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Chapter 4

If you return, Israel—oracle of the Lord
    return to me.
If you put your detestable things out of my sight,
    and do not stray,(A)
And swear, “As the Lord lives,”[a]
    in truth, in judgment, and in justice,
Then the nations shall bless themselves in him
    and in him glory.(B)

For to the people of Judah and Jerusalem, thus says the Lord:

Till your untilled ground,
    and do not sow among thorns.(C)
Be circumcised for the Lord,[b]
    remove the foreskins of your hearts,
    people of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem;
Or else my anger will break out like fire,
    and burn so that no one can quench it,
    because of your evil deeds.(D)

The Invasion from the North

Proclaim it in Judah,
    in Jerusalem announce it;
Blow the trumpet throughout the land,
    call out, “Fill the ranks!”
Say, “Assemble, let us march
    to the fortified cities.”
Raise the signal—to Zion!
    Seek refuge! Don’t stand there!
Disaster I bring from the north,
    and great destruction.
Up comes the lion from its lair,
    the destroyer of nations has set out,
    has left its place,
To turn your land into a desolation,
    your cities into an uninhabited waste.(E)
So put on sackcloth,
    mourn and wail:
“The blazing anger of the Lord
    has not turned away from us.”(F)
    In that day—oracle of the Lord
The king will lose heart, and the princes;
    the priests will be horrified,
    and the prophets stunned.
10 “Ah! Lord God,” they will say,
    “You really did deceive[c] us
When you said: You shall have peace,
    while the sword was at our very throats.”(G)
11 At that time it will be said
    to this people and to Jerusalem,
A scorching wind from the bare heights comes
    through the wilderness toward my daughter, the people.[d]
Not to winnow, not to cleanse,
12     a strong wind from there comes at my bidding.
Now I too pronounce
    sentence upon them.(H)
13 See! like storm clouds he advances,
    like a whirlwind, his chariots;
Swifter than eagles, his horses:
    “Woe to us! we are ruined.”
14 Cleanse your heart of evil, Jerusalem,
    that you may be saved.
How long will you entertain
    wicked schemes?
15 A voice proclaims it from Dan,
    announces wickedness from Mount Ephraim:
16 “Make this known to the nations,
    announce it against Jerusalem:
Besiegers are coming from the distant land,
    shouting their war cry against the cities of Judah.”(I)
17 Like watchers in the fields they surround her,
    for she has rebelled against me—oracle of the Lord.(J)
18 Your conduct, your deeds, have done this to you;
    how bitter is this evil of yours,
    how it reaches to your very heart!(K)
19 My body! my body! how I writhe![e]
    The walls of my heart!
My heart beats wildly,
    I cannot be still;
For I myself have heard the blast of the horn,
    the battle cry.
20 Ruin upon ruin is reported;
    the whole land is laid waste.
In an instant my tents are ravaged;
    in a flash, my shelters.(L)
21 How long must I see the signal,
    hear the blast of the horn!
22 My people are fools,
    they do not know me;
They are senseless children,
    without understanding;
They are wise at evil,
    but they do not know how to do good.(M)
23 I looked at the earth—it was waste and void;
    at the heavens—their light had gone out!(N)
24 I looked at the mountains—they were quaking!
    All the hills were crumbling!
25 I looked—there was no one;
    even the birds of the air had flown away!
26 I looked—the garden land was a wilderness,
    with all its cities destroyed
    before the Lord, before his blazing anger.(O)
27     For thus says the Lord:
The whole earth shall be waste,
    but I will not wholly destroy it.(P)
28 Because of this the earth shall mourn,
    the heavens above shall darken;
I have spoken, I will not change my mind,
    I have decided, I will not turn back.(Q)
29 At the shout of rider and archer
    each city takes to flight;
They shrink into the thickets,
    they scale the rocks:
All the cities are abandoned,
    no one lives in them.
30 You now who are doomed, what are you doing
    dressing in purple,
    bedecking yourself with gold,
Enlarging your eyes with kohl?
    You beautify yourself in vain!
Your lovers reject you,
    they seek your life.
31 Yes, I hear the cry, like that of a woman in labor,
    like the anguish of a mother bearing her first child—
The cry of daughter Zion gasping,
    as she stretches out her hands:
“Ah, woe is me! I sink exhausted
    before my killers!”(R)

