Jeremiah 4 – Legacy Standard Bible (LSB)

Yahweh Calls Israel to Return to Him

1 “If ^H518 you will return ^H7725, O Israel ^H3478,” declares ^H5002 Yahweh ^H3068,

“Then you should return ^H7725 to Me.

And if ^H518 you will put ^H5493 away ^H5493 your detested ^H8251 things ^H8251 from My presence ^H6440

And will not waver ^H5110

2 And you will swear ^H7650, ‘As Yahweh ^H3068 lives ^H2416,’

In truth ^H571, in justice ^H4941, and in righteousness ^H6666;

Then the nations ^H1471 will [fn]be blessed ^H1288 in Him,

And in Him they will boast ^H1984.”

3 For thus ^H3541 says ^H559 Yahweh ^H3068 to the men ^H376 of Judah ^H3063 and to Jerusalem ^H3389,

“[fn]Break ^H5214 up your fallow ^H5215 ground ^H5215,

And do not sow ^H2232 among ^H413 thorns ^H6975.

4 “Circumcise ^H4135 yourselves to Yahweh ^H3068

And remove ^H5493 the foreskins ^H6190 of your heart ^H3824,

Men ^H376 of Judah ^H3063 and inhabitants ^H3427 of Jerusalem ^H3389,

Lest ^H6435 My wrath ^H2534 go ^H3318 forth ^H3318 like fire ^H784

And burn ^H1197 with none ^H369 to quench ^H3518 it

Because ^H4480 H6440 of the evil ^H7455 of your deeds ^H4611.”

Evil from the North

5 Declare ^H5046 in Judah ^H3063 and make ^H8085 it heard ^H8085 in Jerusalem ^H3389 and say ^H559,

“Blow ^H8628 the trumpet ^H7782 in the land ^H776;

Call ^H7121 out ^H7121, make ^H4390 your voice full ^H4390, and say ^H559,

‘Gather ^H622 yourselves, and let us go ^H935

Into the fortified ^H4013 cities ^H5892.’

6 “Lift ^H5375 up ^H5375 a standard ^H5251 toward Zion ^H6726!

Seek ^H5756 safety ^H5756, do not stand ^H5975 still,

For I am bringing ^H935 evil ^H7451 from the north ^H6828,

And great ^H1419 destruction ^H7667.

7 “A lion ^H738 has gone ^H5927 up ^H5927 from his thicket ^H5441,

And a destroyer ^H7843 of nations ^H1471 has set ^H5265 out ^H5265;

He has gone ^H3318 out ^H3318 from his place ^H4725

To make ^H7760 your land ^H776 a desolation ^H8047.

Your cities ^H5892 will be turned ^H5327 into ruins ^H5327

Without ^H369 inhabitant ^H3427.

8 “For this ^H2088, I gird ^H2296 myself with sackcloth ^H8242,

Lament ^H5594 and wail ^H3213;

For the burning ^H2740 anger ^H639 of Yahweh ^H3068

Has not turned ^H7725 back ^H7725 from us.”

9 “It will be ^H1961 in that day ^H3117,” declares ^H5002 Yahweh ^H3068, “that the heart ^H3820 of the king ^H4428 and the heart ^H3820 of the princes ^H8269 will perish ^H6; and the priests ^H3548 will be ^H8074 appalled ^H8074, and the prophets ^H5030 will be ^H8539 astonished ^H8539.”

10 Then I said ^H559, “Ah ^H162, Lord ^H136 Yahweh ^H3068! Surely ^H403 You have utterly ^H5378 deceived ^H5378 this ^H2088 people ^H5971 and Jerusalem ^H3389, saying ^H559, ‘You will have ^H1961 peace ^H7965’; whereas a sword ^H2719 touches ^H5060 the [fn]throat ^H5315.”

11 In that time ^H6256 it will be said ^H559 to this ^H2088 people ^H5971 and to Jerusalem ^H3389, “A [fn]scorching ^H6703 wind ^H7307 from the bare ^H8205 heights ^H8205 in the wilderness ^H4057 along the way ^H1870 of the daughter ^H1323 of My people ^H5971—not to winnow ^H2219 and not to cleanse ^H1305,

12 a wind ^H7307 too ^H4480 full ^H4392 for these ^H428 things ^H428—will come ^H935 [fn]for My purpose; now ^H6258 I will also ^H1571 speak ^H1696 judgments ^H4941 against them.

13 “Behold ^H2009, he goes ^H5927 up ^H5927 like clouds ^H6051,

And his chariots ^H4818 like the whirlwind ^H5492;

His horses ^H5483 are ^H7043 swifter ^H7043 than ^H4480 eagles ^H5404.

Woe ^H188 to us, for we are devastated ^H7703!”

14 Wash ^H3526 your heart ^H3820 from evil ^H7451, O Jerusalem ^H3389,

That you may be saved ^H3467.

How ^H4970 long ^H5704 H4970 will your wicked ^H205 thoughts ^H4284

Lodge ^H3885 within ^H7130 you?

15 For a voice ^H6963 declares ^H5046 from Dan ^H1835,

And makes ^H8085 wickedness ^H205 heard ^H8085 from Mount ^H2022 Ephraim ^H669.

16 “Make ^H2142 mention ^H2142 of it to the nations ^H1471, saying, ‘Behold ^H2009!’

