Jeremiah 4
4
1“O Israel,” says the Lord,
“if you wanted to return to me, you could.
You could throw away your detestable idols
and stray away no more.
2Then when you swear by my name, saying,
‘As surely as the Lord lives,’
you could do so
with truth, justice, and righteousness.
Then you would be a blessing to the nations of the world,
and all people would come and praise my name.”
Coming Judgment against Judah
3This is what the Lord says to the people of Judah and Jerusalem:
“Plow up the hard ground of your hearts!
Do not waste your good seed among thorns.
4O people of Judah and Jerusalem,
surrender your pride and power.
Change your hearts before the Lord,#4:4 Hebrew Circumcise yourselves to the Lord, and take away the foreskins of your heart.
or my anger will burn like an unquenchable fire
because of all your sins.
5“Shout to Judah, and broadcast to Jerusalem!
Tell them to sound the alarm throughout the land:
‘Run for your lives!
Flee to the fortified cities!’
6Raise a signal flag as a warning for Jerusalem#4:6 Hebrew Zion.:
‘Flee now! Do not delay!’
For I am bringing terrible destruction upon you
from the north.”
7A lion stalks from its den,
a destroyer of nations.
It has left its lair and is headed your way.
It’s going to devastate your land!
Your towns will lie in ruins,
with no one living in them anymore.
8So put on clothes of mourning
and weep with broken hearts,
for the fierce anger of the Lord
is still upon us.
9“In that day,” says the Lord,
“the king and the officials will tremble in fear.
The priests will be struck with horror,
and the prophets will be appalled.”
10Then I said, “O Sovereign Lord,
the people have been deceived by what you said,
for you promised peace for Jerusalem.
But the sword is held at their throats!”
11The time is coming when the Lord will say
to the people of Jerusalem,
“My dear people, a burning wind is blowing in from the desert,
and it’s not a gentle breeze useful for winnowing grain.
12It is a roaring blast sent by me!
Now I will pronounce your destruction!”
13Our enemy rushes down on us like storm clouds!
His chariots are like whirlwinds.
His horses are swifter than eagles.
How terrible it will be, for we are doomed!
14O Jerusalem, cleanse your heart
that you may be saved.
How long will you harbor
your evil thoughts?
15Your destruction has been announced
from Dan and the hill country of Ephraim.
16“Warn the surrounding nations
and announce this to Jerusalem:
The enemy is coming from a distant land,
raising a battle cry against the towns of Judah.
17They surround Jerusalem like watchmen around a field,
for my people have rebelled against me,”
says the Lord.
18“Your own actions have brought this upon you.
This punishment is bitter, piercing you to the heart!”
Jeremiah Weeps for His People
19My heart, my heart—I writhe in pain!
My heart pounds within me! I cannot be still.
For I have heard the blast of enemy trumpets
and the roar of their battle cries.
20Waves of destruction roll over the land,
until it lies in complete desolation.
Suddenly my tents are destroyed;
in a moment my shelters are crushed.
21How long must I see the battle flags
and hear the trumpets of war?
22“My people are foolish
and do not know me,” says the Lord.
“They are stupid children
who have no understanding.
They are clever enough at doing wrong,
but they have no idea how to do right!”
Jeremiah’s Vision of Coming Disaster
23I looked at the earth, and it was empty and formless.
I looked at the heavens, and there was no light.
24I looked at the mountains and hills,
and they trembled and shook.
25I looked, and all the people were gone.
All the birds of the sky had flown away.
26I looked, and the fertile fields had become a wilderness.
The towns lay in ruins,
crushed by the Lord’s fierce anger.
27This is what the Lord says:
“The whole land will be ruined,
but I will not destroy it completely.
28The earth will mourn
and the heavens will be draped in black
because of my decree against my people.
I have made up my mind and will not change it.”
29At the noise of charioteers and archers,
the people flee in terror.
They hide in the bushes
and run for the mountains.
All the towns have been abandoned—
not a person remains!
30What are you doing,
you who have been plundered?
Why do you dress up in beautiful clothing
and put on gold jewelry?
Why do you brighten your eyes with mascara?
Your primping will do you no good!
The allies who were your lovers
despise you and seek to kill you.
31I hear a cry, like that of a woman in labor,
the groans of a woman giving birth to her first child.
It is beautiful Jerusalem#4:31 Hebrew the daughter of Zion.
gasping for breath and crying out,
“Help! I’m being murdered!”
Currently Selected:
Jeremiah 4: NLT
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
Holy Bible, New Living Translation copyright 1996, 2004, 2007, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation.
