4 Circumcise yourselves to the Lord,

circumcise your hearts,i

you people of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem,

or my wrathj will flare up and burn like firek

because of the evill you have done—

burn with no one to quenchm it.

Disaster From the North

5 “Announce in Judah and proclaimn in Jerusalem and say:

‘Sound the trumpeto throughout the land!’

Cry aloud and say:

‘Gather together!

Let us flee to the fortified cities!’p

6 Raise the signalq to go to Zion!

Flee for safety without delay!

For I am bringing disasterr from the north,s

even terrible destruction.”

7 A liont has come out of his lair;u

a destroyerv of nations has set out.

He has left his place

to lay wastew your land.

Your towns will lie in ruinsx

without inhabitant.

8 So put on sackcloth,y

lamentz and wail,

for the fierce angera of the Lord

has not turned away from us.

9 “In that day,” declares the Lord,

“the king and the officials will lose heart,b

the priests will be horrified,

and the prophets will be appalled.”c