If Israel returns, the nations will be blessed. Jeremiah calls the people to break up their fallow ground and circumcise their hearts. A destroyer comes from the north, and Jeremiah is anguished at the coming disaster.
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 .
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 .
3 For thus saith the LORD to the men of Judah and Jerusalem , Break up your fallow ground , and sow not 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 .
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 .
6 Set up the standard toward Zion : retire , stay not: for I will bring evil from the north , and 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 .
8 For this gird you with sackcloth , lament and howl : for the fierce anger of the LORD is not turned back 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 .
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 .
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 ,
12 Even a full wind from those places shall come unto me: now also will I give sentence 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 .
14 O Jerusalem , wash thine heart from wickedness , that thou mayest be saved . How long shall thy vain thoughts lodge within thee?
15 For a voice declareth from Dan , and publisheth affliction from mount 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 .
17 As keepers of a field , are they against her round about ; because she hath been rebellious against me, saith 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 .
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 .
20 Destruction upon destruction is cried ; for the whole land is spoiled : suddenly are my tents spoiled , and my curtains in a moment .
21 How long shall I see the standard , 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 .
23 I beheld the earth , and, lo, it was without form , and void ; and the heavens , and they had no light .
24 I beheld the mountains , and, lo, they trembled , and all the hills moved lightly .
25 I beheld , and, lo, there was no man , and all the birds of the heavens were fled .
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 .
27 For thus hath the LORD said , The whole land shall be desolate ; yet will I not make a full end .
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.
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 .
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 .
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 .