For more information about the NLT:
Jeremiah 4
4
Blessing or Curse
1If you return, # Or Repent Israel —
this is the Lord’s declaration —
you will return to Me, # Zch 1:3
if you remove your detestable idols # Jr 7:30; 16:18; 32:34
from My presence
and do not waver,
2then you can swear, “As the Lord lives,” # Dt 6:13; 10:20; Jr 5:2
in truth, # Is 65:16 in justice, and in righteousness, # Hs 2:19
then the nations will be blessed # Or will bless themselves by Him # Gn 26:3-4
and will pride themselves in Him. # Gn 12:1-3; 18:18; 22:18; 1Co 1:31
3For this is what the Lord says to the men of Judah and Jerusalem:
Break up the unplowed ground; # Hs 10:12
do not sow among the thorns. # Mt 13:7
4Circumcise yourselves to the Lord;
remove the foreskin of your hearts, # 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 # Is 1:31; Jr 21:12; Am 5:6; Mal 4:1
because of your evil deeds.
Judgment from the North
5Declare in Judah, proclaim in Jerusalem, and say:
Blow the ram’s horn throughout the land. # 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.
6Lift up a signal flag toward Zion. # Is 62:10
Run for cover! Don’t stand still!
For I am bringing disaster from the north —
a great destruction. # 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
7A lion has gone up from his thicket; # 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. # Is 1:7; 6:11
8Because of this, put on sackcloth;
mourn and wail, # Jl 1:13
for the Lord’s burning anger # 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.”
10I said, “Oh no, Lord God, You have certainly deceived # 1Kg 22:22; Ezk 14:9; 2Th 2:11 this people and Jerusalem, by announcing, ‘You will have peace,’ # Jr 6:14; 23:17 while a sword is at # Lit sword touches our throats.”
11“At that time it will be said to this people and to Jerusalem, ‘A searing wind # Ezk 17:10 blows from the barren heights in the wilderness on the way to My dear # Lit to the daughter of My people. It comes not to winnow or to sift; 12a wind too strong for this comes at My call. # Lit comes for Me Now I will also pronounce judgments against them.’ ” # Jr 1:16; Ezk 5:8
13Look, he advances like clouds; # Rv 1:7
his chariots are like a storm. # Is 5:28; 66:15
His horses are swifter than eagles. # 2Sm 1:23; Jb 9:26; Lm 4:19
Woe to us, for we are ruined! # Lm 5:16
14Wash the evil from your heart, # 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 within you? # Ps 119:113
15For a voice announces from Dan,
proclaiming malice from Mount Ephraim.
16Warn the nations: Look!
Proclaim to Jerusalem:
Those who besiege are coming
from a distant land; # Is 39:3
they raise their voices
against the cities of Judah.
17They have her surrounded # 2Kg 25:1-4
like those who guard a field,
because she has rebelled against Me. # Is 1:20
This is the Lord’s declaration.
18Your way of life and your actions
have brought this on you. # 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
19My anguish, my anguish! # Lit My inner parts, my inner parts I writhe in agony!
Oh, the pain in # Lit the walls of my heart! # 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.
20Disaster after disaster # Ezk 7:26 is reported
because the whole land is destroyed.
Suddenly my tents are destroyed,
my tent curtains, in a moment.
21How 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. # 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.” # Rm 16:19
23I looked at the earth,
and it was formless and empty. # Gn 1:2; Jb 26:7; Is 45:18
I looked to the heavens,
and their light was gone. # Is 5:30; 13:10
24I looked at the mountains,
and they were quaking; # Jdg 5:5; Ps 46:1-3
all the hills shook.
25I looked, and no man was left; # Gn 2:5
all the birds of the sky had fled. # Zph 1:3
26I looked, and the fertile field # Jr 2:7 was a wilderness. # Ps 107:34
All its cities were torn down
because of the Lord
and His burning anger. # Ps 76:7
27For this is what the Lord says:
The whole land will be a desolation, # Is 6:11
but I will not finish it off. # Neh 9:31; Jr 5:10,18; Rm 11:1-7
28Because of this, the earth will mourn; # Jr 8:13; 14:2; Hs 4:3
the skies above will grow dark. # 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. # Nm 23:19; Is 46:11; 48:15; Ezk 37:14
29Every city flees # 2Kg 25:4
at the sound of the horseman and the archer.
They enter the thickets
and climb among the rocks. # Is 2:19-21
Every city is abandoned;
no inhabitant is left.
30And you, devastated one, what are you doing # Is 10:3
that you dress yourself in scarlet,
that you adorn yourself with gold jewelry,
that you enlarge your eyes with paint? # 2Kg 9:30
You beautify yourself for nothing.
Your lovers reject you; # Jr 30:14; Lm 1:19
they want to take your life. # Ezk 23:9-10,22
31I hear a cry like a woman in labor, # 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: # Is 1:15
Woe is me, for my life is weary
because of the murderers!
Currently Selected:
:
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
© 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers, Nashville, Tennessee. All rights reserved.