Jeremiah 4

A Call to Return

1 “If you come back to Me, Israel,” says the LORD, “if you return for real and remove all those fake gods from My face, then you will not be running around unstable anymore.”

2 “If you swear, ‘As the LORD lives,’ in truth, justice, and righteousness, then the nations will bless themselves in Me and brag about who I am.”

Break Up Your Hard Hearts

3 This is what the LORD says to Judah and Jerusalem: “Break up the hard ground of your hearts, stop planting your life in thorns.”

4 “Circumcise your hearts to the LORD. Cut away the stubbornness or My anger will break out like fire and burn everything down, and no one will be able to put it out.”

Warning of Disaster from the North

5 “Blow the trumpet in Judah and shout it out in Jerusalem: ‘Run for safety and gather inside the fortified cities!’”

6 “Raise the warning flag toward Zion! Run, do not hesitate, because I am bringing disaster from the north, a massive destruction.”

7 “The lion has come out of his den. The destroyer of nations is moving. He is coming to make your land a wasteland. Your cities will be ruins with no one living in them.”

8 “So dress in mourning clothes, cry loud, and fall on the ground, because the LORD’s fierce anger has not turned away from you.”

The Leaders Will Be Terrified

9 “That day,” declares the LORD, “the king and officials will lose courage, the priests will be shocked, and the prophets will be stunned.”

10 Then Jeremiah said, “Lord GOD, You surely misled this people when they said, ‘We will have peace,’ but now a sword is at our throats.”

A Hot Wind from the Wilderness

11 At that time it will be said to this people: “A scorching wind from the bare heights in the desert is blowing toward My people, not the kind for cleansing grain.”

12 “It is a wind too strong for that. Now I Myself will pass judgment on them.”

The Enemy Approaches Like a Storm

13 “Look, the enemy is coming up like storm clouds. His chariots are like tornado winds. His horses are faster than eagles.” “Disaster is coming, we are doomed!”

14 “Jerusalem, wash the evil out of your heart so you can be saved. How long will your wicked thoughts stay lodged inside you?”

15 “A voice announces from Dan and brings bad news from the hills of Ephraim.”

16 “Warn the nations! Tell Jerusalem: enemies are coming from a distant land, shouting against the cities of Judah.”

17 “They are surrounding her like guards around a field, because she rebelled against Me,” declares the LORD.

Judah’s Own Ways Bring Judgment

18 “Your own ways and actions brought this on you. This is your punishment. It is bitter, and it hits you right in the heart.”

Jeremiah’s Anguish

19 “My stomach… my stomach! I am in pain! My heart is pounding, I cannot keep quiet, because I hear the sound of the trumpet and the battle cry!”

20 “Disaster after disaster! The whole land is destroyed. My tents are ripped apart in a moment, my curtains torn down instantly.”

21 “How long must I see the battle flag and hear this trumpet blast?”

22 The LORD says, “My people are foolish. They do not know Me. They are like children with no sense. They are smart at doing evil but clueless about doing good.”

Creation Trembles at God’s Judgment

23 Jeremiah said, “I looked at the earth, it was formless and empty; the sky had no light.”

24 “I looked at the mountains, they were shaking; all the hills were trembling.”

25 “I looked, no people were left, and all the birds had flown away.”

26 “I looked, the fertile land had become a desert, and all its cities were torn down by the LORD’s blazing anger.”

Destruction Is Certain

27 The LORD says, “The whole land will become empty, but I will not completely wipe it out.”

28 “The earth will mourn and the skies grow dark because I have spoken, and I will not change My mind.”

Jerusalem’s Desperate Flight

29 “When the cities of Judah hear the horsemen and archers coming, everyone will run into the woods or climb up the rocks. Every city will be abandoned, and no one will live in them.”

Jerusalem Compared to a Deceptive Woman

30 “What are you doing, Jerusalem, Why dress in fancy clothes, Why put on jewelry and makeup, You are trying to make yourself look attractive, but your lovers despise you, they are the ones trying to kill you.”

31 “I hear a cry like a woman giving birth to her first child, the cry of Daughter Zion gasping for breath, stretching out her hands, saying, ‘I am fainting! Murderers are closing in on me!’”