Footnotes

  1. 4:2 As the Lord lives: this oath, made sincerely, implies Israel’s return and loyal adherence to God. Thus the ancient promises are fulfilled; cf. Gn 12:3; 18:18; 22:18; 26:4; Ps 72:17.
  2. 4:4 The external rite of circumcision accomplishes nothing unless it is accompanied by the removal of blindness and obstinacy of heart. Jeremiah’s view is reflected in Rom 2:25, 29; 1 Cor 7:19; Gal 5:6; 6:13, 15.
  3. 4:10 You really did deceive: Jeremiah complains that the Lord misled the people by fostering their complacency, leaving them unprepared and unrepentant as judgment approaches.
  4. 4:11 My daughter, the people: the covenant people personified as a young woman. Ezekiel 16 presents Israel and Judah as female infants whom the Lord adopts and then abandons and punishes because they desire other lords.
  5. 4:19–21 Probably the prophet’s own anguish at the coming destruction of Judah.

If you return, O Israel,

says the Lord,
    if you return to me,
if you remove your abominations from my presence,
    and do not waver,
and if you swear, “As the Lord lives!”
    in truth, in justice, and in uprightness,
then nations shall be blessed[a] by him,
    and by him they shall boast.

For thus says the Lord to the people of Judah and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem:

Break up your fallow ground,
    and do not sow among thorns.
Circumcise yourselves to the Lord,
    remove the foreskin of your hearts,
    O people of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem,
or else my wrath will go forth like fire,
    and burn with no one to quench it,
    because of the evil of your doings.

Invasion and Desolation of Judah Threatened

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

Blow the trumpet through the land;
    shout aloud[b] and say,
“Gather together, and let us go
    into the fortified cities!”
Raise a standard toward Zion,
    flee for safety, do not delay,
for I am bringing evil from the north,
    and a great destruction.
A lion has gone up from its 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.
Because of this put on sackcloth,
    lament and wail:
“The fierce anger of the Lord
    has not turned away from us.”

On that day, says the Lord, courage shall fail the king and the officials; the priests shall be appalled and the prophets astounded. 10 Then I said, “Ah, Lord God, how utterly you have deceived this people and Jerusalem, saying, ‘It shall be well with you,’ even while the sword is at the throat!”

11 At that time it will be said to this people and to Jerusalem: A hot wind comes from me out of the bare heights[c] in the desert toward my poor people, not to winnow or cleanse— 12 a wind too strong for that. Now it is I who speak in judgment against them.

13 Look! He comes up like clouds,
    his chariots like the whirlwind;
his horses are swifter than eagles—
    woe to us, for we are ruined!
14 O Jerusalem, wash your heart clean of wickedness
    so that you may be saved.
How long shall your evil schemes
    lodge within you?
15 For a voice declares from Dan
    and proclaims disaster from Mount Ephraim.
16 Tell the nations, “Here they are!”
    Proclaim against Jerusalem,
“Besiegers come from a distant land;
    they shout against the cities of Judah.
17 They have closed in around her like watchers of a field,
    because she has rebelled against me,
says the Lord.
18 Your ways and your doings
    have brought this upon you.
This is your doom; how bitter it is!
    It has reached your very heart.”

Sorrow for a Doomed Nation

19 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[d] hear the sound of the trumpet,
    the alarm of war.
20 Disaster overtakes disaster,
    the whole land is laid waste.
Suddenly my tents are destroyed,
    my curtains in a moment.
21 How long must I see the standard,
    and hear the sound of the trumpet?
22 “For my people are foolish,
    they do not know me;
they are stupid children,
    they have no understanding.
They are skilled in doing evil,
    but do not know how to do good.”

23 I looked on the earth, and lo, it was waste and void;
    and to the heavens, and they had no light.
24 I looked on the mountains, and lo, they were quaking,
    and all the hills moved to and fro.
25 I looked, and lo, there was no one at all,
    and all the birds of the air had fled.
26 I looked, and lo, the fruitful land was a desert,
    and all its cities were laid in ruins
    before the Lord, before his fierce anger.

