Jeremiah 4

1 “If you will return [turn back, come back to Me], O Israel [the descendants of Jacob], return [turn back, come back] to Me,” declares [says, utters] the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God]. “If you will remove [put away, take away] your detestable idols [abominations, disgusting things] from My sight [presence, face] and no longer waver [be removed, move away], word study 2 and if you can swear [with utmost sincerity], ‘As surely as the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] lives [is alive, possesses eternal life],’ in truth [faithfulness, stability], in justice [righteous judgment], and in righteousness [virtue, morality], then the nations [Gentiles, non-Hebrew peoples] will be blessed [praised, honored] by Him, and in Him they will glory [shine, celebrate].” word study 3 For this is what the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] says to the men [individuals, people] of Judah [the tribe descended from Judah] and Jerusalem [the city of peace, the capital city]: “Break up [till, loosen the earth] your unplowed ground [fallow ground, land that’s been plowed but not yet planted], and do not [refrain from] sow [plant seed, spread ideas] among the thorns [weeds, obstacles]. word study 4 Circumcise [hallow, dedicate] yourselves to the LORD [Yehovah, the covenant God], and remove [take away, cut off] the foreskins [uncircumcised nature] of your hearts [innermost being, mind, and will], O men [individuals, people] of Judah [the tribe of Judah] and people [inhabitants, dwellers] of Jerusalem [the city of peace]. Otherwise, My wrath [intense anger, rage] will break out [come forth, erupt] like fire [a consuming flame] and burn [be kindled, blaze] with no one [nothing, none] to extinguish [quench, put out] it, because of your evil [wicked, sinful] deeds [actions, works].” word study 5 Announce [declare openly, proclaim] in Judah [the tribe descended from Judah], proclaim [publish, make known] in Jerusalem [the city of peace], and say: “Blow [sound, strike] the ram’s horn [a trumpet] throughout the land [the earth, a country]. Cry aloud [call out, shout] and say, ‘Assemble yourselves and let us flee [go, escape] to the fortified [strong, defenced] cities [towns, settlements].’ word study 6 Raise a signal flag [ensign, standard] toward Zion [the mountain in Jerusalem]. Seek refuge [flee for safety, hide]! Do not delay [stay not, wait no longer]! For I [the Lord, the speaker] am bringing disaster [evil, great destruction] from the north [the direction of impending doom], and terrible [great, severe] destruction [breaking, shattering]. word study 7 A lion has gone up [ascended, risen] from his thicket [dense cluster of trees, secret place], and a destroyer [one who ruins, lays waste] of nations [Gentiles, large groups] has set out [started out, begun a journey]. He has left [departed from, come out of] his lair [place, den] to lay waste [make desolate, ruin] your land [country, territory]. Your cities [towns, inhabited places] will be reduced [laid waste, destroyed] to ruins [desolate places, waste] and lie [remain, be] uninhabited [without an inhabitant, empty]. word study 8 So put on [wear, gird with] sackcloth [coarse cloth], mourn [lament, express deep sorrow] and wail [howl, cry out in pain], for the fierce [burning, intense] anger [wrath, indignation] of the LORD [Yehovah, the supreme God] has not [never] turned away [returned, been withdrawn] from us [because of our sins].” word study 9 “In that day [at the appointed time, before all time],” declares the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God], “the king [ruler, monarch] and officials [princes, leaders] will lose their courage [heart, feelings, will, and intellect] [perish, be destroyed]. The priests [those who serve God, Levitical priests] will tremble in fear [be desolate, devastated], and the prophets [those who speak for God, spokespersons] will be astounded [amazed, stunned, wonder].” word study 10 Then I said, “Ah [alas, a cry of sorrow], Lord [Adonay, the sovereign Master] GOD [Yehovah], how completely [surely, with strong emphasis] You have deceived [led astray, misled] this people [nation, community] and Jerusalem [the city of peace] by saying, ‘You will have peace [shalom, completeness and wellness],’ while a sword [cutting instrument] is at our throats [reaching to the soul, threatening our very lives].” word study 11 At that time [when the appointed moment arrives] it will be said to this people [the nation of Israel] and to Jerusalem [the city of peace], “A searing [hot, dazzling] wind from the barren [dry, treeless] heights in the desert [wilderness, a desolate place] blows toward the daughter [a female child, a woman] of My people [the nation of Israel, My chosen ones], but not to winnow [to scatter, to separate the chaff] or to sift [to purify, to cleanse]; word study 12 a [full, mighty] wind [a blast of air] too strong for that comes from Me [I, the Lord]. Now [at this time] I also [even] pronounce [to speak] judgments [justice or verdicts] against them [namely these people].” word study 13 Behold [look, see], he advances [comes up, rises] like the clouds [heavenly masses of water vapor], his chariots [vehicles of war, means of conquest] like the whirlwind [a hurricane, tempest]. His horses [swift steeds, warhorses] are swifter [faster, quicker] than eagles [large birds of prey]. Woe [alas, sorrow] to us, for we are ruined [devastated, destroyed, laid waste]! word study 14 Wash [cleanse, purify] the evil [wickedness, bad] from your heart [inner being, feelings, and intellect], O Jerusalem [the city of peace], so that you may be saved [delivered, freed from trouble]. How long [when, till what time] will you harbor [lodge, hold onto] wicked [evil, vain] thoughts [plans, devices] within you [in your innermost being]? word study 15 For [because of, due to] a voice [sound, declaration] resounds [is heard, proclaimed] from Dan [the city, the