Chapter 4
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 ."