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

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

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.(F)

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.(G)

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23 I looked at the earth.
It was undeveloped and empty.[a]
I looked at the heavens,
but there were no lights.
24 I looked at the mountains,
and they were quaking.
All the hills were shaking.
25 I looked and there was no one there.
Every bird in the sky had flown away.
26 I looked and saw that the fertile land was a wilderness.
All the cities were torn down,
because of the Lord and his burning anger.

27 This is what the Lord says.
The land will be laid waste,
but I will not destroy it completely.
28 Because of this, the earth will mourn,
and the sky above will grow dark.
I have spoken. I have made plans.
I will show no pity,
and I will not turn back from this.
29 At the sound of riders and archers,
the people of every city will flee.
They will go off into the brush.
They will climb up into the rocks.
Every city will be abandoned.
There will not be anyone to live in them.

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Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 4:23 As it was on the first day of creation