4
Judah Threatened with Invasion
1 “If you will AJer 3:22; 15:19; Joel 2:12return, O Israel,” declares the Loʀᴅ,
“Then you should return to Me.
And BJer 7:3, 7; 35:15if you will put away your detested things from My presence,
And will not waver,
2 And you will ADeut 10:20; Is 45:23; 65:16; Jer 12:16swear, ‘As the Loʀᴅ lives,’
BIs 48:1In truth, in justice and in righteousness;
Then the CGen 22:18; Jer 3:17; 12:15, 16; Gal 3:8nations will bless themselves in Him,
And DIs 45:25; Jer 9:24; 1 Cor 1:31in Him they will glory.”
3 For thus says the Loʀᴅ to the men of Judah and to Jerusalem,
“1Lit Plow for yourselves plowed groundAHos 10:12Break up your fallow ground,
And BMatt 13:7do not sow among thorns.
4 “ADeut 10:16; 30:6; Jer 9:25, 26; Rom 2:28, 29; Col 2:11Circumcise yourselves to the Loʀᴅ
And remove the foreskins of your heart,
Men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem,
Or else My BIs 30:27, 33; Jer 21:12; Zeph 2:2wrath will go forth like fire
And burn with CAmos 5:6; Mark 9:43, 48none to quench it,
Because of the evil of your deeds.”
5 Declare in Judah and proclaim in Jerusalem, and say,
“AJer 6:1; Hos 8:1Blow the trumpet in the land;
Cry aloud and say,
‘BJosh 10:20; Jer 8:14Assemble yourselves, and let us go
Into the fortified cities.’
6 “Lift up a AIs 62:10; Jer 4:21; 50:2standard toward Zion!
Seek refuge, do not stand still,
For I am bringing BJer 1:14, 15; 6:1, 22evil from the north,
And great destruction.
7 “A AJer 5:6; 25:38; 50:17lion has gone up from his thicket,
And a BJer 25:9; Ezek 26:7-10destroyer of nations has set out;
He has gone out from his place
To CIs 1:7; 6:11; Jer 2:15make your land a waste.
Your cities will be ruins
Without inhabitant.
8 “For this, AIs 22:12; Jer 6:26put on sackcloth,
Lament and wail;
For the BIs 5:25; 10:4; Jer 30:24fierce anger of the Loʀᴅ
Has not turned back from us.”
9 “It shall come about in that day,” declares the Loʀᴅ, “that the AIs 22:3-5; Jer 48:41heart of the king and the heart of the princes will fail; and the priests will be appalled and the BIs 29:9, 10; Ezek 13:9-16prophets will be astounded.”
10 Then I said, “Ah, Lord 1Heb YHWH, usually rendered LoʀᴅGoᴅ! Surely You have utterly AEzek 14:9; 2 Thess 2:11deceived this people and Jerusalem, saying, ‘BJer 5:12; 14:13You will have peace’; whereas a sword touches the 2Or lifethroat.”
11 In that time it will be said to this people and to Jerusalem, “A AJer 13:24; 51:1; Ezek 17:10; Hos 13:15scorching 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 strong for 1Lit thesethis—will come 2Lit for Meat My command; now I will also pronounce judgments against them.
13 “Behold, he AIs 19:1; Nah 1:3goes up like clouds,
And his BIs 5:28; 66:15chariots like the whirlwind;
His horses are CLam 4:19; Hab 1:8swifter than eagles.
Woe to us, for DIs 3:8we are ruined!”
14 Wash your heart from evil, O Jerusalem,
That you may be saved.
How long will your AProv 1:22; Jer 6:19; 13:27; James 4:8wicked thoughts
Lodge within you?
15 For a voice declares from AJer 8:16Dan,
And proclaims wickedness from Mount Ephraim.
16 “Report it to the nations, now!
Proclaim over Jerusalem,
‘Besiegers come from a AIs 39:3; Jer 5:15far country,
And BEzek 21:22lift their voices against the cities of Judah.
17 ‘Like watchmen of a field they are A2 Kin 25:1, 4against her round about,
Because she has BIs 1:20, 23; Jer 5:23rebelled against Me,’ declares the Loʀᴅ.
18 “Your APs 107:17; Is 50:1; Jer 2:17, 19ways and your deeds
Have 1Lit donebrought these things to you.
This is your evil. How BJer 2:19bitter!
How it has touched your heart!”
Lament over Judah’s Devastation
19 AIs 15:5; 16:11; 21:3; 22:4; Jer 9:1, 10; 20:9My 1Lit inward partssoul, my 1Lit inward partssoul! I am in anguish! 2Lit The walls of my heartOh, my heart!
My BHab 3:16heart is pounding in me;
I cannot be silent,
Because 3Or I, my soul, heardyou have heard, O my soul,
The CNum 10:9sound of the trumpet,
The alarm of war.
