Your people, ‘^bYou will have peace,’ but in fact a sword reaches to their throat.”

11 In that time it will be said to this people and to Jerusalem, “A ^ascorching wind from the barren heights in the wilderness comes at My command against the daughter of My people—not a wind to winnow and not to cleanse from chaff, as when threshing, but 12 a wind too strong and full for this comes at My word. Now I will also speak judgment against My people.”

13 “Behold, the enemy ^acomes up like clouds,His ^bchariots like the whirlwind;His horses are ^cswifter than eagles.Woe (judgment is coming) to us, for ^dwe are ruined!”

14 O Jerusalem, wash your heart from wickedness,That you may be saved.How long will your ^awicked and immoral thoughtsLodge within you?15 For a voice declares from ^aDan far in the north,And proclaims evil from ¹Mount Ephraim.16 “Warn the neighboring nations now that our enemy is coming!Announce to Jerusalem,‘Besiegers are coming from a ^afar country,And they ^blift their voices and shout against the cities of Judah.17 ‘Like watchmen of a field they are ^aagainst her on all sides,Because she has ^brebelled against Me,’ says the LORD.18 “Your ^aways and your deedsHave brought these things on you.This is your tragedy and doom; how ^bbitter,How it has touched your heart!”

Lament over Judah’s Devastation

19 ^aMy soul, my soul! I writhe in anguish and pain! Oh, the walls of my heart!My ^bheart is pounding and throbbing within me;I cannot be silent,For you have heard, O my soul,The ^csound of the trumpet,The alarm of war.20 News of one terrible ^adisaster comes close after another,For the ^bwhole land is devastated;Suddenly my ^ctents are spoiled and destroyed,My tent curtains ruined in a moment.21 How long O LORD must I see the banner marking the way for flightAnd hear the sound of the trumpet urging the people to run for safety?22 “^aFor My people are stupid and foolish,” says the LORD to Jeremiah;“They do not know Me;They are foolish childrenAnd have no understanding.They are shrewd enough to ^bdo evil,But they do not know how to do good.”

23 I looked at the earth in my vision, and behold, it was as at the time of creation ^aformless and void;And to the heavens, and they had no light.24 I looked at the mountains, and behold, they were ^atrembling,And all the hills moved back and forth.25 I looked, and behold, there was no man,And all the ^abirds of the air had fled.26 I looked, and behold, the ^afertile land was a wilderness,And all its cities were pulled downBefore the presence of the LORD, before His fierce anger.

27 Therefore says the LORD,“The ^awhole land shall be a desolation,Yet I will ^bnot cause total destruction. Jer 5:10, 18; 30:11; 46:2828 “For this reason the ^aearth shall mournAnd the ^bheavens above shall become dark,Because I have ^cspoken, I have decided,And I will not change my mind (relent) , nor will I turn back from it.”29 ^aEvery city runs away at the sound of the horsemen and archers.They ^bgo into the thickets and climb among the rocks;^cEvery city is deserted,And no man lives in them.30 And you, O desolate one, ^awhat will you do?Though you clothe yourself in scarlet,Though you adorn yourself with ornaments of gold,Though you ^benlarge your eyes with paint,You make yourself beautiful in vain.Your ^clovers (allies) despise you;They seek your life.31 For I heard a cry like a woman in labor,The anguish as of one giving birth to her first child,The cry of the Daughter of Zion (Jerusalem) , who ^agasps for breath,Who ^bstretches out her hands, saying,“Woe is me my judgment comes! I faint in fear before the murderers.”

Judah Threatened with Invasion

“If you will ^areturn, Israel,” declares the LORD,“Then you should return to Me.And ^bif you will put away your detestable things from My presence,And will not waver,2 And if you will ^aswear, ‘As the LORD lives,’^bIn truth, in justice, and in righteousness;Then the ^cnations will bless themselves in Him,And ^din Him they will boast.”

3 For this is what the LORD says to the men of Judah and to Jerusalem:“¹^aBreak up your uncultivated ground,And ^bdo not sow among thorns.

4 “^aCircumcise yourselves to the LORDAnd remove the foreskins of your hearts,Men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem,Or else My ^bwrath will spread like fireAnd burn with ^cno one to quench it,Because of the evil of your deeds.”