27 For thus says the Lord: The whole land shall be a desolation; yet I will not make a full end.

28 Because of this the earth shall mourn,
    and the heavens above grow black;
for I have spoken, I have purposed;
    I have not relented nor will I turn back.

29 At the noise of horseman and archer
    every town takes to flight;
they enter thickets; they climb among rocks;
    all the towns are forsaken,
    and no one lives in them.
30 And you, O desolate one,
what do you mean that you dress in crimson,
    that you deck 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.
31 For I heard a cry as of a woman in labor,
    anguish as of one bringing forth her first child,
the cry of daughter Zion gasping for breath,
    stretching out her hands,
“Woe is me! I am fainting before killers!”

Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 4:2 Or shall bless themselves
  2. Jeremiah 4:5 Or shout, take your weapons: Heb shout, fill (your hand)
  3. Jeremiah 4:11 Or the trails
  4. Jeremiah 4:19 Another reading is for you, O my soul,

If you return, Israel, return to me, declares the Lord.
    If you get rid of your disgusting idols from my presence
        and wander no more,
    and if you swear by the living God
        in truth, justice, and righteousness,
    then the nations will enjoy God’s blessings;[a]
        they will boast about him.

This is what the Lord says to the people of Judah and to the residents of Jerusalem:

Break up your hard rocky soil;
    don’t plant among the thorns.
Dedicate[b] yourselves to the Lord;
    don’t be thick-skinned,[c]
        people of Judah and residents of Jerusalem,
    or else my anger will spread like a wildfire.
        It will burn, with no one to put it out,
        because of your evil deeds.

Disaster approaches

Announce in Judah,
        in Jerusalem proclaim,
    sound the alarm throughout the land,
        cry out and say,
        “Gather together!
        Let’s flee to the fortified towns!”
Set up a flag to Zion;
    take cover, don’t just stand there!
I’m bringing disaster from the north,
    massive devastation.
A lion bursts out of the thicket;
    a destroyer of nations advances.
He’s gone forth from his place
    to ravage your land,
    to wipe out your towns,
        until no one is left.
So put on funeral clothing.
    Weep and wail,
        for the Lord’s fierce anger
        hasn’t turned away from us.
On that day, declares the Lord,
    the courage of the king and his princes will fail,
    the priests will be stunned,
        and the prophets will be shocked.
10 Then I said, “Lord God, no!
    You have utterly deceived this people and Jerusalem
        by promising them peace
even though the sword is at their throats.”
11 At that time, this people and Jerusalem will be told:
A blistering wind from the bare heights;
    it rages in the desert toward my people,
        not merely to winnow or cleanse.
12     This wind is too devastating for that.
Now I, even I, will pronounce my sentence against them.
13 Look! He approaches like the clouds;
        his chariots advance like a tempest,
        his horses swifter than eagles.
    How horrible! We’re doomed!
14 Cleanse your heart of evil, Jerusalem,
    that you may be saved.
    How long will you entertain your destructive ideas?
15 A voice declares from Dan;
    someone proclaims disaster from the highlands of Ephraim.
16 Warn the nations,
    proclaim it to Jerusalem!
        Armies are approaching from a far-away country,
        raising their war cries against the towns of Judah.
17 They hem her in like those guarding a field,
    because she has rebelled against me,
        declares the Lord.
18 Your own conduct, your own deeds have done this to you.
This is your payment and how bitter it is,
    piercing into the depths of your heart.

