4 Circumcise yourselves to the Lord;

remove the foreskin of your hearts,o

men of Judah and residents of Jerusalem.

Otherwise, my wrath will break out like fire

and burn with no one to extinguish itp

because of your evil deeds.

JUDGMENT FROM THE NORTH

5 Declare in Judah, proclaim in Jerusalem, and say,

Blow the trumpet throughout the land.q

Cry out loudly and say,

“Assemble yourselves,

and let’s flee to the fortified cities.”

6 Lift up a signal flag toward Zion.r

Run for cover! Don’t stand still!

For I am bringing disaster from the north—

a crushing blow.s

7 A lion has gone up from his thicket;t

a destroyer of nations has set out.

He has left his lair

to make your land a waste.

Your cities will be reduced to uninhabited ruins.u

8 Because of this, put on sackcloth;

mourn and wail,v

for the Lord’s burning angerw

has not turned away from us.

9 “On that day”—this is the Lord’s declaration—“the king and the officials will lose their courage. The priests will tremble in fear, and the prophets will be scared speechless.”