5 Declare in Judah and proclaim in Jerusalem, and say,“^aBlow the trumpet in the land;Cry aloud and say,‘^bAssemble, and let’s goInto the fortified cities.’6 “Raise a ^aflag toward Zion!Take refuge, do not stand still,For I am bringing ^bevil from the north,And great destruction.7 “A ^alion has gone up from his thicket,And a ^bdestroyer of nations has set out;He has gone out from his placeTo ^cmake your land a waste.Your cities will be ruins,Without an inhabitant.8 “For this, ^aput on sackcloth,Mourn and wail;For the ^bfierce anger of the LORDHas not turned away from us.”

9 “And it shall come about on that day,” declares the LORD, “that the ^aheart of the king and the hearts of the leaders will fail; and the priests will tremble, and the ^bprophets will be astonished.”

10 Then I said, “Oh, Lord ¹GOD! Surely You have utterly ^adeceived this people and Jerusalem, saying, ‘^bYou will have peace’; yet a sword touches the ²throat.”

11 At that time it will be said to this people and to Jerusalem, “A ^ascorching wind from the bare heights in the wilderness, in the direction of the daughter of My people—not to winnow and not to cleanse, 12 a wind too ¹strong for ²this—will come ³at My command; now I will also pronounce judgments against them.”

13 “Behold, he ^agoes up like clouds,And his ^bchariots like the whirlwind;His horses are ^cswifter than eagles.Woe to us, for ^dwe are ruined!”

14 Wash your heart from evil, Jerusalem,So that you may be saved.How long will your ^awicked thoughtsLodge within you?15 For a voice declares from ^aDan,And proclaims wickedness from Mount Ephraim.16 “Report it to the nations, now!Proclaim to Jerusalem,‘¹Enemies are coming from a ^aremote country,And ^bthey raise their voices against the cities of Judah.17 ‘Like watchmen of a field they are ^aagainst her all around,Because she has ^brebelled against Me,’ declares the LORD.18 “Your ^aways and your deedsHave ¹brought these things upon you.This is your evil. How ^bbitter!How it has touched your heart!”

Grief over Judah’s Devastation

19 ^aMy ¹soul, my ²soul! I am in anguish! ³Oh, my heart!My ^bheart is pounding in me;I cannot keep silent,Because, ⁴my soul, you have heardThe ^csound of the trumpet,The alarm of war.20 ^aDisaster upon disaster is proclaimed,For the ^bwhole land is devastated;Suddenly my ^ctents are devastated,And my curtains in an instant.21 How long must I see the flagAnd hear the sound of the trumpet?22 “^aFor My people are foolish,They do not know Me;They are foolish childrenAnd have no understanding.They are skillful at ^bdoing evil,But they do not know how to do good.”

23 I looked at the earth, and behold, it was a ¹^aformless and desolate emptiness;And to the heavens, and they had no light.24 I looked on the mountains, and behold, they were ^aquaking,And all the hills jolted back and forth.25 I looked, and behold, there was no human,And all the ^abirds of the sky had fled.26 I looked, and behold, ¹the ^afruitful land was a wilderness,And all its cities were pulled downBefore the LORD, before His fierce anger.

27 For this is what the LORD says:“The ^awhole land shall be a desolation,Yet I will ^bnot execute a complete destruction.28 “For this the ^aearth will mourn,And the ^bheavens above will become dark,Because I have ^cspoken, I have purposed,And I have not ¹changed My mind, nor will I turn from it.”29 At the sound of the horseman and archer ^aevery city flees;They ^bgo into the thickets and climb among the rocks;^cEvery city is abandoned,And no one lives in them.30 And you, desolate one, ^awhat will you do?Although you dress in scarlet,Although you adorn yourself with jewelry of gold,Although you ^benlarge your eyes with makeup,In vain you make yourself beautiful.Your ¹^clovers despise you;They seek your life.31 For I heard a voice cry as of a woman in labor,The anguish as of one giving birth to her first child.The voice of the daughter of Zion ^agasping for breath,^bStretching out her ¹hands, saying,“Ah, woe to me, for ²I faint before murderers.”