Jeremiah 4:23-29
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
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)
Jeremiah 4:23-29
International Standard Version
A Vision of Chaos
23 I looked at the earth, and it was formless and void,[a]
at the heavens, and there was no light there.
24 I looked at the mountains; they were quaking,
and all the hills moved back and forth.
25 I looked, and no people were there.
All the birds of the sky had gone.
26 I looked, and the fruitful land[b] had become a desert.
All its towns were broken down
because of the Lord,
because of his burning anger.
27 For this is what the Lord says:
“The entire land will be devastated,
but I won’t completely destroy[c] it.
28 Because of this, the land will mourn,
and the heavens above will be dark.
Because I have spoken and decided,
I won’t turn back from doing it.”
A Lament for Zion
29 At the sound of the horseman and the archer
the entire city flees.
Its residents go into the thickets and climb among the rocks.
Every city is abandoned, and no one lives in them.
Footnotes
- Jeremiah 4:23 Cf. Gen 1:2
- Jeremiah 4:26 Or Carmel
- Jeremiah 4:27 Lit. do
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