Jeremiah 4

If you come back to me,
And I mean really come back,
You’ll need to get rid of your idols,
And stay with me. No waffling.
2If you can do that
And swear in the name of the living LORD [1]
To be honest, fair, and good, [2]
Nations will see the good things I’m doing for you
And they’ll brag about what I’ve done.

Plow the hard ground.
Don’t plant in thorny fields. [3]
4Pledge allegiance to God. [4]
Turn your face toward him.
And turn your back to where you’ve been.
People of Jerusalem and the rest of Judah,
If you don’t do this, I’m going to turn up the heat.
You’ve been so evil for so long
That if I unleash my anger
You’ll be walking into flames you can’t put out.

Blow the ram’s horn and sound the alarm.
Tell everyone to run for cover.
Go to cities protected by walls.
6Rush to Zion, Jerusalem’s hill.
Go now. Don’t wait another second.
I’m bringing you a hurt from the north.
It’s evil. And it will decimate you.
7It’s a lion on the loose.
It’s a kingdom killer,
a slayer of nations.
It’s coming to destroy your cities
And turn them into ghost towns.
8So put on your mourning clothes—
That rough and ragged sackcloth. [5]
Moan and wail,
“Oh no! The LORD is angry!
He’s still mad at us!”
9When that day comes
Your king’s courage will run away. [6]
His officials will follow.
Shock and terrifying awe
Will overcome the priests and prophets.
10Then I pushed back and said,
“LORD God, you lied [7] to these people,
And to everyone in Jerusalem!
You told them they’ll be okay!
Now you tell them they’ll be dead!”

When this happens to Jerusalem and Judah,
A hot wind will blow in from the desert hills,
Swooping down on the people.
It’s not a wind fit for sifting grain. [8]
12It’s a blast too strong for that.
But now it’s time for me to pass judgment.
13Look. He’s coming at you
Like an unstoppable bank of storm clouds.
His chariots can race the wind.
His horses outrun the eagles above.
You’ll say, “This is the worst news.
We’re doomed.”
14Jerusalem, take a bath.
Wash the filth out of your heart,
So the LORD might spare you.
How long will you keep plotting evil?
Is scheming the only thing you know?
15A messenger arrives from the town of Dan. [9]
And another comes from Mount Ephraim
With news of disaster up north.
16Spread the news throughout Judah. [10]
Report it to the people of Jerusalem.
Invaders are coming from far away.
They’ll scream their war cries
At the cities of Judah.
17They’ll surround her
Like guards around a field at harvest.
It’s all because they rebelled against me,
The LORD.
18Your bad habits and way of life
Have led you here to your bitter reward—
Your misery.
The consequences of your sin
Will finally get through to your heart.

Oh no! Oh no! The pain!
My heart’s about to explode.
It’s beating wildly.
I can’t keep quiet.
I hear the ram’s horns now
And the battle cries.
20There’s one disaster after another.
Now our land lies in ruins.
My tents are gone,
Ripped to the ground in seconds.
21How long will I have to see enemy flags
And hear their horns signaling soldiers?

My people are fools
Who know nothing about me.
They’re ignorant children with just one skill.
They know how to be bad.
They have no idea how to be good.

I looked at my world and saw nothing but ruins.
I looked to the sky and saw nothing but darkness.
24I looked at the mountains and watched them tremble.
I looked to hills and watched them sway.
25I scanned the land and didn’t see a soul.
Even the birds had flown away.
26I looked at the fertile fields and saw a desert.
I looked at the cities and saw rocky ruins.
The LORD saw it, too,
For his unleashed anger had done it all.
27It’s what the LORD said would happen:
The land will be decimated.
But I won’t destroy everything.
28The world will weep over what I do.
The sky will grow dark.
But I made my decision and gave my word.
I’ve made up my mind and that’s that.

When people hear the calvary and see the archers,
They run. In every town it’s the same.
They run to the woods.
They run to the rocks.
Every town is empty.
Everyone is gone.
30You’ve been conquered.
So, why do you dress up in fancy scarlet robes?
You’ve draped yourself in gold jewelry.
And you’ve accented your eyes with shadow and shade.
What a waste of time.
Your lovers don’t want you back.
They want you dead.
31I hear screams loud as a woman in labor,
Delivering her first baby.
It’s the cry of Jerusalem, gasping for breath.
She stretches out her arms and screams,
“Oh no! I’m dying.
They’ve murdered me.”