“If you return, O Israel,
declares the Lord,
    (A)to me you should return.
If you remove your detestable things from my presence,
    (B)and do not waver,
(C)and if you swear, ‘As the Lord lives,’
    in truth, in justice, and in righteousness,
then (D)nations shall bless themselves in him,
    (E)and in him shall they glory.”

For thus says the Lord to the men of Judah and Jerusalem:

(F)“Break up your fallow ground,
    and (G)sow not among thorns.
(H)Circumcise yourselves to the Lord;
    remove the foreskin of your hearts,
    O men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem;
(I)lest my wrath go forth like fire,
    and burn with none to quench it,
    (J)because of the evil of your deeds.”

Disaster from the North

Declare in Judah, and proclaim in Jerusalem, and say,

(K)“Blow the trumpet through the land;
    cry aloud and say,
(L)‘Assemble, and let us go
    into the fortified cities!’
(M)Raise a standard toward Zion,
    flee for safety, stay not,
for I bring disaster from (N)the north,
    (O)and great destruction.
(P)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
    (Q)without inhabitant.
For this (R)put on sackcloth,
    lament and wail,
for (S)the fierce anger of the Lord
    has not turned back from us.”

“In that day, declares the Lord, (T)courage shall fail both king and officials. The priests shall be appalled and the prophets astounded.” 10 Then I said, “Ah, Lord God, (U)surely you have utterly deceived this people and Jerusalem, saying, ‘It shall be well with you,’ whereas the sword has reached their very life.”

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17 Like keepers of a field (A)are they against her all around,
    because she has rebelled against me,
declares the Lord.
18 Your ways and your deeds
    have brought this upon you.
This is your doom, and (B)it is bitter;
    it has reached your very heart.”

Anguish over Judah's Desolation

19 (C)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.

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