20 APs 42:7; Ezek 7:26Disaster on disaster is proclaimed,
For the BJer 4:27whole land is devastated;
Suddenly my CJer 10:20tents are devastated,
My curtains in an instant.
21 How long must I see the standard
And hear the sound of the trumpet?
22 “AJer 5:4, 21; 10:8; Rom 1:22For My people are foolish,
They know Me not;
They are stupid children
And have no understanding.
They are shrewd to BJer 9:3; 13:23; Rom 16:19; 1 Cor 14:20do evil,
But to do good they do not know.”
23 I looked on the earth, and behold, it was 1Or a waste and emptinessAGen 1:2; Is 24:19formless and void;
And to the heavens, and they had no light.
24 I looked on the mountains, and behold, they were AIs 5:25; Jer 10:10; Ezek 38:20quaking,
And all the hills 1Lit moved lightlymoved to and fro.
25 I looked, and behold, there was no man,
And all the AJer 9:10; 12:4; Zeph 1:3birds of the heavens had fled.
And all its cities were pulled down
Before the Loʀᴅ, before His fierce anger.
27 For thus says the Loʀᴅ,
“The AJer 12:11, 12; 25:11whole land shall be a desolation,
Yet I will BJer 5:10, 18; 30:11; 46:28not execute a complete destruction.
28 “For this the AJer 12:4, 11; 14:2; Hos 4:3earth shall mourn
And the BIs 5:30; 50:3; Joel 2:30, 31heavens above be dark,
Because I have CNum 23:19; Jer 23:20; 30:24spoken, I have purposed,
And I will not 1Lit be sorrychange My mind, nor will I turn from it.”
29 At the sound of the horseman and bowman A2 Kin 25:4every city flees;
They BIs 2:19-21; Jer 16:16go into the thickets and climb among the rocks;
CJer 4:7Every city is forsaken,
And no man dwells in them.
30 And you, O desolate one, AIs 10:3; 20:6; Jer 13:21what will you do?
Although you dress in scarlet,
Although you decorate yourself with ornaments of gold,
Although you B2 Kin 9:30; Ezek 23:40enlarge your eyes with paint,
In vain you make yourself beautiful.
They seek your life.
31 For I heard a 1Lit soundcry as of a woman in labor,
The anguish as of one giving birth to her first child,
The 1Lit soundcry of the daughter of Zion AIs 42:14gasping for breath,
“Ah, woe is me, for 3Lit my soul faintsI faint before murderers.”
A4:1 Jer 3:22; 15:19; Joel 2:12
A4:2 Deut 10:20; Is 45:23; 65:16; Jer 12:16
C4:2 Gen 22:18; Jer 3:17; 12:15, 16; Gal 3:8
D4:2 Is 45:25; Jer 9:24; 1 Cor 1:31
14:3 Lit Plow for yourselves plowed ground
A4:4 Deut 10:16; 30:6; Jer 9:25, 26; Rom 2:28, 29; Col 2:11
B4:4 Is 30:27, 33; Jer 21:12; Zeph 2:2
C4:4 Amos 5:6; Mark 9:43, 48
B4:9 Is 29:9, 10; Ezek 13:9-16
14:10 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Loʀᴅ
24:10 Or life
A4:11 Jer 13:24; 51:1; Ezek 17:10; Hos 13:15
14:12 Lit these
24:12 Lit for Me
A4:14 Prov 1:22; Jer 6:19; 13:27; James 4:8
A4:17 2 Kin 25:1, 4
A4:18 Ps 107:17; Is 50:1; Jer 2:17, 19
14:18 Lit done
A4:19 Is 15:5; 16:11; 21:3; 22:4; Jer 9:1, 10; 20:9
14:19 Lit inward parts
14:19 Lit inward parts
24:19 Lit The walls of my heart
34:19 Or I, my soul, heard
A4:22 Jer 5:4, 21; 10:8; Rom 1:22
B4:22 Jer 9:3; 13:23; Rom 16:19; 1 Cor 14:20
14:23 Or a waste and emptiness
A4:24 Is 5:25; Jer 10:10; Ezek 38:20
14:24 Lit moved lightly
A4:25 Jer 9:10; 12:4; Zeph 1:3
14:26 Or Carmel
A4:27 Jer 12:11, 12; 25:11
B4:27 Jer 5:10, 18; 30:11; 46:28
A4:28 Jer 12:4, 11; 14:2; Hos 4:3
B4:28 Is 5:30; 50:3; Joel 2:30, 31
C4:28 Num 23:19; Jer 23:20; 30:24
14:28 Lit be sorry
A4:30 Is 10:3; 20:6; Jer 13:21
14:30 Lit paramours
C4:30 Jer 22:20, 22; Lam 1:2, 19; Ezek 23:9, 10, 22
14:31 Lit sound
14:31 Lit sound
24:31 Lit palms
34:31 Lit my soul faints