1If thou wilt return , O Israel , saith Jehovah , if thou wilt return unto me , and if thou wilt put away thine abominations out of my sight ; then shalt thou not be removed ; 2and thou shalt swear , As Jehovah liveth , in truth, in justice , and in righteousness ; and the nations shall bless themselves in him , and in him shall they glory . 3For thus saith Jehovah to the men of Judah and to Jerusalem , Break up your fallow ground , and sow not among thorns . 4Circumcise yourselves to Jehovah , and take away the foreskins of your heart , ye men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem ; lest my wrath go forth like fire, and burn so that none can quench it , because of the evil of your doings .
Impending Judgment
5Declare ye in Judah , and publish in Jerusalem ; and say, Blow ye the trumpet in the land: cry aloud and say, Assemble yourselves , and let us go into the fortified cities . 6Set up a standard toward Zion : flee for safety , stay not ; for I will bring evil from the north , and a great destruction . 7A lion is gone up from his thicket , and a destroyer of nations ; he is on his way , he is gone forth from his place , to make thy land desolate , that thy cities be laid waste , without inhabitant . 8For this gird you with sackcloth , lament and wail ; for the fierce anger of Jehovah is not turned back from us . 9And it shall come to pass at that day , saith Jehovah , that the heart of the king shall perish, and the heart of the princes ; and the priests shall be astonished , and the prophets shall wonder . 10Then said I , Ah, Lord Jehovah ! surely thou hast greatly deceived this people and Jerusalem , saying, Ye shall have peace ; whereas the sword reacheth unto the life . 11At that time shall it be said to this people and to Jerusalem , A hot wind from the bare heights in the wilderness toward the daughter of my people , not to winnow , nor to cleanse ; 12a full wind from these shall come for me : now will I also utter judgments against them . 13Behold , he shall come up as clouds , and his chariots shall be as the whirlwind : his horses are swifter than eagles . Woe unto us ! for we are ruined .
The Lament of the Prophet
14O Jerusalem , wash thy heart from wickedness , that thou mayest be saved . How long shall thine evil thoughts lodge within thee? 15For a voice declareth from Dan , and publisheth evil from the hills of Ephraim. 16Make ye mention to the nations ; behold , publish against Jerusalem , that watchers come from a far country, and give out their voice against the cities of Judah . 17As keepers of a field are they against her round about , because she hath been rebellious against me , saith Jehovah . 18Thy way and thy doings have procured these things unto thee ; this is thy wickedness ; for it is bitter , for it reacheth unto thy heart .
A Call to Action
19My anguish , my anguish ! I am pained at my very heart ; my heart is disquieted in me ; I cannot hold my peace ; because thou hast heard , O my soul , the sound of the trumpet , the alarm of war . 20Destruction upon destruction is cried ; for the whole land is laid waste : suddenly are my tents destroyed , and my curtains in a moment . 21How long shall I see the standard , and hear the sound of the trumpet ? 22For my people are foolish , they know me not ; they are sottish children , and they have no understanding; they are wise to do evil , but to do good they have no knowledge . 23I beheld the earth , and , lo , it was waste and void; and the heavens , and they had no light. 24I beheld the mountains , and , lo , they trembled , and all the hills moved to and fro . 25I beheld , and , lo , there was no man , and all the birds of the heavens were fled . 26I beheld , and , lo , the fruitful field was a wilderness , and all the cities thereof were broken down at the presence of Jehovah , and before his fierce anger . 27For thus saith Jehovah , The whole land shall be a desolation ; yet will I not make a full end . 28For this shall the earth mourn , and the heavens above be black ; because I have spoken it , I have purposed it , and I have not repented , neither will I turn back from it . 29Every city fleeth for the noise of the horsemen and bowmen ; they go into the thickets , and climb up upon the rocks : every city is forsaken , and not a man dwelleth therein . 30And thou , when thou art made desolate , what wilt thou do ? Though thou clothest thyself with scarlet , though thou deckest thee with ornaments of gold , though thou enlargest thine eyes with paint , in vain dost thou make thyself fair ; thy lovers despise thee , they seek thy life . 31For I have heard a voice as of a woman in travail , the anguish as of her that bringeth forth her first child , the voice of the daughter of Zion , that gaspeth for breath , that spreadeth her hands , saying , Woe is me now ! for my soul fainteth before the murderers .