Jeremiah 4
4
1“If you will return, O Israel, return to Me,” declares Adonai. “If you will put your detestable things out of My sight. Then you will not waver.
2You will swear, ‘As Adonai lives!’ in truth, in justice and in righteousness. The nations will bless themselves in Him and in Him they will glory.”
3Thus says Adonai to the people of Judah and to Jerusalem: “Break up your unplowed ground and do not sow among thorns.
4Circumcise yourselves to Adonai and remove the foreskins of your heart, men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem. Else My wrath will break out like fire and blaze, with no one to quench it, because of your evil deeds!”
Imminent Invasion from the North
5Declare in Judah and proclaim in Jerusalem, saying: “Blow the shofar in the land!” Cry aloud and say, “Assemble yourselves! Let us go into the fortified cities.”
6“Raise a banner toward Zion! Take refuge! Do not delay! For I bring calamity from the north, even terrible destruction.
7A lion has come up from his thicket— a destroyer of nations has set out. He has left his place to make your land a wasteland. Your cities will lie in ruins, without inhabitant.
8Therefore, put on sackcloth— lament and wail! For the fierce anger of Adonai has not turned away from us.”
9“It will happen in that day” —it is a declaration of Adonai— “that the king’s heart will fail, as will the heart of the princes. The kohanim will be appalled, and the prophets will be stunned.”
10Then I said, “Alas, Adonai Elohim! How completely You have deceived this people and Jerusalem saying, ‘You will have shalom,’ until the sword touches the soul!”
11At that time it will be said to this people and to Jerusalem, “A scorching wind from the barren hills in the wilderness blows toward My people, but not to winnow or to sift—
12a wind too strong for these things will come from Me. Now even I will pronounce judgments against them.”
13See, he comes up like clouds, and his chariots like whirlwinds. His horses are swifter than eagles— “Oy ! We are ruined!”
14O Jerusalem, purify your heart from wickedness, so that you may be saved. How long will your wicked thoughts lodge within you?
15A voice announces from Dan and proclaims calamity from the hills of Ephraim,
16“Remind the nations, proclaim over Jerusalem! Besiegers are soon coming from a far country, raising their voice against the cities of Judah.
17Like keepers of a field they surround her, because she has been rebellious against Me.” It is a declaration of Adonai.
18Your conduct and your deeds have brought these things on you. This is your calamity! How bitter it is! How it smites your heart!
19My stomach, my stomach! I writhe in anguish! The pain of my heart! My heart is pounding within me! I cannot keep silent because I have heard, O my soul, the sound of the shofar, the battle-cry of war.
20Disaster on disaster is reported. So the whole land is ruined. My tents are suddenly ravaged, my curtains in an instant.
21How long must I see the battle standard and hear the sound of the shofar?
22“For My people are foolish. They do not know Me. They are senseless children, and they have no understanding. They are wise to do evil, but to do good they do not know.”
23I looked at the earth and behold, it was deserted and desolate, and at the heavens and they had no light.
24I looked at the mountains— behold, they were shaking and all the hills swaying to and fro.
25I looked and behold, no people! All the birds of the sky had fled.
26I looked and behold, the fruitful field was a wilderness and all of its cities were in ruins before Adonai, before His fierce anger.
27For thus says Adonai, “The whole land will be wasteland, yet I will not totally destroy it.
28Therefore, the earth will mourn and the heavens above grow black. For I have spoken, I have purposed, nor will I relent, nor turn from it.
29At the sound of horsemen and archers the whole city flees. They go into the thickets and climb up on the rocks. The whole city is deserted— no one dwells in it.
30And you, O desolate one, what will you do? Though you dress in scarlet, though you adorn yourself with gold ornaments though you enlarge your eyes with paint—in vain you make yourself beautiful— your lovers despise you, they seek your life.
31For I heard a cry like one in labor, the anguish of one giving birth to her first child— the cry of the Daughter of Zion gasping for breath, stretching out her hands saying, “Oy , now to me! For my soul faints before murderers.”
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Jeremiah 4: TLV
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Copyright © 2014 - Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society
Jeremiah 4
4
1Israel, if you want to come back, then come back to me, declares the Lord. If you get rid of these disgusting idols I see, and don't wander away, 2and if when you make your vows, you do so only to me, sincerely, truly, and honestly, then the nations will be blessed by me, and they will praise me.
