Warning of Coming Judgment

4:5 The Lord said,11

“Announce12 this in Judah and proclaim it in Jerusalem:13

‘Sound the trumpet14 throughout the land!’

Shout out loudly,

‘Gather together! Let us flee into the fortified cities!’

4:6 Raise a signal flag that tells people to go to Zion.15

Run for safety! Do not delay!

For I am about to bring disaster out of the north.

It will bring great destruction.16

4:7 Like a lion that has come up from its lair17

the one who destroys nations has set out from his home base.18

He is coming out to lay your land waste.

Your cities will become ruins and lie uninhabited.

4:8 So put on sackcloth!

Mourn and wail, saying,

‘The fierce anger of the Lord

has not turned away from us!’ ”19

4:9 “When this happens,”20 says the Lord,

“the king and his officials will lose their courage.

The priests will be struck with horror,

and the prophets will be speechless in astonishment.”

4:10 In response to all this21 I said, “Ah, Lord God,22 you have surely allowed23 the people of Judah and Jerusalem24 to be deceived by those who say, ‘You will be safe!’25 But in fact a sword is already at our throats.”26

4:11 “At that time the people of Judah and Jerusalem27 will be told,

‘A scorching wind will sweep down

from the hilltops in the desert on28 my dear people.29

It will not be a gentle breeze

for winnowing the grain and blowing away the chaff.30

4:12 No,31 a wind too strong for that will come at my bidding.

Yes, even now I, myself, am calling down judgment on them.’32

4:13 Look! The enemy is approaching like gathering clouds.33

The roar of his chariots is like that of a whirlwind.34

His horses move more swiftly than eagles.”

I cry out,35 “We are doomed,36 for we will be destroyed!”

4:14 “Oh people of Jerusalem, purify your hearts from evil37

so that you may yet be delivered.

How long will you continue to harbor up

wicked schemes within you?

4:15 For messengers are coming, heralding disaster,

from the city of Dan and from the hills of Ephraim.38

4:16 They are saying,39

‘Announce to the surrounding nations,40

“The enemy is coming!”41

Proclaim this message42 to Jerusalem:

“Those who besiege cities43 are coming from a distant land.

They are ready to raise the battle cry against44 the towns in Judah.” ’

4:17 They will surround Jerusalem45

like men guarding a field46

because they have rebelled against me,”

says the Lord.

4:18 “The way you have lived and the things you have done47

will bring this on you.

This is the punishment you deserve, and it will be painful indeed.48

The pain will be so bad it will pierce your heart.”49

4:19 I said,50

“Oh, the feeling in the pit of my stomach!51

I writhe in anguish.

Oh, the pain in my heart!52

My heart pounds within me.

I cannot keep silent.

For I hear the sound of the trumpet;53

the sound of the battle cry pierces my soul!54

4:20 I see55 one destruction after another taking place,

so that the whole land lies in ruins.

I see our56 tents suddenly destroyed,

their57 curtains torn down in a mere instant.58

4:21 “How long must I see the enemy’s battle flags

and hear the military signals of their bugles?”59

4:22 The Lord answered,60

“This will happen61 because my people are foolish.

They do not know me.

They are like children who have no sense.62

They have no understanding.

They are skilled at doing evil.

They do not know how to do good.”

4:23 “I looked at the land and saw63 that it was an empty wasteland.64

I looked up at the sky, and its light had vanished.

4:24 I looked at the mountains and saw that they were shaking.

All the hills were swaying back and forth!

4:25 I looked and saw that there were no more people,65

and that all the birds in the sky had flown away.

4:26 I looked and saw that the fruitful land had become a desert

and that all of the cities had been laid in ruins.

The Lord had brought this all about

because of his blazing anger.66

4:27 All this will happen because the Lord said,67

“The whole land will be desolate;

however, I will not completely destroy it.

4:28 Because of this the land will mourn

and the sky above will grow black.68

For I have made my purpose known69

and I will not relent or turn back from carrying it out.”70

4:29 At the sound of the approaching horsemen and archers

the people of every town will flee.

Some of them will hide in the thickets.

Others will climb up among the rocks.

All the cities will be deserted.

No one will remain in them.

4:30 And you, Zion, city doomed to destruction,71

you accomplish nothing72 by wearing a beautiful dress,73

decking yourself out in jewels of gold,

and putting on eye shadow!74

You are making yourself beautiful for nothing.

Your lovers spurn you.

They want to kill you.75

4:31 In fact,76 I hear a cry like that of a woman in labor,

a cry of anguish like that of a woman giving birth to her first baby.

It is the cry of Daughter Zion77 gasping for breath,

reaching out for help,78 saying, “I am done in!79

My life is ebbing away before these murderers!”