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Jeremiah 4
International Standard Version
Jeremiah 4
International Standard Version
Instructions for True Repentance
4 “Israel, if you return to me,”
declares the Lord,
“Return to me,
remove your detestable idols from my presence,
and don’t waver.
2 If you swear, ‘as surely as the Lord lives,’
in truth, in justice, and in righteousness,
then nations will be blessed[a] by him,
and in him they will boast.”
3 For this is what the Lord says
to the men[b] of Judah and Jerusalem,
“Break up your unplowed ground,
and don’t sow among thorns.
4 Circumcise yourselves to the Lord
and remove the foreskin of your heart,
you men of Judah and residents of Jerusalem,
or else my wrath will break out like fire
and burn with no one to put it out,
because of your evil deeds.”
Warning of the Coming Disaster
5 Declare in Judah, make known in Jerusalem, by saying,
“Blow the trumpet in the land, cry out, and say,
‘Gather together
and let’s go to the fortified cities!’
6 Raise a standard in the direction of Zion.
Flee! Don’t stand around!
For I’m bringing calamity from the north,
along with great destruction.
7 A lion has gone up from his thicket,
and a destroyer of nations has set out.
He has left his place
to make your land a waste.
Your cities will be ruined,
and without inhabitants.
8 So, put on sackcloth,
mourn and wail,
because the burning anger of the Lord
has not turned away from us.”
9 “On that day,” declares the Lord,
“the courage of the king and the leaders will fail.
The priests will be appalled
and the prophets astounded.”
10 Then I replied, “Ah, Lord God, you have completely deceived this people and Jerusalem when you said, ‘You will have peace,’ while the sword is at their[c] throat!”
The Scorching Wind of Judgment
11 At that time, it will be told this people and to Jerusalem, “A scorching wind from the barren heights in the desert is coming[d] toward my people, and it’s not for winnowing or cleansing. 12 A wind too strong for that is coming at my bidding.[e] Now I’m judging them as I speak.”
The People’s Response to Judgment
13 Look, he comes up like clouds,
and his chariots are like a whirlwind.
His horses are as swift as eagles.
Woe to us—we’re destroyed!
14 Jerusalem, wash your evil from your heart
so that you may be delivered.
How long will you harbor
evil schemes within you?
15 For a voice announces from Dan
and declares disaster from Mount Ephraim.
The Lord Speaks
16 “Tell the nations, ‘Here they come!’[f]
Proclaim to Jerusalem,
‘The besieging forces are coming from a distant land.
They cry out[g] against the cities of Judah.
17 They have surrounded her like those guarding a field
because they have rebelled against me,’”
declares the Lord.
18 “Your lifestyles and your actions
have brought these things on you.
This is your calamity—it is indeed bitter,
for it has reached your heart!”
Jeremiah’s Lament for His People
19 “My anguish, my anguish! I writhe in pain.
Oh, the aching[h] of my heart!
My heart pounds within me;
I cannot keep silent.
For I hear the sound of the trumpet,[i]
the alarm for war.
20 Disaster upon disaster is proclaimed,
for the entire land is devastated.
Suddenly, my tent is destroyed,
in a moment my curtains.
21 How long will I see the battle standard
and hear the sound of the trumpet?
The Lord’s Complaint about His People
22 “For my people are foolish,
they don’t know me.
They’re stupid children,
they have no understanding.
They’re skilled at doing evil,
but how to do good, they don’t know.”
A Vision of Chaos
23 I looked at the earth, and it was formless and void,[j]
at the heavens, and there was no light there.
24 I looked at the mountains; they were quaking,
and all the hills moved back and forth.
25 I looked, and no people were there.
All the birds of the sky had gone.
26 I looked, and the fruitful land[k] had become a desert.
All its towns were broken down
because of the Lord,
because of his burning anger.
27 For this is what the Lord says:
“The entire land will be devastated,
but I won’t completely destroy[l] it.
28 Because of this, the land will mourn,
and the heavens above will be dark.
Because I have spoken and decided,
I won’t turn back from doing it.”
A Lament for Zion
29 At the sound of the horseman and the archer
the entire city flees.
Its residents go into the thickets and climb among the rocks.
Every city is abandoned, and no one lives in them.
30 You are ruined! What are you doing
dressing in scarlet,
putting on golden ornaments,
and highlighting your eyes with makeup?
You are making yourself beautiful in vain.
Your lovers reject you—
they’re out to kill you.
31 I heard a cry like that of a woman in labor,
anguish like one giving birth to her firstborn,
the cry of the daughter of Zion gasping for air,
stretching out her hand:
“Woe is me! I’m about to faint in front of killers!”
