Jeremiah 4 Parallel Bible Translations

Jeremiah 4 ▼
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1 The LORD declares, |If you come back, Israel, if you come back to me, if you take your disgusting idols out of my sight and you don't wander away from me, “If you return, O Israel, declares the LORD, to me you should return. If you remove your detestable things from my presence, and do not waver, “If you, Israel, will return, then return to me,” declares the LORD. “If you put your detestable idols out of my sight and no longer go astray,
2 if you take the oath, |As the LORD lives...| in an honest, fair, and right way, then the nations will be blessed, and they will be honored by me.| and if you swear, ‘As the LORD lives,’ in truth, in justice, and in righteousness, then nations shall bless themselves in him, and in him shall they glory.” and if in a truthful, just and righteous way you swear, ‘As surely as the LORD lives,’ then the nations will invoke blessings by him and in him they will boast.”
3 This is what the LORD says to the people of Judah and to Jerusalem: Plow your unplowed fields, and don't plant among thorns. For thus says the LORD to the men of Judah and Jerusalem: “Break up your fallow ground, and sow not among thorns. This is what the LORD says to the people of Judah and to Jerusalem: “Break up your unplowed ground and do not sow among thorns.
4 Be circumcised by the LORD, and get rid of the foreskins of your hearts, people of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem. If you don't, my fury will flare up like a fire. It will burn, and no one will be able to put it out, because of the evil you do. Circumcise yourselves to the LORD; remove the foreskin of your hearts, O men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem; lest my wrath go forth like fire, and burn with none to quench it, because of the evil of your deeds.” Circumcise yourselves to the LORD, circumcise your hearts, you people of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem, or my wrath will flare up and burn like fire because of the evil you have done— burn with no one to quench it.
5 Report this message in Judah. Make it heard in Jerusalem. Say, |Blow the ram's horn throughout the land.| Shout loudly and say, |Gather together! Let's go into the fortified cities.| Declare in Judah, and proclaim in Jerusalem, and say, “Blow the trumpet through the land; cry aloud and say, ‘Assemble, and let us go into the fortified cities!’ “Announce in Judah and proclaim in Jerusalem and say: ‘Sound the trumpet throughout the land!’ Cry aloud and say: ‘Gather together! Let us flee to the fortified cities!’
6 Raise the flag to signal people to go to Zion. Take cover! Don't just stand there! I'm bringing disaster and widespread destruction from the north. Raise a standard toward Zion, flee for safety, stay not, for I bring disaster from the north, and great destruction. Raise the signal to go to Zion! Flee for safety without delay! For I am bringing disaster from the north, even terrible destruction.”
7 A lion has come out of its lair. A destroyer of nations has set out. He has left his place to destroy your land. Your cities will be ruined, and no one will live in them. A lion has gone up from his thicket, 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. A lion has come out of his lair; a destroyer of nations has set out. He has left his place to lay waste your land. Your towns will lie in ruins without inhabitant.
8 So put on sackcloth, mourn, and cry because the LORD's burning anger hasn't turned away from us. For this put on sackcloth, lament and wail, for the fierce anger of the LORD has not turned back from us.” So put on sackcloth, lament and wail, for the fierce anger of the LORD has not turned away from us.
9 |When that day comes,| declares the LORD, |the king and the leaders will lose their courage. The priests will be stunned. The prophets will be amazed and astonished.| “In that day, declares the LORD, courage shall fail both king and officials. The priests shall be appalled and the prophets astounded.” “In that day,” declares the LORD, “the king and the officials will lose heart, the priests will be horrified, and the prophets will be appalled.”
10 I said, |Almighty LORD, you certainly have deceived these people and Jerusalem. You said that everything would go well for them, but a sword is held at their throats.| Then I said, “Ah, Lord GOD, surely you have utterly deceived this people and Jerusalem, saying, ‘It shall be well with you,’ whereas the sword has reached their very life.” Then I said, “Alas, Sovereign LORD! How completely you have deceived this people and Jerusalem by saying, ‘You will have peace,’ when the sword is at our throats!”
11 At that time it will be said to these people and to Jerusalem: |A hot wind from the heights will blow in the desert on the tracks of my people. It will not be a wind that winnows or cleanses. At that time it will be said to this people and to Jerusalem, “A hot wind from the bare heights in the desert toward the daughter of my people, not to winnow or cleanse, At that time this people and Jerusalem will be told, “A scorching wind from the barren heights in the desert blows toward my people, but not to winnow or cleanse;
12 It will be a stronger wind than that. It will come from me. Now, I will pass sentence on them.| a wind too full for this comes for me. Now it is I who speak in judgment upon them.” a wind too strong for that comes from me. Now I pronounce my judgments against them.”
13 The enemy comes up like clouds. His chariots are like a raging wind. His horses are faster than eagles. How horrible it will be for us! We will be destroyed! Behold, he comes up like clouds; his chariots like the whirlwind; his horses are swifter than eagles— woe to us, for we are ruined! Look! He advances like the clouds, his chariots come like a whirlwind, his horses are swifter than eagles. Woe to us! We are ruined!
14 Jerusalem, wash the evil from your heart so that you may be rescued. Don't continue making evil plans. O Jerusalem, wash your heart from evil, that you may be saved. How long shall your wicked thoughts lodge within you? Jerusalem, wash the evil from your heart and be saved. How long will you harbor wicked thoughts?
15 A message is heard from Dan, and a report of disaster comes from the mountains of Ephraim. For a voice declares from Dan and proclaims trouble from Mount Ephraim. A voice is announcing from Dan, proclaiming disaster from the hills of Ephraim.