Anguish over looming disaster

19 Oh, my suffering, my suffering!
    My pain is unbearable;
    my heart is in turmoil;
    it throbs nonstop.
I can’t be silent, because I hear the blast of the trumpet
    and the roar of the battle cry!
20 Disaster follows disaster;
    the whole land is ruined.
Suddenly, my tents are destroyed,
    my shelter in a moment.
21 How long must I see the battle flags
    and hear the blast of the trumpet?
22 My people are foolish.
    They don’t even know me!
They are thoughtless children
    without understanding;
        they are skilled at doing wrong,
        inept at doing right.
23 I looked at the earth,
    and it was without shape or form;
        at the heavens
        and there was no light.
24 I looked at the mountains
    and they were quaking;
    all the hills were rocking back and forth.
25 I looked and there was no one left;
    every bird in the sky had taken flight.
26 I looked and the fertile land was a desert;
    all its towns were in ruins
        before the Lord,
        before his fury.
27 The Lord proclaims:
    The whole earth will become a desolation,
        but I will not destroy it completely.
28 Therefore, the earth will grieve
    and the heavens grow dark
        because I have declared my plan
        and will neither change my mind
            nor cancel the plan.
29 As the horsemen and archers approach,
    the people take flight.
They hide in the bushes
    and escape to the cliffs.
Every city is deserted;
    no one remains.
30 And you, devastated one,
    why dress up in scarlet,
    deck yourself in gold jewelry,
    and color your eyes with paint?
In vain you get all decked out;
    your lovers have rejected you
    and now seek your life.
31 I hear the cry of a woman in labor,
    the distress of one delivering her first child.
It is the cry of Daughter Zion,
    gasping for breath,
    her arms stretched out,
    and moaning,
    “I’m about to fall into the hands of murderers!”

Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 4:2 Or bless themselves in him or be blessed by him or will bless themselves
  2. Jeremiah 4:4 Or circumcise
  3. Jeremiah 4:4 Or remove the foreskins of your hearts

Judah Threatened with Invasion

“If you will (A)return, Israel,” declares the Lord,
Then you should return to Me.
And (B)if you will put away your detestable things from My presence,
And will not waver,
And if you will (C)swear, ‘As the Lord lives,’
(D)In truth, in justice, and in righteousness;
Then the (E)nations will bless themselves in Him,
And (F)in Him they will boast.”

For this is what the Lord says to the men of Judah and to Jerusalem:

[a](G)Break up your uncultivated ground,
And (H)do not sow among thorns.
(I)Circumcise yourselves to the Lord
And remove the foreskins of your hearts,
Men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem,
Or else My (J)wrath will spread like fire
And burn with (K)no one to quench it,
Because of the evil of your deeds.”

Declare in Judah and proclaim in Jerusalem, and say,
(L)Blow the trumpet in the land;
Cry aloud and say,
(M)Assemble, and let’s go
Into the fortified cities.’
Raise a (N)flag toward Zion!
Take refuge, do not stand still,
For I am bringing (O)evil from the north,
And great destruction.
A (P)lion has gone up from his thicket,
And a (Q)destroyer of nations has set out;
He has gone out from his place
To (R)make your land a waste.
Your cities will be ruins,
Without an inhabitant.
For this, (S)put on sackcloth,
Mourn and wail;
For the (T)fierce anger of the Lord
Has not turned away from us.”

“And it shall come about on that day,” declares the Lord, “that the (U)heart of the king and the hearts of the leaders will fail; and the priests will tremble, and the (V)prophets will be astonished.”

10 Then I said, “Oh, Lord [b]God! Surely You have utterly (W)deceived this people and Jerusalem, saying, ‘(X)You will have peace’; yet a sword touches the [c]throat.”

11 At that time it will be said to this people and to Jerusalem, “A (Y)scorching wind from the bare heights in the wilderness, in the direction of the daughter of My people—not to winnow and not to cleanse, 12 a wind too [d]strong for [e]this—will come [f]at My command; now I will also pronounce judgments against them.”

13 “Behold, he (Z)goes up like clouds,
And his (AA)chariots like the whirlwind;
His horses are (AB)swifter than eagles.
Woe to us, for (AC)we are ruined!”

14 Wash your heart from evil, Jerusalem,
So that you may be saved.
How long will your (AD)wicked thoughts
Lodge within you?
15 For a voice declares from (AE)Dan,
And proclaims wickedness from Mount Ephraim.
16 “Report it to the nations, now!
Proclaim to Jerusalem,
[g]Enemies are coming from a (AF)remote country,
And (AG)they raise their voices against the cities of Judah.
17 Like watchmen of a field they are (AH)against her all around,
Because she has (AI)rebelled against Me,’ declares the Lord.
18 Your (AJ)ways and your deeds
Have [h]brought these things upon you.
This is your evil. How (AK)bitter!
How it has touched your heart!”