3This is what the Lord is saying to the people of Judah and Jerusalem:
Plow your unplowed ground, and don't sow among the thorns.#4:3. This is not agricultural advice but an invitation to stop being hard and stubborn and to be open to the Lord in order to be spiritually productive. 4Dedicate yourselves to the Lord; be totally committed to him,#4:4. The image used here is one of “spiritual circumcision.” people of Judah and Jerusalem. Otherwise, my anger will blaze like fire, burning so hard that no one can put it out because of the evil you've done.
5Announce this warning throughout Judah and Jerusalem! Tell them: Blow the trumpet everywhere in the country! Shout out, “Hurry! Let's run to the fortified towns for protection!” 6Raise the danger flag; go to Zion! Find somewhere safe! Don't hesitate! I'm bringing enemies from the north who will cause terrible destruction.
7A lion has left his hiding place; a destroyer of nations has started out. He has left his den to come and turn your country into a wasteland. Your towns will be demolished, and no one will live there. 8Wear clothes made of sackcloth, weep and wail, crying out, “The Lord's furious anger against us hasn't stopped.” 9When that happens declares the Lord, the king and officials will lose heart, the priests will be devastated, and the prophets will be shocked.
10Then I said, “Oh, Lord God, you have completely fooled the people of Jerusalem by telling them, ‘You will have peace,’ while holding a sword to our throats.”
11At that time the people of Jerusalem will be told, “A burning wind from the bare hills of the desert is blowing toward Jerusalem, but not to blow away the chaff or the dust. 12No, this wind is too strong for that, and it comes from me. Now I'm also going to tell them how I will punish them.”
13Look, he's rushing in like storm clouds; his chariots are like a whirlwind. His horses fly faster than eagles.
“What a disaster! We're ruined!”
14Clean the evil from your heart, Jerusalem, so that you can be saved. How long will you hold onto your evil thoughts?
15News is shouted out from Dan, announcing disaster from the hills of Ephraim.
16“Let the nations know! Look what's happening! Announce this to Jerusalem: An army is coming to besiege you from a distant country; shouting war cries against the towns of Judah. 17They encircle her like men guarding a field, because she has rebelled against me, declares the Lord. 18You've brought this on yourself by your own attitudes and actions. This is your punishment, and it's so painful, it's like being stabbed in the heart!”
19“I'm#4:19. Jeremiah is the speaker. in agony, absolute agony! My heart is breaking! It's beating wildly in my chest! My heart pounds within me; I can't keep quiet because I've heard the trumpet, the signal for battle.
20News of one disaster after another comes flooding in, for the whole country is in ruins. My own home is destroyed in a moment, and everything inside. 21How long do I have to see the flags of war and hear the trumpets of battle?”
22“My#4:22. The Lord is speaking. people are stupid; they don't know me. They are foolish children who just don't understand. They're experts at doing evil, but they don't know how to do good.”
23I looked at the earth, and it was formless and empty;#4:23. A direct quote from Genesis 1:2. I looked to the heavens, and its light was gone. 24I looked at the mountains, and saw that they were shaking; all the hills were swaying to and fro. 25I looked, and nobody was left; all the birds had flown away. 26I looked, and the productive fields were a desert. All the towns were demolished because of the Lord's furious anger.
27This is what the Lord says: “The whole country will be devastated, but I won't do so completely. 28The earth will mourn and the heavens above will go dark. I have spoken; this is what I have ordered. I'm not going to stop or change my mind.”
29People from every town run away when they hear the enemy horsemen and archers coming. They hide in the forest and among the rocks. All the towns are abandoned; no one lives in them.
30You, Jerusalem, now desolate, what are you going to do? Even though you dress in scarlet clothes, and put on gold jewelry, and paint your eyes with makeup, all your dressing-up is pointless! Your lovers hate you; they want to kill you!
31I hear the cries like a woman in labor, the agonizing moans of a woman giving birth to her first child. These are the cries of the Daughter of Zion gasping for air, holding out her hands, saying, “Please help me—I'm being murdered!”
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Dr. Jonathan Gallagher. Released under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 Unported License. Version 4.3. For corrections send email to jonathangallagherfbv@gmail.com