(KJV) Jeremiah 4¹

⥃A Plea to Return

[1] If thou wilt return²³, O Israel, saith the Lord, return unto me: and if thou wilt put away⁴ thine abominations out of my sight, then shalt⁵ thou not remove. [2] And thou shalt swear⁶, The Lord liveth, in truth⁷, in judgment, and in righteousness; and the nations⁸ shall bless themselves in him, and in him⁹ shall they glory.

[3] For thus saith the Lord to the men of Judah and Jerusalem, Break¹⁰ up your fallow ground, and sow not among thorns. [4] Circumcise yourselves to the Lord, and take¹¹ away the foreskins of your heart, ye men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem: lest¹² my fury come forth like fire, and burn that none can quench [it], because of the evil of your doings.

⥃Disaster from the North

[5] Declare ye¹³ in Judah, and publish in Jerusalem; and say, Blow¹⁴ ye the trumpet in the land: cry, gather together, and say, Assemble¹⁵ yourselves, and let us go into the defenced cities. [6] Set up the standard¹⁶ toward Zion: retire¹⁷, stay not: for I will¹⁸ bring evil from the north, and a great¹⁹ destruction²⁰. [7] The lion²¹ is come up from his thicket, and the destroyer²² of the Gentiles is on his way; he is gone forth from his place to²³ make thy land desolate; [and] thy cities shall be laid waste, without an inhabitant. [8] For this gird²⁴ you with sackcloth, lament and howl²⁵: for the²⁶ fierce anger of the Lord is not turned back from us. [9] And it shall come to pass at that day, saith the Lord, [that] the heart²⁷ of the king shall perish, and the heart of the princes; and the priests²⁸ shall be astonished, and the prophets shall wonder. [10] Then said I, Ah²⁹, Lord God! surely³⁰ thou hast greatly deceived this people and Jerusalem, saying, Ye shall have³¹ peace; whereas the sword³² reacheth unto the soul. [11] A³³t that time shall it be said to this people and to Jerusalem, A dry wind of the high places in the wilderness toward the daughter³⁴ of my people, not³⁵ to fan, nor to cleanse, [12] [Even] a full wind from those³⁶ [places] shall come unto me: now also will I give sentence³⁷ against them. [13] Behold³⁸, he shall come up as clouds, and his chariots³⁹ [shall be] as a whirlwind: his horses⁴⁰ are swifter than eagles. Woe⁴¹ unto us! for we are spoiled. [14] O Jerusalem, wash⁴² thine heart from wickedness, that thou mayest be saved. How long⁴³ shall thy vain thoughts lodge within thee? [15] For a voice⁴⁴ declareth from Dan, and publisheth affliction from mount Ephraim⁴⁵. [16] Make ye⁴⁶ mention to the nations; behold, publish against Jerusalem, [that] watchers⁴⁷ come from⁴⁸ a far country, and give out⁴⁹ their voice against the cities of Judah. [17] As keepers⁵⁰ of a field, are they against her round about; because⁵¹ she hath been rebellious against me, saith the Lord. [18] Thy way⁵² and thy doings have procured these [things] unto thee; this [is] thy wickedness, because it is bitter, because it reacheth⁵³ unto thine heart.

⥃Lamentation for Judah

[19] My bowels⁵⁴, my bowels! I am pained at my very⁵⁵ heart; my heart maketh a noise in me; I cannot hold my peace, because thou hast heard, O my⁵⁶ soul, the sound⁵⁷ of the trumpet, the alarm of war. [20] Destruction upon destruction⁵⁸ is cried; for the whole land is spoiled: suddenly⁵⁹ are my tents spoiled, [and] my curtain⁶⁰s in a moment. [21] How long⁶¹ shall I⁶² see the standard, [and] hear the sound of the trumpet? [22] For my⁶³ people [is] foolish, they have⁶⁴ not known me; they [are] sottish children, and they have none understanding: they [are] wise⁶⁵ to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge. [23] I beheld the earth⁶⁶, and, lo, [it was] without form, and void; and the heavens⁶⁷, and they [had] no light. [24] I beheld the mountains⁶⁸, and, lo, they trembled, and all the hills moved lightly. [25] I beheld, and, lo, [there was] no man⁶⁹, and all the birds of the heavens were fled. [26] I beheld, and, lo, the fruitful⁷⁰ place [was] a wilderness, and all the cities thereof were broken down at the presence of the Lord, [and] by his fierce anger. [27] For thus hath the⁷¹ Lord said, The whole land shall be desolate; yet⁷² will I not make a full end. [28] For this shall the earth⁷³ mourn, and the heavens⁷⁴ above be black: because⁷⁵ I have spoken [it], I have purposed [it], and will not repent, neither will I turn back from it. [29] The whole city shall flee⁷⁶ for the noise of the horsemen and bowmen; they shall go⁷⁷ into thickets, and climb up upon the rocks: every⁷⁸ city [shall be] forsaken, and not a man dwell therein. [30] And [when⁷⁹] thou [art] spoiled, what wilt thou do? Though⁸⁰ thou clothest thyself with crimson, though thou deckest thee with ornaments of gold, though thou rentest thy face⁸¹ with painting, in vain⁸² shalt thou make thyself fair; [thy] lovers will despise thee, they will seek thy life. [31] For I have heard⁸³ a voice as of a woman in travail, [and] the anguish as of her that bringeth forth her first child, the voice⁸⁴ of the daughter of Zion, [that] bewaileth herself, [that] spreadeth⁸⁵ her hands, [saying], Woe⁸⁶ [is] me now! for my⁸⁷ soul is wearied because⁸⁸ of murderers.