Jeremiah 4

The LORD called Israel to return and plow up fallow ground, and to circumcise their hearts. Jeremiah saw a vision of the coming destruction from the north -- the whole land laid waste, the cities broken down, and the heavens without light. The LORD declared that the whole land would be desolate, though He would not make a full end.

v	King James Version	Modern English
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.	"If You return, Israel," says the LORD, "then return to Me. If You remove Your detestable idols from My sight, You will not wander away.
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.	You will swear, 'As the LORD lives' — in truth, in justice, and in righteousness. Then the nations will praise themselves by him, and in him they will boast."
3	For thus saith the LORD to the men of Judah and Jerusalem, Break up your fallow ground, and sow not among thorns.	This is what the LORD says to the people of Judah and Jerusalem: "Break up your unplowed ground and do not sow among 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.	Circumcise yourselves to the LORD and remove the hardness of Your hearts, You people of Judah and Jerusalem. Otherwise My anger will break out like fire and burn with no one to put it out — 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.	"Announce in Judah and proclaim in Jerusalem. Sound the trumpet throughout the land and cry out — gather together and say, 'Run 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.	Raise the signal flag toward Zion. Flee for safety — do not delay! For I am bringing disaster from the north, a great destruction.
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.	A lion has come out of His den, a destroyer of nations has set out. He has left His place to lay Your land waste. Your cities will be ruined, left without a single inhabitant.
8	For this gird you with sackcloth, lament and howl: for the fierce anger of the LORD is not turned back from us.	Because of this, put on sackcloth and mourn and wail, for the fierce anger of the LORD 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.	"On that day," says the LORD, "the king and the officials will lose heart. The priests will be horrified and the prophets will be stunned."
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.	Then I said, "Ah, Lord GOD! You have truly deceived this people and Jerusalem by saying, 'You will have peace,' when the sword is at our throats!"
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,	At that time this people and Jerusalem will be told: "A scorching wind from the barren heights in the desert blows toward My people — not to winnow or cleanse,
12	Even a full wind from those places shall come unto me: now also will I give sentence against them.	but a full blast from those places. Now I will pronounce judgment 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.	He comes up like clouds. his chariots are like a whirlwind. his horses are swifter than eagles. How terrible for us — 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?	Jerusalem, wash the evil from Your heart so You may be saved. How long will You harbor wicked thoughts?
15	For a voice declareth from Dan, and publisheth affliction from mount Ephraim.	A voice announces from Dan — disaster proclaimed from the hills of Ephraim.
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.	"Warn the nations. Announce to Jerusalem: 'A besieging army is coming from a distant country, raising their voices against the cities of Judah.'
17	As keepers of a field, are they against her round about; because she hath been rebellious against me, saith the LORD.	Like guards surrounding a field they close in on her on every side, because she has rebelled against Me," says the LORD.
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.	Your own conduct and actions have brought this on You. This is Your punishment — how bitter it is! How it pierces to the heart!
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.	My anguish! My anguish! I writhe in pain. My heart is pounding. I cannot be silent, for I have heard the sound of the trumpet — the alarm 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.	Disaster after disaster is proclaimed. The whole land is ruined. Suddenly my tents are destroyed, my shelters in an instant.
21	How long shall I see the standard, and hear the sound of the trumpet?	How long must I see the battle flag 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.	"My people are foolish. They do not know Me. They are senseless children with no understanding. They are skilled at doing evil but do not know how to do good."
23	I beheld the earth, and, lo, it was without form, and void; and the heavens, and they had no light.	I looked at the earth — it was empty and formless. I looked at the sky — it had no light.
24	I beheld the mountains, and, lo, they trembled, and all the hills moved lightly.	I looked at the mountains — they were shaking. All the hills were swaying.
25	I beheld, and, lo, there was no man, and all the birds of the heavens were fled.	I looked — there was no one. Every bird in the sky had flown away.
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.	I looked — the fertile land was a desert. Every city was in ruins before the LORD, before His fierce anger.
27	For thus hath the LORD said, The whole land shall be desolate; yet will I not make a full end.	This is what the LORD says: "The whole land will be desolate, but I will not destroy it completely.
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.	Because of this the earth will mourn and the sky grow dark, because I have spoken and will not relent. I have decided and will not turn back."
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.	Every city will flee at the sound of the horsemen and archers. They will go into the thickets and climb among the rocks. Every city will be abandoned and no one will live in them.
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.	You who are ruined, what will You do? Even if You dress in scarlet and put on gold jewelry, even if You paint Your eyes — you make Yourself beautiful for nothing. Your lovers despise You. They want to kill You.
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.	I hear a cry like that of a woman in labor, the anguish of a mother giving birth to her first child — the voice of Daughter Zion gasping for breath and stretching out her hands, saying, "How terrible for me! I am fainting before killers!"