Holman Christian Standard Bible

New American Standard Bible 1995

1If you return, Israel-- this is the LORD's declaration-- you will return to Me, if you remove your detestable idols from My presence and do not waver,

1"If you will return, O Israel," declares the LORD, "Then you should return to Me. And if you will put away your detested things from My presence, And will not waver,

2then you can swear, "As the LORD lives," in truth, in justice, and in righteousness, then the nations will be blessed by Him and will pride themselves in Him.

2And you will swear, 'As the LORD lives,' In truth, in justice and in righteousness; Then the nations will bless themselves in Him, And in Him they will glory."

3For this is what the LORD says to the men of Judah and Jerusalem: Break up the unplowed ground; do not sow among the thorns.

3For thus says the LORD to the men of Judah and to Jerusalem, "Break up your fallow ground, And do not sow among thorns.

4Circumcise yourselves to the LORD; remove the foreskin of your hearts, men of Judah and residents of Jerusalem. Otherwise, My wrath will break out like fire and burn with no one to extinguish it because of your evil deeds.

4"Circumcise yourselves to the LORD And remove the foreskins of your heart, Men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem, Or else My wrath will go forth like fire And burn with none to quench it, Because of the evil of your deeds."

5Declare in Judah, proclaim in Jerusalem, and say: Blow the ram's horn throughout the land. Cry out loudly and say: Assemble yourselves, and let's flee to the fortified cities.

5Declare in Judah and proclaim in Jerusalem, and say, "Blow the trumpet in the land; Cry aloud and say, 'Assemble yourselves, and let us go Into the fortified cities.'

6Lift up a signal flag toward Zion. Run for cover! Don't stand still! For I am bringing disaster from the north-- a great destruction.

6"Lift up a standard toward Zion! Seek refuge, do not stand still, For I am bringing evil from the north, And great destruction.

7A lion has gone up from his thicket; a destroyer of nations has set out. He has left his lair to make your land a waste. Your cities will be reduced to uninhabited ruins.

7"A lion has gone up from his thicket, And a destroyer of nations has set out; He has gone out from his place To make your land a waste. Your cities will be ruins Without inhabitant.

8Because of this, put on sackcloth; mourn and wail, for the LORD's burning anger has not turned away from us.

8"For this, put on sackcloth, Lament and wail; For the fierce anger of the LORD Has not turned back from us."

9"On that day"--this is the LORD's declaration--"the king and the officials will lose their courage. The priests will tremble in fear, and the prophets will be scared speechless."

9"It shall come about in that day," declares the LORD, "that the heart of the king and the heart of the princes will fail; and the priests will be appalled and the prophets will be astounded."

10I said, "Oh no, Lord GOD, You have certainly deceived this people and Jerusalem, by announcing, 'You will have peace,' while a sword is at our throats."

10Then I said, "Ah, Lord GOD! Surely You have utterly deceived this people and Jerusalem, saying, 'You will have peace'; whereas a sword touches the throat."

11"At that time it will be said to this people and to Jerusalem, 'A searing wind blows from the barren heights in the wilderness on the way to My dear people. It comes not to winnow or to sift;

11In that time it will be said to this people and to Jerusalem, "A scorching wind from the bare heights in the wilderness in the direction of the daughter of My people-- not to winnow and not to cleanse,

12a wind too strong for this comes at My call. Now I will also pronounce judgments against them.'"

12a wind too strong for this-- will come at My command; now I will also pronounce judgments against them.

13Look, he advances like clouds; his chariots are like a storm. His horses are swifter than eagles. Woe to us, for we are ruined!

13"Behold, he goes up like clouds, And his chariots like the whirlwind; His horses are swifter than eagles. Woe to us, for we are ruined!"

14Wash the evil from your heart, Jerusalem, so that you will be delivered. How long will you harbor malicious thoughts within you?

14Wash your heart from evil, O Jerusalem, That you may be saved. How long will your wicked thoughts Lodge within you?

15For a voice announces from Dan, proclaiming malice from Mount Ephraim.

