Jeremiah 4:1–4

“If you return, O Israel,

declares the Lord,

to me you should return.

If you remove your detestable things from my presence,

and do not waver,

and if you swear, ‘As the Lord lives,’

in truth, in justice, and in righteousness,

then nations shall bless themselves in him,

and in him shall they glory.”

For thus says the Lord to the men of Judah and Jerusalem:

“Break up your fallow ground,

and sow not among thorns.

Circumcise yourselves to the Lord;

remove the foreskin of your hearts,

O men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem;

lest my wrath go forth like fire,

and burn with none to quench it,

because of the evil of your deeds.”

“If you, Israel, will return,

then return to me,”

declares the Lord.

“If you put your detestable idols out of my sight

and no longer go astray,

and if in a truthful, just and righteous way

you swear, ‘As surely as the Lord lives,’

then the nations will invoke blessings by him

and in him they will boast.”

This is what the Lord says to the people of Judah and to Jerusalem:

“Break up your unplowed ground

and do not sow among thorns.

Circumcise yourselves to the Lord,

circumcise your hearts,

you people of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem,

or my wrath will flare up and burn like fire

because of the evil you have done—

burn with no one to quench it.

If you return, Israel—

this is the Lord’s declaration—

you will return to me,

if you remove your abhorrent idols

from my presence

and do not waver,

then you can swear, “As the Lord lives,”

in truth, justice, and righteousness,

and then the nations will be blessed by him

and will boast in him.

For this is what the Lord says to the men of Judah and Jerusalem:

Break up the unplowed ground;

do not sow among the thorns.

Circumcise yourselves to the Lord;

remove the foreskin of your hearts,

men of Judah and residents of Jerusalem.

Otherwise, my wrath will break out like fire

and burn with no one to extinguish it

because of your evil deeds.

“O Israel,” says the Lord,

“if you wanted to return to me, you could.

You could throw away your detestable idols

and stray away no more.

Then when you swear by my name, saying,

‘As surely as the Lord lives,’

you could do so

with truth, justice, and righteousness.

Then you would be a blessing to the nations of the world,

and all people would come and praise my name.”

This is what the Lord says to the people of Judah and Jerusalem:

“Plow up the hard ground of your hearts!

Do not waste your good seed among thorns.

O people of Judah and Jerusalem,

surrender your pride and power.

Change your hearts before the Lord,

or my anger will burn like an unquenchable fire

because of all your sins.

If you return, O Israel,” declares Yahweh,

“you return to me.

And if you remove your abominations from my presence,

and you do not wander,

and you swear, ‘As Yahweh lives,’

in truth, in justice, and in righteousness,

then nations will be blessed by him,

and in him they will boast.”

For thus says Yahweh

to the men of Judah and to Jerusalem,

“Break up for yourselves prepared virgin soil,

and you must not sow among thornbushes.

Circumcise yourselves to Yahweh,

and remove the foreskins of your hearts,

men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem,

lest my wrath goes forth like the fire and burns,

and there is no one who extinguishes it,

because of the evil of your deeds.”

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. 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. For thus saith the Lord to the men of Judah and Jerusalem, Break up your fallow ground, and sow not among thorns. 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.