A Plea to Return 1 UEB "If you return, Israel—this is Yahweh's declaration—then it should be to me that you return. If you remove your detestable things from before me and do not wander from me again, BSB BSB: “If you will return, O Israel, return to Me,” declares the LORD. “If you will remove your detestable idols from My sight and no longer waver,
2 UEB You must be truthful, just, and righteous when you swear, 'As Yahweh lives.' Then the nations will bless themselves in him, and in him they will glory." BSB BSB: and if you can swear, ‘As surely as the LORD lives,’ in truth, in justice, and in righteousness, then the nations will be blessed by Him, and in Him they will glory.”
3 UEB For Yahweh says this to each person in Judah and Jerusalem: 'Plow your own ground, and do not sow among thorns. BSB BSB: For this is what the LORD says to the men of Judah and Jerusalem: “Break up your unplowed ground, and do not sow among the thorns.
4 UEB Circumcise yourselves to Yahweh, and remove the foreskins of your heart, men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem, or else my fury will break out like fire, and burn with no one to quench it, because of the wickedness of your deeds. BSB BSB: Circumcise yourselves to the LORD, and remove the foreskins of your hearts, O men of Judah and people of Jerusalem. Otherwise, My wrath will break out like fire and burn with no one to extinguish it, because of your evil deeds.”
Disaster from the North 5 UEB Report in Judah and let it be heard in Jerusalem. Say, "Blow the trumpet in the land." Proclaim, "Gather together. Let us go to the fortified cities." BSB BSB: Announce in Judah, proclaim in Jerusalem, and say: “Blow the ram’s horn throughout the land. Cry aloud and say, ‘Assemble yourselves and let us flee to the fortified cities.’
6 UEB Lift up the signal flag and point it toward Zion, and run for safety! Do not stay, for I am bringing disaster from the north and a great collapse. BSB BSB: Raise a signal flag toward Zion. Seek refuge! Do not delay! For I am bringing disaster from the north, and terrible destruction.
7 UEB A lion is coming out from his thicket and someone who will destroy nations is setting out. He is leaving his place to bring horror to your land, to turn your cities into ruins, where no one will live. BSB BSB: A lion has gone up from his thicket, and a destroyer of nations has set out. He has left his lair to lay waste your land. Your cities will be reduced to ruins and lie uninhabited.
8 UEB Because of this, wrap yourself in sackcloth, lament and wail. For the force of Yahweh's anger has not turned away from us. BSB BSB: So put on sackcloth, mourn and wail, for the fierce anger of the LORD has not turned away from us.”
9 UEB Then it will happen in that day—this is Yahweh's declaration—that the hearts of the king and his officials will die. The priests will be appalled, and the prophets will be horrified.'" BSB BSB: “In that day,” declares the LORD, “the king and officials will lose their courage. The priests will tremble in fear, and the prophets will be astounded.”
10 UEB So I said, "Ah! Lord Yahweh. Surely you have completely deceived this people and Jerusalem by saying, 'There will be peace for you.' Yet the sword is striking against their life." BSB BSB: Then I said, “Ah, Lord GOD, how completely You have deceived this people and Jerusalem by saying, ‘You will have peace,’ while a sword is at our throats.”
11 UEB In that time it will be said of this people and Jerusalem, "A burning wind from the plains of the desert will make its way to the daughter of my people. It will not winnow or cleanse them. BSB BSB: At that time it will be said to this people and to Jerusalem, “A searing wind from the barren heights in the desert blows toward the daughter of My people, but not to winnow or to sift;
12 UEB A wind far stronger than that will come at my command, and I will now pass sentence against them. BSB BSB: a wind too strong for that comes from Me. Now I also pronounce judgments against them.”
13 UEB See, he is attacking like clouds, and his chariots are like a storm. His horses are faster than eagles. Woe to us, for we will be devastated! BSB BSB: Behold, he advances like the clouds, his chariots like the whirlwind. His horses are swifter than eagles. Woe to us, for we are ruined!
14 UEB Cleanse your heart from wickedness, Jerusalem, so that you might be saved. How long will your deepest thoughts be about how to sin? BSB BSB: Wash the evil from your heart, O Jerusalem, so that you may be saved. How long will you harbor wicked thoughts within you?
15 UEB For a voice is bringing news from Dan, and the coming disaster is heard from the mountains of Ephraim. BSB BSB: For a voice resounds from Dan, proclaiming disaster from the hills of Ephraim.
