Jeremiah 4:13–22

¹³“Behold, he ^agoes up like clouds,

And his ^bchariots like the whirlwind;

His horses are ^cswifter than eagles.

Woe to us, for ^dwe are devastated!”

¹⁴Wash your heart from evil, O Jerusalem,

That you may be saved.

How long will your ^awicked thoughts

Lodge within you?

¹⁵For a voice declares from ^aDan,

And makes wickedness heard from Mount Ephraim.

¹⁶“Make mention of it to the nations, saying, ‘Behold!’

Make it heard over Jerusalem,

‘Besiegers come from a ^afar country,

And ^bgive forth their voices against the cities of Judah.

¹⁷‘Like watchmen of a field they are ^aagainst her round about

Because she has ^brebelled against Me,’ declares Yahweh.

¹⁸“Your ^aways and your deeds

Have done these things to you.

This is your evil. How ^bbitter!

How it has touched your heart!”

Anguish over Judah’s Desolation

^19aMy ¹soul, my ²soul! I am in anguish! ³Oh, my heart!

My ^bheart is pounding in me;

I cannot be silent

Because ⁴you have heard, O my soul,

The ^csound of the trumpet,

The shout of war.

^20aDestruction upon destruction is called out,

For the ^bwhole land is devastated;

Suddenly my ^ctents are devastated,

My curtains in an instant.

²¹How long must I see the standard

And hear the sound of the trumpet?

²²“^aFor My people are ignorant fools,

They know Me not;

They are simpleminded children

And have no understanding.

They are wise to ^bdo evil,

But to do good they do not know.”