Jeremiah 4:9-28

English Standard Version

⁹“In that day, declares the Lord, ^(A)courage shall fail both king and officials. The priests shall be appalled and the prophets astounded.” ¹⁰Then I said, “Ah, Lord God, ^(B)surely you have utterly deceived this people and Jerusalem, saying, ‘It shall be well with you,’ whereas the sword has reached their very life.”

¹¹At that time it will be said to this people and to Jerusalem, “A hot wind from ^(C)the bare heights in the desert toward the daughter of my people, not to winnow or cleanse, ¹²a wind too full for this comes for me. Now it is I who ^(D)speak in judgment upon them.”

¹³Behold, he comes up like clouds;
    ^(E)his chariots like the whirlwind;
his horses are ^(F)swifter than eagles—
    woe to us, ^(G)for we are ruined!
¹⁴O Jerusalem, ^(H)wash your heart from evil,
    that you may be saved.
How long shall your wicked thoughts
    lodge within you?
¹⁵For a voice ^(I)declares from Dan
    and proclaims trouble from ^(J)Mount Ephraim.
¹⁶Warn the nations that he is coming;
    announce to Jerusalem,
“Besiegers come ^(K)from a distant land;
    they shout against the cities of Judah.
¹⁷Like keepers of a field ^(L)are they against her all around,
    because she has rebelled against me,
declares the Lord.
¹⁸Your ways and your deeds
    have brought this upon you.
This is your doom, and ^(M)it is bitter;
    it has reached your very heart.”

Anguish over Judah's Desolation

¹⁹^(N)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.
²⁰^(O)Crash follows hard on crash;
    the whole land is laid waste.
^(P)Suddenly my tents are laid waste,
    my curtains in a moment.
²¹How long must I see the standard
    and hear the sound of the trumpet?

²²“For ^(Q)my people are foolish;
    they know me not;
they are stupid children;
    they have no understanding.
^(R)They are ‘wise’—in doing evil!
    But how to do good they know not.”

²³I looked on the earth, and behold, it was ^(S)without form and void;
    ^(T)and to the heavens, and they had no light.
²⁴I looked on ^(U)the mountains, and behold, they were quaking,
    and all the hills moved to and fro.
²⁵^(V)I looked, and behold, there was no man,
    and all the birds of the air had fled.
²⁶I looked, and behold, the ^(W)fruitful land was a desert,
    and all its cities were laid in ruins
    before the Lord, before ^(X)his fierce anger.

²⁷For thus says the Lord, “The whole land shall be a desolation; ^(Y)yet I will not make a full end.

²⁸^(Z)“For this the earth shall mourn,
^(AA)and the heavens above be dark;
for I have spoken; I have purposed;
^(AB)I have not relented, nor will I turn back.”