Jeremiah 4:13–22

¹³Look! The enemy rises up like a cloud,

and his chariots come like a tornado.

His horses are faster than eagles.

How terrible it will be for us! We are ruined!

¹⁴People of Jerusalem, clean the evil from your hearts so that you can be saved.

Don’t continue making evil plans.

¹⁵A voice from Dan makes an announcement

and brings bad news from the mountains of Ephraim.

¹⁶“Report this to the nations.

Spread this news in Jerusalem:

‘Invaders are coming from a faraway country,

shouting words of war against the cities of Judah.

¹⁷The enemy has surrounded Jerusalem as men guard a field,

because Judah turned against me,’ ” says the Lord.

¹⁸“The way you have lived and acted

has brought this trouble to you.

This is your punishment.

How terrible it is!

The pain stabs your heart!”

Jeremiah’s Cry

¹⁹Oh, how I hurt! How I hurt!

I am bent over in pain.

Oh, the torture in my heart!

My heart is pounding inside me.

I cannot keep quiet,

because I have heard the sound of the trumpet.

I have heard the shouts of war.

²⁰Disaster follows disaster;

the whole country has been destroyed.

My tents are destroyed in only a moment.

My curtains are torn down quickly.

²¹How long must I look at the war flag?

How long must I listen to the war trumpet?

²²The Lord says, “My people are foolish.

They do not know me.

They are stupid children;

they don’t understand.

They are skillful at doing evil,

but they don’t know how to do good.”