16 Warn the nations about these things. Bring them to the attention of Jerusalem. |Hostile troops are coming from a distant country. They are shouting battle cries against the cities of Judah. Warn the nations that he is coming; announce to Jerusalem, “Besiegers come from a distant land; they shout against the cities of Judah. “Tell this to the nations, proclaim concerning Jerusalem: ‘A besieging army is coming from a distant land, raising a war cry against the cities of Judah.
17 They surround them like men guarding a field, because Judah has rebelled against me,| declares the LORD. Like keepers of a field are they against her all around, because she has rebelled against me, declares the LORD. They surround her like men guarding a field, because she has rebelled against me,’” declares the LORD.
18 |You brought this on yourself. This is your punishment. It is bitter. It breaks your heart.| Your ways and your deeds have brought this upon you. This is your doom, and it is bitter; it has reached your very heart.” “Your own conduct and actions have brought this on you. This is your punishment. How bitter it is! How it pierces to the heart!”
19 My anguish, my anguish! I writhe in pain. My heart is beating wildly! My heart is pounding! I can't keep quiet because I hear a ram's horn sounding the alarm for war. My anguish, my anguish! I writhe in pain! Oh the walls of my heart! My heart is beating wildly; I cannot keep silent, for I hear the sound of the trumpet, the alarm of war. Oh, my anguish, my anguish! I writhe in pain. Oh, the agony of my heart! My heart pounds within me, I cannot keep silent. For I have heard the sound of the trumpet; I have heard the battle cry.
20 One disaster follows another. The whole land is ruined. My tents are suddenly destroyed. Their curtains are torn in an instant. Crash follows hard on crash; the whole land is laid waste. Suddenly my tents are laid waste, my curtains in a moment. Disaster follows disaster; the whole land lies in ruins. In an instant my tents are destroyed, my shelter in a moment.
21 How long must I see the battle flag and hear the sound of rams' horns? How long must I see the standard and hear the sound of the trumpet? How long must I see the battle standard and hear the sound of the trumpet?
22 |My people are fools. They don't know me. They are stupid people. They don't understand. They are experts in doing wrong, and they don't know how to do good.| “For my people are foolish; they know me not; they are stupid children; they have no understanding. They are ‘wise’—in doing evil! But how to do good they know not.” “My people are fools; they do not know me. They are senseless children; they have no understanding. They are skilled in doing evil; they know not how to do good.”
23 I see the earth. It's formless and empty. I see the sky. Its lights are gone. I looked on the earth, and behold, it was without form and void; and to the heavens, and they had no light. I looked at the earth, and it was formless and empty; and at the heavens, and their light was gone.
24 I see the mountains. They are shaking, and the hills are swaying. I looked on the mountains, and behold, they were quaking, and all the hills moved to and fro. I looked at the mountains, and they were quaking; all the hills were swaying.
25 I see that there are no people, and every bird has flown away. I looked, and behold, there was no man, and all the birds of the air had fled. I looked, and there were no people; every bird in the sky had flown away.
26 I see that the fertile land has become a desert, and all its cities are torn down because of the LORD and his burning anger. I looked, and behold, the fruitful land was a desert, and all its cities were laid in ruins before the LORD, before his fierce anger. I looked, and the fruitful land was a desert; all its towns lay in ruins before the LORD, before his fierce anger.
27 This is what the LORD says: The whole earth will be ruined, although I will not destroy it completely. For thus says the LORD, “The whole land shall be a desolation; yet I will not make a full end. This is what the LORD says: “The whole land will be ruined, though I will not destroy it completely.
28 The earth will mourn, and the sky will grow black. I have spoken, and I have planned it. I won't change my plans, and I won't turn back. “For this the earth shall mourn, and the heavens above be dark; for I have spoken; I have purposed; I have not relented, nor will I turn back.” Therefore the earth will mourn and the heavens above grow dark, because I have spoken and will not relent, I have decided and will not turn back.”
29 All the people in the city will flee at the sound of riders and archers. They will go off into the thickets and climb among the rocks. The entire city will be abandoned, and no one will live in it. At the noise of horseman and archer every city takes to flight; they enter thickets; they climb among rocks; all the cities are forsaken, and no man dwells in them. At the sound of horsemen and archers every town takes to flight. Some go into the thickets; some climb up among the rocks. All the towns are deserted; no one lives in them.
30 You are going to be destroyed! What are you going to do? Why do you dress in red and put on gold jewelry? Why do you wear eye shadow? You are making yourself beautiful for nothing. Your lovers reject you; they want to kill you. And you, O desolate one, what do you mean that you dress in scarlet, that you adorn yourself with ornaments of gold, that you enlarge your eyes with paint? In vain you beautify yourself. Your lovers despise you; they seek your life. What are you doing, you devastated one? Why dress yourself in scarlet and put on jewels of gold? Why highlight your eyes with makeup? You adorn yourself in vain. Your lovers despise you; they want to kill you.
31 I hear a woman in labor. I hear the woman cry with anguish as she gives birth to her first child. My people Zion are gasping for breath. They are stretching out their hands, saying, |How horrible it is for us! We're defenseless in the presence of murderers!| For I heard a cry as of a woman in labor, anguish as of one giving birth to her first child, the cry of the daughter of Zion gasping for breath, stretching out her hands, “Woe is me! I am fainting before murderers.” I hear a cry as of a woman in labor, a groan as of one bearing her first child— the cry of Daughter Zion gasping for breath, stretching out her hands and saying, “Alas! I am fainting; my life is given over to murderers.”
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