Make ^H8085 it heard ^H8085 over ^H5921 Jerusalem ^H3389,

‘Besiegers ^H5341 come ^H935 from a far ^H4801 country ^H776,

And give ^H5414 forth their voices ^H6963 against ^H5921 the cities ^H5892 of Judah ^H3063.

17 ‘Like watchmen ^H8104 of a field ^H7704 they are against ^H5921 her round ^H5439 about ^H5439

Because ^H3588 she has rebelled ^H4784 against Me,’ declares ^H5002 Yahweh ^H3068.

18 “Your ways ^H1870 and your deeds ^H4611

Have done ^H6213 these ^H428 things ^H428 to you.

This ^H2088 is your evil ^H7451. How ^H3588 bitter ^H4751!

How ^H3588 it has touched ^H5060 your heart ^H3820!”

Anguish over Judah’s Desolation

19 My [fn]soul ^H4578, my [fn]soul ^H4578! I am ^H2342 in ^H2342 anguish ^H2342! [fn]Oh ^H7023, my heart ^H3820!

My heart ^H3820 is pounding ^H1993 in me;

I cannot ^H3808 be silent ^H2790

Because ^H3588 [fn]you have heard ^H8085, O my soul ^H5315,

The sound ^H6963 of the trumpet ^H7782,

The shout ^H8643 of war ^H4421.

20 Destruction ^H7667 upon destruction ^H7667 is called ^H7121 out ^H7121,

For the whole ^H3605 land ^H776 is devastated ^H7703;

Suddenly ^H6597 my tents ^H168 are devastated ^H7703,

My curtains ^H3407 in an instant ^H7281.

21 How ^H4970 long ^H5704 H4970 must I see ^H7200 the standard ^H5251

And hear ^H8085 the sound ^H6963 of the trumpet ^H7782?

22 “For My people ^H5971 are ignorant ^H191 fools ^H191,

They know ^H3045 Me not;

They are simpleminded ^H5530 children ^H1121

And have ^H995 no ^H3808 understanding ^H995.

They are wise ^H2450 to do ^H7489 evil ^H7489,

But to do ^H3190 good ^H3190 they do not know ^H3045.”

23 I saw ^H7200 on the earth ^H776, and behold ^H2009, it was [fn]formless ^H8414 and void ^H922;

And to the heavens ^H8064, and they had ^H369 no ^H369 light ^H216.

24 I saw ^H7200 on the mountains ^H2022, and behold ^H2009, they were quaking ^H7493,

And all ^H3605 the hills ^H1389 [fn]moved ^H7043 to ^H7043 and ^H7043 fro ^H7043.

25 I saw ^H7200, and behold ^H2009, there ^H369 was ^H369 no ^H369 man ^H120,

And all ^H3605 the birds ^H5775 of the sky ^H8064 had fled ^H5074.

26 I saw ^H7200, and behold ^H2009, [fn]the fruitful ^H3759 orchard ^H3759 was a wilderness ^H4057,

And all ^H3605 its cities ^H5892 were torn ^H5422 down ^H5422

Before ^H4480 H6440 Yahweh ^H3068, before ^H4480 H6440 His burning ^H2740 anger ^H639.

27 For thus ^H3541 says ^H559 Yahweh ^H3068,

“The whole ^H3605 land ^H776 shall be a desolation ^H8077,

Yet I will not execute ^H6213 a complete ^H3617 destruction ^H3617.

28 “For this ^H2088 the earth ^H776 shall mourn ^H56

And the heavens ^H8064 above ^H4480 H4605 be dark ^H6937

Because ^H5921 H3588 I have spoken ^H1696; I have purposed ^H2161,

And I will not [fn]relent ^H5162, nor ^H3808 will I turn ^H7725 from it.”

29 At the sound ^H6963 of the horseman ^H6571 and bowman ^H7411 H7198 every ^H3605 city ^H5892 flees ^H1272;

They go ^H935 into the thickets ^H5645 and climb ^H5927 up ^H5927 among the rocks ^H3710;

Every ^H3605 city ^H5892 is forsaken ^H5800,

And no ^H369 man ^H376 inhabits ^H3427 them.

30 And you, O devastated ^H7703 one, what ^H4100 will you do ^H6213?

Although ^H3588 you dress ^H3847 in scarlet ^H8144,

Although ^H3588 you decorate ^H5710 yourself with ornaments ^H5716 of gold ^H2091,

Although ^H3588 you enlarge ^H7167 your eyes ^H5869 with paint ^H6320,

In vain ^H7723 you make ^H3302 yourself beautiful ^H3302.

Your [fn]lovers ^H5689 despise ^H3988 you;

They seek ^H1245 your life ^H5315.

31 For I heard ^H8085 a sound ^H6963 as of a woman in ^H2342 labor ^H2342 pains ^H2342,

The distress ^H6869 as of one ^H1069 giving ^H1069 birth ^H1069 to ^H1069 her ^H1069 first ^H1069 child ^H1069,

The sound ^H6963 of the daughter ^H1323 of Zion ^H6726 gasping ^H3306 for ^H3306 breath ^H3306,

Stretching ^H6566 out ^H6566 her [fn]hands ^H3709, saying,

“Ah ^H4994, woe ^H188 is me, for my soul faints ^H5888 before murderers ^H2026.”