Grief over Judah’s Devastation

19 (AL)My [i]soul, my [j]soul! I am in anguish! [k]Oh, my heart!
My (AM)heart is pounding in me;
I cannot keep silent,
Because, [l]my soul, you have heard
The (AN)sound of the trumpet,
The alarm of war.
20 (AO)Disaster upon disaster is proclaimed,
For the (AP)whole land is devastated;
Suddenly my (AQ)tents are devastated,
And my curtains in an instant.
21 How long must I see the flag
And hear the sound of the trumpet?
22 (AR)For My people are foolish,
They do not know Me;
They are foolish children
And have no understanding.
They are skillful at (AS)doing evil,
But they do not know how to do good.”

23 I looked at the earth, and behold, it was a [m](AT)formless and desolate emptiness;
And to the heavens, and they had no light.
24 I looked on the mountains, and behold, they were (AU)quaking,
And all the hills jolted back and forth.
25 I looked, and behold, there was no human,
And all the (AV)birds of the sky had fled.
26 I looked, and behold, [n]the (AW)fruitful land was a wilderness,
And all its cities were pulled down
Before the Lord, before His fierce anger.

27 For this is what the Lord says:
“The (AX)whole land shall be a desolation,
Yet I will (AY)not execute a complete destruction.
28 For this the (AZ)earth will mourn,
And the (BA)heavens above will become dark,
Because I have (BB)spoken, I have purposed,
And I have not [o]changed My mind, nor will I turn from it.”
29 At the sound of the horseman and archer (BC)every city flees;
They (BD)go into the thickets and climb among the rocks;
(BE)Every city is abandoned,
And no one lives in them.
30 And you, desolate one, (BF)what will you do?
Although you dress in scarlet,
Although you adorn yourself with jewelry of gold,
Although you (BG)enlarge your eyes with makeup,
In vain you make yourself beautiful.
Your [p](BH)lovers despise you;
They seek your life.
31 For I heard a voice cry as of a woman in labor,
The anguish as of one giving birth to her first child.
The voice of the daughter of Zion (BI)gasping for breath,
(BJ)Stretching out her [q]hands, saying,
“Ah, woe to me, for [r]I faint before murderers.”

Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 4:3 Lit Plow for yourselves plowed ground
  2. Jeremiah 4:10 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord
  3. Jeremiah 4:10 Or life
  4. Jeremiah 4:12 Lit full from
  5. Jeremiah 4:12 Lit these
  6. Jeremiah 4:12 Lit for Me
  7. Jeremiah 4:16 As indicated in LXX; MT watchmen
  8. Jeremiah 4:18 Lit done
  9. Jeremiah 4:19 Lit inward parts
  10. Jeremiah 4:19 Lit inward parts
  11. Jeremiah 4:19 Lit The walls of my heart
  12. Jeremiah 4:19 Another reading is I have heard
  13. Jeremiah 4:23 Or waste
  14. Jeremiah 4:26 Or Carmel
  15. Jeremiah 4:28 Or been sorry
  16. Jeremiah 4:30 Lit paramours
  17. Jeremiah 4:31 Lit palms
  18. Jeremiah 4:31 Lit my soul faints

“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,
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)

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)
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

“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)
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.”

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.
So put on sackcloth,(Y)
    lament(Z) and wail,
for the fierce anger(AA) of the Lord
    has not turned away from us.

“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.

30 What are you doing,(CI) you devastated one?
    Why dress yourself in scarlet
    and put on jewels(CJ) of gold?
Why highlight your eyes with makeup?(CK)
    You adorn yourself in vain.
Your lovers(CL) despise you;
    they want to kill you.(CM)

31 I hear a cry as of a woman in labor,(CN)
    a groan as of one bearing her first child—
the cry of Daughter Zion(CO) gasping for breath,(CP)
    stretching out her hands(CQ) and saying,
“Alas! I am fainting;
    my life is given over to murderers.”(CR)