Jeremiah 4:23-29

New International Version

²³I looked at the earth,
    and it was formless and empty;^(A)
and at the heavens,
    and their light^(B) was gone.
²⁴I looked at the mountains,
    and they were quaking;^(C)
    all the hills were swaying.
²⁵I looked, and there were no people;
    every bird in the sky had flown away.^(D)
²⁶I looked, and the fruitful land was a desert;^(E)
    all its towns lay in ruins^(F)
    before the Lord, before his fierce anger.^(G)

²⁷This is what the Lord says:

“The whole land will be ruined,^(H)
    though I will not destroy^(I) it completely.
²⁸Therefore the earth will mourn^(J)
    and the heavens above grow dark,^(K)
because I have spoken and will not relent,^(L)
    I have decided and will not turn back.^(M)”

²⁹At the sound of horsemen and archers^(N)
    every town takes to flight.^(O)
Some go into the thickets;
    some climb up among the rocks.^(P)
All the towns are deserted;^(Q)
    no one lives in them.

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Jeremiah 4:23-29

New American Standard Bible

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

²⁷For this is what the Lord says:
“The ^(E)whole land shall be a desolation,
Yet I will ^(F)not execute a complete destruction.
²⁸For this the ^(G)earth will mourn,
And the ^(H)heavens above will become dark,
Because I have ^(I)spoken, I have purposed,
And I have not ^[c]changed My mind, nor will I turn from it.”
²⁹At the sound of the horseman and archer ^(J)every city flees;
They ^(K)go into the thickets and climb among the rocks;
^(L)Every city is abandoned,
And no one lives in them.