Jeremiah 4:1–8

Judah Threatened with Invasion

1 “If you will areturn, O Israel,” declares the Lord,

“Then you should return to Me.

And bif you will put away your detested things from My presence,

And will not waver,

2 And you will aswear, ‘As the Lord lives,’

bIn truth, in justice and in righteousness;

Then the cnations will bless themselves in Him,

And din Him they will glory.”

3 For thus says the Lord to the men of Judah and to Jerusalem,

“1aBreak up your fallow ground,

And bdo not sow among thorns.

4 “aCircumcise yourselves to the Lord

And remove the foreskins of your heart,

Men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem,

Or else My bwrath will go forth like fire

And burn with cnone to quench it,

Because of the evil of your deeds.”

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

“aBlow the trumpet in the land;

Cry aloud and say,

‘bAssemble yourselves, and let us go

Into the fortified cities.’

6 “Lift up a astandard toward Zion!

Seek refuge, do not stand still,

For I am bringing bevil from the north,

And great destruction.

7 “A alion has gone up from his thicket,

And a bdestroyer of nations has set out;

He has gone out from his place

To cmake your land a waste.

Your cities will be ruins

Without inhabitant.

8 “For this, aput on sackcloth,

Lament and wail;

For the bfierce anger of the Lord

Has not turned back from us.”