Footnotes
- Jeremiah 4:2 Or bless themselves
- Jeremiah 4:3 Or people
- Jeremiah 4:10 Lit. the
- Jeremiah 4:11 The Heb. lacks is coming
- Jeremiah 4:12 Lit. coming to me
- Jeremiah 4:16 The Heb. lacks they come
- Jeremiah 4:16 I.e. battle cries
- Jeremiah 4:19 Lit. walls
- Jeremiah 4:19 I.e. the signal for the troops to attack
- Jeremiah 4:23 Cf. Gen 1:2
- Jeremiah 4:26 Or Carmel
- Jeremiah 4:27 Lit. do
Jeremiah 4
New International Version
Jeremiah 4
New International Version
4 “If you, Israel, will return,(A)
then return to me,”
declares the Lord.
“If you put your detestable idols(B) out of my sight
and no longer go astray,
2 and if in a truthful, just and righteous way
you swear,(C) ‘As surely as the Lord lives,’(D)
then the nations will invoke blessings(E) by him
and in him they will boast.(F)”
3 This is what the Lord says to the people of Judah and to Jerusalem:
“Break up your unplowed ground(G)
and do not sow among thorns.(H)
4 Circumcise yourselves to the Lord,
circumcise your hearts,(I)
you people of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem,
or my wrath(J) will flare up and burn like fire(K)
because of the evil(L) you have done—
burn with no one to quench(M) it.
Disaster From the North
5 “Announce in Judah and proclaim(N) in Jerusalem and say:
‘Sound the trumpet(O) throughout the land!’
Cry aloud and say:
‘Gather together!
Let us flee to the fortified cities!’(P)
6 Raise the signal(Q) to go to Zion!
Flee for safety without delay!
For I am bringing disaster(R) from the north,(S)
even terrible destruction.”
7 A lion(T) has come out of his lair;(U)
a destroyer(V) of nations has set out.
He has left his place
to lay waste(W) your land.
Your towns will lie in ruins(X)
without inhabitant.
8 So put on sackcloth,(Y)
lament(Z) and wail,
for the fierce anger(AA) of the Lord
has not turned away from us.
9 “In that day,” declares the Lord,
“the king and the officials will lose heart,(AB)
the priests will be horrified,
and the prophets will be appalled.”(AC)
10 Then I said, “Alas, Sovereign Lord! How completely you have deceived(AD) this people and Jerusalem by saying, ‘You will have peace,’(AE) when the sword is at our throats!”
11 At that time this people and Jerusalem will be told, “A scorching wind(AF) from the barren heights in the desert blows toward my people, but not to winnow or cleanse; 12 a wind(AG) too strong for that comes from me. Now I pronounce my judgments(AH) against them.”
13 Look! He advances like the clouds,(AI)
his chariots(AJ) come like a whirlwind,(AK)
his horses(AL) are swifter than eagles.(AM)
Woe to us! We are ruined!(AN)
14 Jerusalem, wash(AO) the evil from your heart and be saved.(AP)
How long(AQ) will you harbor wicked thoughts?
15 A voice is announcing from Dan,(AR)
proclaiming disaster from the hills of Ephraim.(AS)
16 “Tell this to the nations,
proclaim concerning Jerusalem:
‘A besieging army is coming from a distant land,(AT)
raising a war cry(AU) against the cities of Judah.(AV)
17 They surround(AW) her like men guarding a field,
because she has rebelled(AX) against me,’”
declares the Lord.
18 “Your own conduct and actions(AY)
have brought this on you.(AZ)
This is your punishment.
How bitter(BA) it is!
How it pierces to the heart!”
19 Oh, my anguish, my anguish!(BB)
I writhe in pain.(BC)
Oh, the agony of my heart!
My heart pounds(BD) within me,
I cannot keep silent.(BE)
For I have heard the sound of the trumpet;(BF)
I have heard the battle cry.(BG)
20 Disaster follows disaster;(BH)
the whole land lies in ruins.(BI)
In an instant my tents(BJ) are destroyed,
my shelter in a moment.
21 How long must I see the battle standard(BK)
and hear the sound of the trumpet?(BL)
22 “My people are fools;(BM)
they do not know me.(BN)
They are senseless children;
they have no understanding.(BO)
They are skilled in doing evil;(BP)
they know not how to do good.”(BQ)
23 I looked at the earth,
and it was formless and empty;(BR)
and at the heavens,
and their light(BS) was gone.
24 I looked at the mountains,
and they were quaking;(BT)
all the hills were swaying.
25 I looked, and there were no people;
every bird in the sky had flown away.(BU)
26 I looked, and the fruitful land was a desert;(BV)
all its towns lay in ruins(BW)
before the Lord, before his fierce anger.(BX)
27 This is what the Lord says:
“The whole land will be ruined,(BY)
though I will not destroy(BZ) it completely.
28 Therefore the earth will mourn(CA)
and the heavens above grow dark,(CB)
because I have spoken and will not relent,(CC)
I have decided and will not turn back.(CD)”
29 At the sound of horsemen and archers(CE)
every town takes to flight.(CF)
Some go into the thickets;
some climb up among the rocks.(CG)
All the towns are deserted;(CH)
no one lives in them.
International Standard Version (ISV) 
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New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.