If thou wilt return, O Israel
, saith
the LORD
, return
unto me: and if thou wilt put away
thine abominations
out of my sight
, then shalt thou not remove
.
And thou shalt swear, The LORD
liveth
, in truth
, in judgment
, and in righteousness
; and the nations
shall bless
themselves in him, and in him shall they glory
.
For thus saith the LORD
to the men
of Judah
and Jerusalem
, Break up
your fallow ground
, and sow
not among thorns
.
Circumcise yourselves to the LORD
, and take away
the foreskins
of your heart
, ye men
of Judah
and inhabitants
of Jerusalem
: lest my fury
come forth
like fire
, and burn
that none can quench
it , because
of the evil
of your doings
.
Declare ye in Judah
, and publish
in Jerusalem
; and say
, Blow
ye the trumpet
in the land
: cry
, gather together
, and say
, Assemble
yourselves, and let us go
into the defenced
cities
.
Set up the standard
toward Zion
: retire
, stay
not: for I will bring
evil
from the north
, and a great
destruction
.
The lion is come up
from his thicket
, and the destroyer
of the Gentiles
is on his way
; he is gone forth
from his place
to make
thy land
desolate
; and thy cities
shall be laid waste
, without an inhabitant
.
For this gird you with sackcloth
, lament
and howl
: for the fierce
anger
of the LORD
is not turned back
from us.
And it shall come to pass at that day, saith
the LORD
, 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
.
Then said I, Ah
, Lord
GOD
! surely
thou hast greatly
deceived
this people
and Jerusalem
, saying
, Ye shall have peace
; whereas the sword
reacheth
unto the soul
.
At that time shall it be said
to this people
and to Jerusalem
, A dry
wind
of the high places
in the wilderness
toward
the daughter
of my people
, not to fan
, nor to cleanse
,
Even a full wind
from those places shall come
unto me: now also will I give
sentence
against them.
Behold, he shall come up as clouds
, and his chariots
shall be as a whirlwind
: his horses
are swifter
than eagles
. Woe
unto us! for we are spoiled
.
O Jerusalem, wash
thine heart
from wickedness
, that thou mayest be saved
. How long shall thy vain
thoughts
lodge
within
thee?
For a voice declareth
from Dan
, and publisheth
affliction
from mount
Ephraim
.
Make 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
.
As keepers of a field
, are they against her round about
; because she hath been rebellious
against me, saith
the LORD
.
Thy way and thy doings
have procured
these things unto thee; this is thy wickedness
, because it is bitter
, because it reacheth
unto thine heart
.
My bowels, my bowels
! I am pained
at my very
heart
; my heart
maketh a noise
in me; I cannot hold my peace
, because thou hast heard
, O my soul
, the sound
of the trumpet
, the alarm
of war
.
Destruction upon destruction
is cried
; for the whole land
is spoiled
: suddenly
are my tents
spoiled
, and my curtains
in a moment
.
How long shall I see the standard
, and hear
the sound
of the trumpet
?
For my people is foolish
, they have not known
me; they are sottish
children
, and they have none understanding
: they are wise
to do evil
, but to do good
they have no knowledge
.
I beheld the earth
, and, lo, it was without form
, and void
; and the heavens
, and they had no light
.
I beheld the mountains
, and, lo, they trembled
, and all the hills
moved lightly
.
I beheld, and, lo, there was no man
, and all the birds
of the heavens
were fled
.
I beheld, and, lo, the fruitful place
was a wilderness
, and all the cities
thereof were broken down
at the presence
of the LORD
, and by his fierce
anger
.
For thus hath the LORD said
, The whole land
shall be desolate
; yet will I not make
a full end
.
For this shall the earth mourn
, and the heavens
above
be black
: because I have spoken
it , I have purposed
it , and will not repent
, neither will I turn back
from it.
The whole city shall flee
for the noise
of the horsemen
and bowmen
; they shall go
into thickets
, and climb up
upon the rocks
: every city
shall be forsaken
, and not a man
dwell
therein
.
And when thou art spoiled, what wilt thou do
? Though thou clothest
thyself with crimson
, though thou deckest
thee with ornaments
of gold
, though thou rentest
thy face
with painting
, in vain
shalt thou make thyself fair
; thy lovers
will despise
thee, they will seek
thy life
.
For I have heard a voice
as of a woman in travail
, and the anguish
as of her that bringeth forth her first child
, the voice
of the daughter
of Zion
, that bewaileth
herself, that spreadeth
her hands
, saying , Woe
is me now! for my soul
is wearied
because of murderers
.