Jeremiah 4 Parallel Bible Translations

Jeremiah 4 ▼
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1 |If you, Israel, want to come back,| says the LORD, |if you want to come back to me you must get those disgusting idols out of my sight and must no longer go astray. “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 You must be truthful, honest and upright when you take an oath saying, 'As surely as the LORD lives!' If you do, the nations will pray to be as blessed by him as you are and will make him the object of their boasting.| 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 Yes, the LORD has this to say to the people of Judah and Jerusalem: |Like a farmer breaking up hard unplowed ground, you must break your rebellious will and make a new beginning; just as a farmer must clear away thorns lest the seed is wasted, you must get rid of the sin that is ruining your lives. 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 Just as ritual circumcision cuts away the foreskin as an external symbol of dedicated covenant commitment, you must genuinely dedicate yourselves to the LORD and get rid of everything that hinders your commitment to me, people of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem. If you do not, my anger will blaze up like a flaming fire against you that no one will be able to extinguish. That will happen because of the evil you have done.| 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 The LORD said, |Announce this in Judah and proclaim it in Jerusalem: 'Sound the trumpet throughout the land!' Shout out loudly, 'Gather together! Let us flee 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 a signal flag that tells people to go to Zion. Run for safety! Do not delay! For I am about to bring disaster out of the north. It will bring 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 Like a lion that has come up from its lair the one who destroys nations has set out from his home base. He is coming out to lay your land waste. Your cities will become ruins and lie uninhabited. 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 wail, saying, 'The fierce anger of the LORD has not 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 this happens,| says the LORD, |the king and his officials will lose their courage. The priests will be struck with horror, and the prophets will be speechless in astonishment.| “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 In response to all this I said, |Ah, Lord GOD, you have surely allowed the people of Judah and Jerusalem to be deceived by those who say, 'You will be safe!' But in fact a sword is already at our 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 the people of Judah and Jerusalem will be told, 'A scorching wind will sweep down from the hilltops in the desert on my dear people. It will not be a gentle breeze for winnowing the grain and blowing away the chaff. 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 No, a wind too strong for that will come at my bidding. Yes, even now I, myself, am calling down judgment 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 Look! The enemy is approaching like gathering clouds. The roar of his chariots is like that of a whirlwind. His horses move more swiftly than eagles.| I cry out, |We are doomed, for 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 |Oh people of Jerusalem, purify your hearts from evil so that you may yet be delivered. How long will you continue to harbor up wicked schemes within you? 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 messengers are coming, heralding disaster, from the city of Dan and from the hills 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 They are saying, 'Announce to the surrounding nations, |The enemy is coming!| Proclaim this message to Jerusalem: |Those who besiege cities are coming from a distant land. They are ready to raise the battle cry against the towns in 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 will surround Jerusalem like men guarding a field because they have rebelled against me,| says 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 |The way you have lived and the things you have done will bring this on you. This is the punishment you deserve, and it will be painful indeed. The pain will be so bad it will pierce 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 I said, |Oh, the feeling in the pit of my stomach! I writhe in anguish. Oh, the pain in my heart! My heart pounds within me. I cannot keep silent. For I hear the sound of the trumpet; the sound of the battle cry pierces my soul! 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 I see one destruction after another taking place, so that the whole land lies in ruins. I see our tents suddenly destroyed, their curtains torn down in a mere 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 enemy's battle flags and hear the military signals of their bugles?| 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 The LORD answered, |This will happen because my people are foolish. They do not know me. They are like children who have no sense. They have no understanding. They are skilled at doing evil. They do not 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 looked at the land and saw that it was an empty wasteland. I looked up at the sky, and its light had vanished. 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 looked at the mountains and saw that they were shaking. All the hills were swaying back and forth! 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 looked and saw that there were no more people, and that all the birds in the sky had 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 looked and saw that the fruitful land had become a desert and that all of the cities had been laid in ruins. The LORD had brought this all about because of his blazing 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 All this will happen because the LORD said, |The whole land will be desolate; however, I will not completely destroy it. 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 Because of this the land will mourn and the sky above will grow black. For I have made my purpose known and I will not relent or turn back from carrying it out.| “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 At the sound of the approaching horsemen and archers the people of every town will flee. Some of them will hide in the thickets. Others will climb up among the rocks. All the cities will be deserted. No one will remain 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, Zion, city doomed to destruction, you accomplish nothing by wearing a beautiful dress, decking yourself out in jewels of gold, and putting on eye shadow! You are making yourself beautiful for nothing. Your lovers spurn 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 In fact, I hear a cry like that of a woman in labor, a cry of anguish like that of a woman giving birth to her first baby. It is the cry of Daughter Zion gasping for breath, reaching out for help, saying, |I am done in! My life is ebbing away before these 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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