Jeremiah 4 Parallel Bible Translations

Jeremiah 4 ▼
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1 “If you return, O Israel,” || A declaration of YHWH, || “Return to Me, || And if you turn aside Your abominations from My face, || Then you do not bemoan. “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 And you have sworn—YHWH lives, || In truth, in judgment, and in righteousness, || And nations have blessed themselves in Him, || And they boast themselves in Him.” 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 For thus said YHWH, || To the man of Judah, and to Jerusalem: “Till for yourselves tillage, || And do not sow to the 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 to YHWH, || And turn aside the foreskins of your heart, || O man of Judah, and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, || Lest My fury goes out as fire, and has burned, || And there is none quenching, || Because of the evil of your doings.” 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 Declare in Judah, and sound in Jerusalem, and say: “Blow a horn in the land, || Call, Fill up together, || And say, Assemble yourselves and let us 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 Lift up an ensign toward Zion, || Strengthen yourselves, do not stand still, || For I am bringing evil in from the north, || And a great destruction.” 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 gone up from his thicket, || And a destroyer of nations has journeyed, || He has come forth from his place || To make your land become a desolation, || Your cities are laid waste, without inhabitant. 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 For this, gird on sackcloth, lament and howl, || For the fierce anger of YHWH has not turned back 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 “And it has come to pass in that day,” || A declaration of YHWH, || “The heart of the king perishes, || And the heart of the princes, || And the priests have been astonished, || And the prophets wonder.” “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 And I say, “Aah! Lord YHWH, || Surely you have entirely forgotten this people and Jerusalem, || Saying, Peace is for you, || And a sword has struck to the soul!” 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 is said of this people, || And of Jerusalem: “A dry wind of high places in the wilderness, || The way of the daughter of My people || (Not for winnowing, nor for cleansing), 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 A full wind from these comes for Me, || Now also, I speak judgments with 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 “Behold, he comes up as clouds, || And his chariots as a windstorm, || His horses have been lighter than eagles, || Woe to us, for we have been spoiled.” 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 Wash evil from your heart, O Jerusalem, || That you may be saved, || Until when do you lodge in your heart || Thoughts of your strength? 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 For a voice is declaring from Dan, || And sounding sorrow from Mount 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 “Make mention to the nations, || Behold, sound to Jerusalem, || Besiegers are coming from the far-off land, || And they give forth their voice against 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 As the keepers of a field || They have been against her all around, || For she has been rebellious with Me,” || A declaration of YHWH. 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 “Your way and your doings have done these to you, || This [is] your distress, for [it is] bitter, || For it has struck to 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 bowels, my bowels! I am pained [in] the walls of my heart, || My heart makes a noise for me, I am not silent, || For I have heard the voice of a horn, || O my soul—a shout of battle! 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 Destruction on destruction is proclaimed, || For all the land has been spoiled, || My tents have suddenly been spoiled, || In a moment—my curtains. 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 Until when do I see an ensign? Do I hear the voice of a horn? 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 “For My people [are] foolish, || They have not known Me, || They [are] foolish sons, || Indeed, they [are] not intelligent, || They [are] wise to do evil, || And they have not known 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 looked [to] the earth, and behold—formless and void, || And to the heavens, and they [had] no light. 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 have looked [to] the mountains, || And behold, they are trembling. And all the hills moved themselves lightly. 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 have looked, and behold, man is not, || And all birds of the heavens have fled. 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 have looked, and behold, || The fruitful place [is] a wilderness, || And all its cities have been broken down, || Because of YHWH, || Because of the fierceness of His 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 For thus said YHWH: “All the land is a desolation, but I do not make a completion. 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 For this the earth mourns, || And the heavens above have been black, || Because I have spoken—I have purposed, || And I have not relented, || Nor do I turn back from it. “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 From the voice of the horseman, || And of him shooting with the bow, || All the city is fleeing, || They have come into thickets, || And they have gone up on cliffs, || All the city is forsaken, || And there is no one dwelling in them. 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 And you, O spoiled one, what do you do? For you put on scarlet, || For you adorn yourself [with] ornaments of gold. For you tear your eyes with pain, || In vain you make yourself beautiful, || Unhealthy ones have kicked against you, || They seek your life. 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 For I have heard a voice as of a travailing woman, || Distress, as of one bringing forth a firstborn, || The voice of the daughter of Zion, || She laments herself, || She spreads out her hands, || Woe to me now, my soul is weary of slayers!” 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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