Jeremiah, 4

1. 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.

1. "If you return to me, O Israel - it is Yahweh who speaks - if you convert to me and remove your dirty idols from my sight you will have no need to hide from me;

2. 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.

2. if you truthfully, justly and honestly swear by Yahweh's life, then you will be a blessing for all nations, and you will be their glory."

3. For thus saith the LORD to the men of Judah and Jerusalem, Break up your fallow ground, and sow not among thorns.

3. For thus says Yahweh to the people of Judah and Jerusalem, "Break up deeply your fallow land and do not sow among the thorns.

4. 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.

4. O men of Judah and Jerusalem! circumcise yourselves for Yahweh and purify your hearts, lest my wrath spread like a fire that cannot be quenched because of your evil deeds."

5. 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.

5. Announce this in Judah, proclaim it in Jerusalem. Sound the trumpet through the land; shout aloud and say: "Assemble and go to the fortified cities!

6. Set up the standard toward Zion: retire, stay not: for I will bring evil from the north, and a great destruction.

6. Raise a banner towards Zion! Run for your lives, do not tarry, for I will bring evil and great destruction from the north.

7. 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.

7. The lion has come out of his den; the destroyer of nations has set out to devastate your country and make your cities ruins without inhabitants!

8. For this gird you with sackcloth, lament and howl: for the fierce anger of the LORD is not turned back from us.

8. Because of this, wrap yourselves in sackcloth; lament and groan, for the fury of Yahweh's anger has not turned away from us.

9. 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.

9. On that day - it is Yahweh who speaks - the king and the leaders will be discouraged, the priests will be terrified and the prophets will be astounded.

10. 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.

10. People will say, "Ah! Lord Yahweh, you have truly deceived this people and Jerusalem, saying: 'You will have peace' even as the sword is at our throat."

11. 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,

11. When the time comes it will be said to the people of Jerusalem: "Wearing wind from the desert heights is coming to the daughter of my people, neither to winnow nor to cleanse!

12. [Even] a full wind from those [places] shall come unto me: now also will I give sentence against them.

12. A strong wind comes from there. Now I will declare my judgments against them."

13. 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.

13. See! Someone comes like the clouds, his chariots are like a whirlwind, his horses swifter than eagles! Woe to us for we are ruined!

14. O Jerusalem, wash thine heart from wickedness, that thou mayest be saved. How long shall thy vain thoughts lodge within thee?

14. Cleanse your heart of every evil, Jerusalem, that you may be saved! How long will you harbor evil plans within you?

15. For a voice declareth from Dan, and publisheth affliction from mount Ephraim.

15. A voice from Dan declares of a coming disaster from Mount Ephraim! "Warn the nations.

16. 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.

16. Let everyone know in Jerusalem and Judah that enemies are coming from a distant land."

17. As keepers of a field, are they against her round about; because she hath been rebellious against me, saith the LORD.

17. They encircle Jerusalem like men guarding a field, because she has rebelled against me - it is Yahweh who speaks.

18. 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.

18. Your own conduct and actions have brought this upon you. How bitter is your punishment and how it deeply penetrates your heart because you have rebelled against me!"

19. 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.

19. I am in anguish! I tremble in the depths of my being; my heart beats wildly. I cannot remain silent for I hear the sound of the trumpet and the clamor of war!

20. Destruction upon destruction is cried; for the whole land is spoiled: suddenly are my tents spoiled, [and] my curtains in a moment.

20. Disaster after disaster; all the land is laid waste; my tents are suddenly destroyed and in an instant all that shelters me is wiped out.

21. How long shall I see the standard, [and] hear the sound of the trumpet?

21. For how long must I see the banner raised and hear the sound of the trumpet?

22. 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.

22. "This happens because my people are foolish and do not know me. They are senseless and have no understanding, - wise in doing evil but stupid in doing good!"

23. I beheld the earth, and, lo, [it was] without form, and void; and the heavens, and they [had] no light.

23. I looked at the earth and I found it formless and void; I looked at the sky but darkness engulfed it.

24. I beheld the mountains, and, lo, they trembled, and all the hills moved lightly.

24. I looked at the mountains and they were quaking, and all the hills were swaying to and fro.

25. I beheld, and, lo, [there was] no man, and all the birds of the heavens were fled.

25. I looked and saw that it was a no-man's land; even the birds deserted the skies.

26. 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.

26. I looked and saw that the fruitful land was a desert and that all the cities were in ruins because of Yahweh and his fierce anger.

27. For thus hath the LORD said, The whole land shall be desolate; yet will I not make a full end.

27. Yahweh says, "The whole land may be desolate but I will not totally destroy it!

28. 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.

28. Because of this the earth shall mourn and the skies be darkened: I have declared my purpose and will not relent; I have made up my mind and will not change it."

29. 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.

29. At the sound of the horsemen and archers every town takes flight; some go to the thickets and climb among the rocks. All the towns are deserted and no one is left.

30. 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.

30. And you, desolate one, what will you do? Even if you are garbed in scarlet and wear jewels of gold and put make-up on your eyes, in vain do you beautify yourself, for your lovers despise you and are ready to take your life.

31. 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.

31. I hear a cry as of a woman in labor, anguish as of one giving birth the first time. It is the cry of the daughter of Zion, gasping for breath with hands outstretched: "Woe is me! I am fainting amidst a band of murderers!"