15For a voice declares from Dan, And proclaims wickedness from Mount Ephraim.

16Warn the nations: Look! Proclaim to Jerusalem: Those who besiege are coming from a distant land; they raise their voices against the cities of Judah.

16"Report it to the nations, now! Proclaim over Jerusalem, 'Besiegers come from a far country, And lift their voices against the cities of Judah.

17They have her surrounded like those who guard a field, because she has rebelled against Me. This is the LORD's declaration.

17'Like watchmen of a field they are against her round about, Because she has rebelled against Me,' declares the LORD.

18Your way of life and your actions have brought this on you. This is your punishment. It is very bitter, because it has reached your heart!

18"Your ways and your deeds Have brought these things to you. This is your evil. How bitter! How it has touched your heart!"

19My anguish, my anguish! I writhe in agony! Oh, the pain in my heart! My heart pounds; I cannot be silent. For you, my soul, have heard the sound of the ram's horn-- the shout of battle.

19My soul, my soul! I am in anguish! Oh, my heart! My heart is pounding in me; I cannot be silent, Because you have heard, O my soul, The sound of the trumpet, The alarm of war.

20Disaster after disaster is reported because the whole land is destroyed. Suddenly my tents are destroyed, my tent curtains, in a moment.

20Disaster on disaster is proclaimed, For the whole land is devastated; Suddenly my tents are devastated, My curtains in an instant.

21How long must I see the signal flag and hear the sound of the ram's horn?

21How long must I see the standard And hear the sound of the trumpet?

22"For My people are fools; they do not know Me. They are foolish children, without understanding. They are skilled in doing what is evil, but they do not know how to do what is good."

22"For My people are foolish, They know Me not; They are stupid children And have no understanding. They are shrewd to do evil, But to do good they do not know."

23I looked at the earth, and it was formless and empty. I looked to the heavens, and their light was gone.

23I looked on the earth, and behold, it was formless and void; And to the heavens, and they had no light.

24I looked at the mountains, and they were quaking; all the hills shook.

24I looked on the mountains, and behold, they were quaking, And all the hills moved to and fro.

25I looked, and no man was left; all the birds of the sky had fled.

25I looked, and behold, there was no man, And all the birds of the heavens had fled.

26I looked, and the fertile field was a wilderness. All its cities were torn down because of the LORD and His burning anger.

26I looked, and behold, the fruitful land was a wilderness, And all its cities were pulled down Before the LORD, before His fierce anger.

27For this is what the LORD says: The whole land will be a desolation, but I will not finish it off.

27For thus says the LORD, "The whole land shall be a desolation, Yet I will not execute a complete destruction.

28Because of this, the earth will mourn; the skies above will grow dark. I have spoken; I have planned, and I will not relent or turn back from it.

28"For this the earth shall mourn And the heavens above be dark, Because I have spoken, I have purposed, And I will not change My mind, nor will I turn from it."

29Every city flees at the sound of the horseman and the archer. They enter the thickets and climb among the rocks. Every city is abandoned; no inhabitant is left.

29At the sound of the horseman and bowman every city flees; They go into the thickets and climb among the rocks; Every city is forsaken, And no man dwells in them.

30And you, devastated one, what are you doing that you dress yourself in scarlet, that you adorn yourself with gold jewelry, that you enlarge your eyes with paint? You beautify yourself for nothing. Your lovers reject you; they want to take your life.

30And you, O desolate one, what will you do? Although you dress in scarlet, Although you decorate yourself with ornaments of gold, Although you enlarge your eyes with paint, In vain you make yourself beautiful. Your lovers despise you; They seek your life.

31I hear a cry like a woman in labor, a cry of anguish like one bearing her first child. The cry of Daughter Zion gasping for breath, stretching out her hands: Woe is me, for my life is weary because of the murderers!

31For I heard a cry as of a woman in labor, The anguish as of one giving birth to her first child, The cry of the daughter of Zion gasping for breath, Stretching out her hands, saying, "Ah, woe is me, for I faint before murderers."

Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission.

New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit //www.lockman.org