Jeremiah 4

‘Israelites, if you want to come back,

then you must come back to Me

and throw away those dirty gods,

and not worship them again.

₂You must promise and say:

“As sure as the Lord lives.”

But you must really want to do

what you promise.

Then the other nations will pray

and ask Me to bless them

and they will praise Me.’

‘You must start again

like a farmer that ploughs new land,

who does not sow wheat among the thorns.

₄People of Judah and Jerusalem,

you must show that you belong to Me.

You must be circumcised,

and you must circumcise your hearts

and change your lives.

If you don't do it, I will punish you

for all the bad things that you did.

The punishment will be like a fire

that can not stop burning.’

₅The Lord says: ‘Talk to the people of Judah and Jerusalem.

Blow the trumpet in the land.

Warn them and shout_loudly and say:

“Come together. We must go to cities

that have strong walls.”

₆Put up a flag and go to Zion,

to Jerusalem, and look for a place to hide.

Do not stand still,

because I will bring enemies

from the north and they will destroy you.

₇The enemies are coming.

They kill people like a lion

coming out of a forest,

and they come to take away everything

in your land.

They will destroy your towns and cities,

and no one will live there anymore.

₈That is why you must put on sack-cloth,

cry and mourn, because the Lord

will stay angry with us.’

₉The Lord says:

‘On that day the king and his officials will fear,

the priests will not know what to do,

and the prophets will not know what to say.’

₁₀I, Jeremiah, said: ‘O Lord,

my Lord, You have deceived this nation

and the people of Jerusalem.

You said that they would have peace,

but the swords of the enemies

are already at their throats,

and will kill them.’

‘At that time people will say to this nation

and the people of Jerusalem:

“A hot wind is blowing from

the hills that have no trees.

It comes through the desert

on the way to my people,

but it is not a soft wind that will blow away

the chaff and leave only the wheat

on the threshing-floor.

No, it will be a storm wind.”

₁₂The storm wind is the enemy.

I am sending them and I will tell you

how I will punish my people.

₁₃The enemies are coming like clouds,

with war-chariots like storm winds,

and horses faster than eagles.’

The people of Jerusalem will say:

‘It is very bad for us.

Our enemies have destroyed us.’

₁₄The Lord says:

‘People of Jerusalem, you must wash

the sins from your hearts

so that I can save you.

How long do you want to continue

with your plans to do things that are bad?

₁₅The people are shouting

from the town of Dan,

and from the Ephraim Mountains.

They warn you that the enemies are coming.

₁₆Tell the people in Jerusalem:

“The enemies are here.

They come from a far land

to make war_against the cities of Judah.

₁₇They are around Jerusalem

like men who are guarding a field,

because the people of Jerusalem

have rebelled_against Me.” ’

‘These things are happening to you

because you have done wrong.

All will be bad for you, very bad.

You will feel as if a sword pierces your heart.’

‘When we hear the trumpet blow

and the enemies shout,

we bend down in pain.

Our hearts are beating fast,

and we can not be silent.

₂₀We hear how they break down

all the cities, first one city,

then the other cities,

and they destroy the whole land.

In a short while we will no longer have

a place where we can live.

₂₁How long will we still see

the enemies holding up their flag?

How long will we hear them blow the trumpet?’

‘This is happening because my people are foolish,

and they don't know Me.

They are foolish children. They are not wise.

They know very well how to sin,

but they don't know how to do good.’

₂₃I looked at the land and it was empty.

There was no one living there.

I looked up to the sky

and the stars did not shine.

₂₄I looked at the mountains,

and they were all trembling.

All the hills were trembling.

₂₅I looked, and there were no people.

All the birds had flown away.

₂₆I looked, and where fruit trees

had grown before, there was a desert.

All the towns and cities

in the land were destroyed.

The Lord had done this because He was angry.

₂₇Yes, the Lord says:

‘The enemies will destroy

the whole land, but not everything.

₂₈I have said what I decided

and I will do it. I will not change my plan.

That is why the plants in the land

will become dry and die,

and the sky up above will become black.

₂₉All the people in the city will flee

when they hear the soldiers coming,

soldiers on horses and

soldiers with bows_and_arrows.

The people in the city will flee into the forest,

and they will try to climb over the rocks.

There will be no one left_alive

in the city. No one will live there.

₃₀And you, Jerusalem,

city that has been destroyed,

why do you look like a prostitute

with a red dress and golden jewellery?

Why do you paint your eyes?

You have made yourself beautiful

but it will not help.

You have tried to make friends,

but your friends hate you now,

and they want to kill you.

₃₁Yes, I hear someone shouting

like a woman who is having her first baby.

It is Jerusalem that can not breathe.

She holds out her hands and says:

“Help, I am going to die.

Murderers are killing me.” ’