1 GLT “If you return, Israel— the declaration of Yahweh— to me you should return. And if you remove your detestable things from before my face and do not wander, 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 GLT and you swear,‘{ As} Yahweh{ is} alive’ in truth, in justice, and in righteousness, then the nations will bless themselves in him, and in him they will boast.” 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 GLT For thus says Yahweh to the man of Judah and to Jerusalem:‘Plow your unplowed ground, and do not sow into 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 GLT Be circumcised to Yahweh, and remove the foreskins of your heart, man of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem, lest my heat go out like the fire, and burn, and there is no one to extinguish from the face of the evil 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.”
5 GLT Declare in Judah, and in Jerusalem announce, and say,“Blow the horn in the land!” Call out fully and say,“Be gathered, and let us go to the cities of fortification.” 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 GLT Lift up a banner toward Zion, and bring yourself to safety, do not stand still! 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 GLT A lion has come up from his thicket and a destroyer of nations has set out. He has gone out from his place to make your land into a desolation; your cities will become ruins, without an inhabitant. 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 GLT Because of this, gird yourselves{ with} sackcloth, lament and wail! For the force of the nose of Yahweh 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 GLT And it will happen in that day— the declaration of Yahweh— the heart of the king and the heart of the officials will perish, And 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 GLT And I said,“Alas! Lord Yahweh, surely you have completely deceived this people and Jerusalem, saying,‘It will be well for you.’ Yet the sword will reach as far as the 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 GLT In that time it will be said of this people and of Jerusalem,“A shimmering wind of the bare hills of the wilderness— the way of the daughter of my people, not to winnow and not to cleanse, 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 GLT a wind more full than these will come to me. Now I myself shall also speak judgments{ against} them. BSB BSB: a wind too strong for that comes from Me. Now I also pronounce judgments against them.”
13 GLT Behold, like clouds he comes up, and his chariots{ are} like the storm. His horses are faster than eagles. Woe to us, for we are 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 GLT Cleanse your heart from evil, Jerusalem so that you might be saved. Until when will your unjust intentions lodge within you? 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 GLT For a voice declares from Dan, and announces coming disaster from the mount of Ephraim. BSB BSB: For a voice resounds from Dan, proclaiming disaster from the hills of Ephraim.
16 GLT Report to the nations: Behold! Announce over Jerusalem, Guards are coming from the distant land, and they give their voice 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 GLT Like the watchmen of a field they will be around against her, since she has been rebellious{ against} me— the declaration of Yahweh— BSB BSB: They surround her like men guarding a field, because she has rebelled against Me,” declares the LORD.
18 GLT your way and your deeds have done these to you. This{ is} your evil. Indeed{ it is} bitter! Indeed it reaches as far as your 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!”
19 GLT My inward parts! My inward parts! I writhe in pain{ in} the walls of my heart! My heart is turbulent for me. I shall not be silent, for I hear the sound of the horn, my soul, 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 GLT Collapse upon collapse is called out, for all the land is devastated. Suddenly my tents are devastated, in a moment, my curtains! 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 GLT Until when will I see the banner, 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 GLT For my people{ are} foolish; they do not know me. They{ are} foolish sons and they have no understanding. They{ are} wise to do 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 GLT I saw the land, and behold,{ it was} formless and empty, and to the heavens, and there was not their light. BSB BSB: I looked at the earth, and it was formless and void; I looked to the heavens, and they had no light.
24 GLT I saw the mountains. and behold, they were quaking, and all the hills were shaking themselves. BSB BSB: I looked at the mountains, and behold, they were quaking; all the hills were swaying.
25 GLT I saw, and behold, there was not the man, 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 GLT I saw, and behold, the orchard{ was} the wilderness, and all the cities had been pulled down before the face of Yahweh, before the face of the fury of his nose.” 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 GLT For thus says Yahweh,“All the land will become a devastation, but complete destruction I shall not make. BSB BSB: For this is what the LORD says: “The whole land will be desolate, but I will not finish its destruction.
28 GLT Because of this the land will mourn, and the heavens will darken from above. Because I have spoken my plans and will not regret, and I shall not turn away from it. 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 GLT From the noise of the horseman and the shooter of the bow every city will flee. They will go into the thickets and ascend onto the hollowed out rocks. Every city will be abandoned, and there will be no man dwelling in 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 GLT And you, what will you do{ for} the devastated one? Although you dress{ in} scarlet, although you adorn yourself{ with} jewelry of gold, although you tear open your eyes with eye paint, you beautify yourself for futility. The ones lusting reject you; they seek 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 GLT For I hear a sound like a woman in labor, distress like a woman birthing her firstborn, the sound of the daughter of Zion; she gasps for breath. She spreads out her hands,‘Woe now to me, for my spirit faints{ because of} 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!”
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