Jeremiah 4:13–22

¹³The enemy comes up like clouds. 

His chariots are like a raging wind. 

His horses are faster than eagles. 

How horrible it will be for us! We will be destroyed! 

¹⁴Jerusalem, wash the evil from your heart 

so that you may be rescued. 

Don’t continue making evil plans. 

¹⁵A message is heard from Dan, 

and a report of disaster comes from the mountains of Ephraim. 

¹⁶Warn the nations about these things. 

Bring them to the attention of Jerusalem. 

“Hostile troops are coming from a distant country. 

They are shouting battle cries against the cities of Judah. 

¹⁷They surround them like men guarding a field, 

because Judah has rebelled against me,” 

declares the Lord. 

¹⁸“You brought this on yourself. 

This is your punishment. 

It is bitter. 

It breaks your heart.” 

¹⁹My anguish, my anguish! 

I writhe in pain. 

My heart is beating wildly! 

My heart is pounding! 

I can’t keep quiet 

because I hear a ram’s horn sounding the alarm for war. 

²⁰One disaster follows another. 

The whole land is ruined. 

My tents are suddenly destroyed. 

Their curtains are torn in an instant. 

²¹How long must I see the battle flag and hear the sound of rams’ horns? 

²²“My people are fools. They don’t know me. 

They are stupid people. They don’t understand. 

They are experts in doing wrong, 

and they don’t know how to do good.”