tribe], proclaiming [declaring, announcing] disaster [evil, affliction] from the hills [mountains, high places] of Ephraim [doubly fruitful, a tribe of Israel]. word study 16 Warn the nations [Gentile peoples, non-Hebrews] now! Proclaim to Jerusalem [the city of peace, capital of Judah]: “A besieging army [watchers, guardians] comes from a distant land [a far country, a remote region]; they raise their voices [give out their sound, shout] against the cities [towns, populated areas] of Judah [the tribe, the region]. word study 17 They surround her like men [as keepers of a field, watching closely] guarding a field [a flat area of land used for cultivation], because she has rebelled [resisted or disobeyed authority, been rebellious] against Me [in a stubborn or defiant way],” declares the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God]. word study 18 “Your ways [road or path, manner of life] and deeds [actions, practices] have brought this upon you. This is your punishment [wickedness, evil]; how bitter [causing pain, unpleasant] it is, because it pierces [strikes, reaches] to the heart [inner being, feelings]!” word study 19 My anguish [deep sorrow, inner turmoil], my anguish! I writhe [twist in pain, dance in agony] in pain! Oh, the pain [severe distress, emotional suffering] in my chest [heart, inner being]! My heart [the seat of emotions, will, and intellect] pounds [beats wildly, trembles] within me; I cannot be silent [hold my peace, remain still]. For I have heard [listened, given attention] the sound [voice, noise] of the horn [trumpet, ram’s horn], the alarm [shout, battle cry] of battle [war, conflict]. word study 20 Disaster [destruction, calamity] after disaster [catastrophe, devastation] is proclaimed, for the whole [entire, all] land [earth, territory] is laid waste [ruined, devastated]. My tents [dwelling places, tabernacles] are destroyed [spoiled, ruined] in an instant [suddenly, in a moment], my curtains [hangings, drapes] in a moment [brief instant, fleeting time]. word study 21 How long [till when, for how much longer] must I see [look upon, gaze at] the signal flag [standard, ensign, flag of war] and hear [listen to, heed] the sound [voice] of the horn [trumpet, ram’s horn]? word study 22 “For My people [are foolish, lacking wisdom] are fools; they have not known [intimately, with understanding] Me. They are foolish [sottish, without sense] children, without [lacking, devoid of] understanding. They are skilled [wise, expert] in doing evil [wrong, wickedness], but they know not [are ignorant of, do not comprehend] how to do good [what is right, pleasing to God].” word study 23 I looked at the earth [beheld, gazed upon], and it was [without form, a desolate wasteland] formless [void of structure, empty] and void [a state of nothingness, emptiness]; I looked to the heavens [the sky, the celestial realm], and they had [lacked, were devoid of] no [absence of] light [radiance, illumination]. word study 24 I looked [gazed, beheld] at the mountains [hills], and behold [lo, see], they were quaking [shaking, trembling]; all [everything, the whole] the hills [small hills] were swaying [moving to and fro, lightly]. word study 25 I looked [beheld, saw with attention], and no man [human, Adam] was left [remaining, present]; all [every, the entirety of] the birds [fowl, creatures of the air] of the air [heaven, the sky] had fled [departed, flown away, wandered off]. word study 26 I looked [beheld, saw with my eyes], and the fruitful land [plantation, garden-land] was a desert [wilderness, barren land]. All [everything, the whole] its cities [towns, settlements] were torn down [broken down, destroyed] before the LORD [Yehovah, the Lord God], before His fierce anger [burning wrath, intense indignation]. word study 27 For [because of this reason] this is what the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] says: “The whole [entire, all] land [country, territory] will be [become, come to be] desolate [devastated, wasted, a desolation], but I will not [never] finish [complete, make full] its [the land’s] destruction [consumption, complete destruction]. word study 28 Therefore the earth [land, territory] will mourn [lament, grieve] and the heavens [the visible universe, sky] above [on high, higher than] will grow dark [be black, become gloomy]. I have spoken [declared, proclaimed], I have planned [purposed, intended], and I will not relent [be sorry, comforted] or turn back [change my mind, return].” word study 29 Every city [all the towns, the whole city] flees [runs away quickly, to escape] at the sound [voice, noise] of the horseman [cavalry soldier, rider] and archer [bowman, one who shoots arrows]. They enter [go into, take cover] the thickets [dark clouds, dense forests] and climb [go up, ascend] among the rocks [hollow rocks, places of shelter]. Every city [all the towns, each one] is abandoned [forsaken, left empty]; no inhabitant [person, man] is left [remains, dwells]. word study 30 And you, O devastated one [utterly ruined, laid waste], what will you do, though you dress yourself in scarlet [deep red, crimson], though you adorn yourself with gold jewelry [ornaments of gold], though you enlarge your eyes with paint [stibium, a black dye]? You adorn yourself in vain [to no purpose, emptily]; your lovers [those who claim to care for you] despise you; they want to take your life [seek your very soul, destroy you]. word study 31 For I hear [a sound, a voice] a cry like a woman [in severe pain, in travail] in labor, a cry of anguish [distress, deep sorrow] like one bearing her first child [giving birth to her firstborn]— the cry of the Daughter [female child, beloved one] of Zion [Jerusalem, God’s holy city] gasping for breath [sighing, exhausted], stretching out her hands [palms, in supplication] to say, “Woe is me [alas, I am undone], for my soul [living being, inner self] faints [is weary, languishes] before the murderers [those who kill, slayers]!” word study