16 UEB Make the nations think about this: See, announce to Jerusalem that besiegers are coming from a distant land to shout in battle against the cities of Judah. BSB BSB: Warn the nations now! Proclaim to Jerusalem: “A besieging army comes from a distant land; they raise their voices against the cities of Judah.
17 UEB They will be like the watchmen of a cultivated field against her all around, since she has been rebellious against me—this is Yahweh's declaration— BSB BSB: They surround her like men guarding a field, because she has rebelled against Me,” declares the LORD.
18 UEB and your conduct and your deeds have done these things to you. This will be your punishment. How terrible it will be! It will strike your very heart. BSB BSB: “Your ways and deeds have brought this upon you. This is your punishment; how bitter it is, because it pierces to the heart!”
Lamentation for Judah 19 UEB My heart! My heart! I am in anguish in my heart. My heart is turbulent within me. I cannot keep quiet for I hear the sound of the horn, an alarm for battle. BSB BSB: My anguish, my anguish! I writhe in pain! Oh, the pain in my chest! My heart pounds within me; I cannot be silent. For I have heard the sound of the horn, the alarm of battle.
20 UEB Disaster follows after disaster; for all the land lies in ruins. Suddenly my tents are destroyed, my curtains in a moment. BSB BSB: Disaster after disaster is proclaimed, for the whole land is laid waste. My tents are destroyed in an instant, my curtains in a moment.
21 UEB How long will I see the standard? Will I hear the sound of the horn? BSB BSB: How long must I see the signal flag and hear the sound of the horn?
22 UEB For the foolishness of my people—they do not know me. They are idiotic people and they have no understanding. They have skill at evil, but do not know to do good. BSB BSB: “For My people are fools; they have not known Me. They are foolish children, without understanding. They are skilled in doing evil, but they know not how to do good.”
23 UEB I saw the land. Behold! It was formless and empty. For there was no light for the heavens. BSB BSB: I looked at the earth, and it was formless and void; I looked to the heavens, and they had no light.
24 UEB I looked at the mountains. Behold, they were trembling, and all the hills were shaking about. BSB BSB: I looked at the mountains, and behold, they were quaking; all the hills were swaying.
25 UEB I looked. Behold, there was no one, and all the birds of the heavens had fled. BSB BSB: I looked, and no man was left; all the birds of the air had fled.
26 UEB I looked. Behold, the orchards were a wilderness and all the cities had been pulled down before Yahweh, before the fury of his wrath." BSB BSB: I looked, and the fruitful land was a desert. All its cities were torn down before the LORD, before His fierce anger.
27 UEB This is what Yahweh says, "All the land will become a devastation, but I will not completely destroy it. BSB BSB: For this is what the LORD says: “The whole land will be desolate, but I will not finish its destruction.
28 UEB For this reason, the land will mourn, and the heavens above will darken. For I have declared my intentions; I will not hold back; I will not turn from carrying them out. BSB BSB: Therefore the earth will mourn and the heavens above will grow dark. I have spoken, I have planned, and I will not relent or turn back.”
29 UEB Every city will flee from the noise of the cavalry and the archers with a bow; they will run into the forests. Every city will climb up into the rocky places. The cities will be abandoned, for there will be no one to inhabit them. BSB BSB: Every city flees at the sound of the horseman and archer. They enter the thickets and climb among the rocks. Every city is abandoned; no inhabitant is left.
30 UEB Now that you have been devastated, what will you do? For though you dress in scarlet, adorn yourself with gold jewelry, and make your eyes look bigger with paint, the men who lusted for you now reject you. Instead, they are trying to take away your life. BSB BSB: And you, O devastated one, what will you do, though you dress yourself in scarlet, though you adorn yourself with gold jewelry, though you enlarge your eyes with paint? You adorn yourself in vain; your lovers despise you; they want to take your life.
31 UEB So I hear the sound of anguish, distress as in the birth of a firstborn child, the sound of the daughter of Zion. She is gasping for breath. She spreads out her hands, 'Woe to me! I am fainting because of these murderers.'" BSB BSB: For I hear a cry like a woman in labor, a cry of anguish like one bearing her first child—the cry of the Daughter of Zion gasping for breath, stretching out her hands to say, “Woe is me, for my soul faints before the murderers!”
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.