25LET US LIE DOWN IN SHAME OUR AND LET IT COVER US DISGRACE OUR FOR TO YAHWEH GOD OUR WE HAVE SINNED WE AND ANCESTORS OUR SINCE YOUTH<S> OUR AND UNTIL THE DAY <THE> THIS AND NOT WE HAVE LISTENED TO [THE] VOICE OF YAHWEH GOD OUR 25Let us lie down in our shame; let our disgrace cover us. We have sinned against the LORD our God, both we and our fathers; from our youth even to this day we have not obeyed the voice of the LORD our God.”
1IF YOU WILL RETURN O ISRAEL [THE] UTTERANCE OF YAHWEH TO ME YOU WILL RETURN AND IF YOU WILL REMOVE DETESTABLE THINGS YOUR FROM BEFORE ME AND NOT YOU WILL WAVER A Plea to Return 1“If you will return, O Israel, return to Me,” declares the LORD. “If you will remove your detestable idols from My sight and no longer waver,
2AND YOU WILL SWEAR [BY] [THE] LIFE OF YAHWEH IN FAITHFULNESS IN JUSTICE AND IN RIGHTEOUSNESS AND THEY WILL BLESS THEMSELVES BY <THE> HIM NATIONS AND IN <THE> HIM THEY WILL BOAST 2and if you can swear, ‘As surely as the LORD lives,’ in truth, in justice, and in righteousness, then the nations will be blessed by Him, and in Him they will glory.”
3FOR THUS HE SAYS YAHWEH TO [THE] MAN OF JUDAH AND TO JERUSALEM PLOW OF YOU UNPLOWED GROUND AND MAY NOT YOU SOW TO THORNS 3For this is what the LORD says to the men of Judah and Jerusalem: “Break up your unplowed ground, and do not sow among the thorns.
4CIRCUMCISE YOURSELVES TO YAHWEH AND REMOVE [THE] FORESKINS OF HEART YOUR O MAN OF JUDAH AND [THE] INHABITANTS OF JERUSALEM LEST IT SHOULD GO FORTH LIKE <THE> FIRE RAGE MY AND IT WILL BURN AND THERE NOT [WILL BE ONE WHO] EXTINGUISHES <FROM> BECAUSE OF [THE] WICKEDNESS OF DEEDS YOUR 4Circumcise yourselves to the LORD, and remove the foreskins of your hearts, O men of Judah and people of Jerusalem. Otherwise, My wrath will break out like fire and burn with no one to extinguish it, because of your evil deeds.”
5DECLARE IN JUDAH AND IN JERUSALEM MAKE A PROCLAMATION AND SAY BLOW A TRUMPET IN THE LAND CALL OUT FILL AND SAY GATHER YOURSELVES SO LET US GO TO [THE] CITIES OF <THE> FORTIFICATION Disaster from the North 5Announce in Judah, proclaim in Jerusalem, and say: “Blow the ram’s horn throughout the land. Cry aloud and say, ‘Assemble yourselves and let us flee to the fortified cities.’
6LIFT UP A STANDARD ZION TOWARDS TAKE REFUGE MAY NOT YOU STAND STILL FOR CALAMITY I [AM] ABOUT TO BRING FROM [THE] NORTH AND DESTRUCTION GREAT 6Raise a signal flag toward Zion. Seek refuge! Do not delay! For I am bringing disaster from the north, and terrible destruction.
7IT HAS GONE UP A LION FROM THICKET ITS AND A DESTROYER OF NATIONS HE HAS SET OUT HE HAS GONE OUT FROM PLACE HIS TO MAKE LAND YOUR INTO A WASTE CITIES YOUR THEY WILL FALL IN RUINS FROM NOT INHABITANT 7A lion has gone up from his thicket, and a destroyer of nations has set out. He has left his lair to lay waste your land. Your cities will be reduced to ruins and lie uninhabited.
8ON THIS GIRD YOURSELF SACKCLOTH<S> MOURN AND WAIL FOR NOT IT HAS TURNED BACK [THE] BURNING OF [THE] ANGER OF YAHWEH FROM US 8So put on sackcloth, mourn and wail, for the fierce anger of the LORD has not turned away from us.”
9AND IT WILL BE ON THE DAY <THE> THAT [THE] UTTERANCE OF YAHWEH IT WILL PERISH [THE] HEART OF THE KING AND [THE] HEART OF THE OFFICIALS AND THEY WILL BE APPALLED THE PRIESTS AND THE PROPHETS THEY WILL BE ASTOUNDED 9“In that day,” declares the LORD, “the king and officials will lose their courage. The priests will tremble in fear, and the prophets will be astounded.”
10AND I SAID ALAS! O LORD YAHWEH TRULY CERTAINLY <TO DECEIVE> YOU HAVE DECEIVED <TO> THE PEOPLE <THE> THIS AND <TO> JERUSALEM <TO> SAYING PEACE IT WILL BELONG TO <THE> YOU AND IT WILL REACH A SWORD TO THE THROAT 10Then I said, “Ah, Lord GOD, how completely You have deceived this people and Jerusalem by saying, ‘You will have peace,’ while a sword is at our throats.”
11AT THE TIME <THE> THAT IT WILL BE SAID TO THE PEOPLE <THE> THIS AND TO JERUSALEM A WIND SCORCHING BARE HEIGHTS IN THE WILDERNESS [WILL BE] [THE] DIRECTION OF [THE] DAUGHTER OF PEOPLE MY NOT TO WINNOW AND NOT TO CLEANSE 11At that time it will be said to this people and to Jerusalem, “A searing wind from the barren heights in the desert blows toward the daughter of My people, but not to winnow or to sift;
12A WIND [TOO] FULL FOR THESE [THINGS] IT WILL COME FOR <THE> ME NOW ALSO I I WILL SPEAK JUDGMENTS WITH THEM 12a wind too strong for that comes from Me. Now I also pronounce judgments against them.”
13THERE! LIKE CLOUDS HE IS GOING UP AND LIKE THE STORM-WIND CHARIOTS HIS THEY ARE SWIFT MORE THAN EAGLES HORSES HIS WOE! TO <THE> US FOR WE ARE DEVASTATED 13Behold, he advances like the clouds, his chariots like the whirlwind. His horses are swifter than eagles. Woe to us, for we are ruined!
14WASH FROM EVIL HEART YOUR O JERUSALEM SO THAT YOU MAY BE SAVED UNTIL WHEN? WILL IT REMAIN IN INNER BEING YOUR [THE] THOUGHTS OF WICKEDNESS YOUR 14Wash the evil from your heart, O Jerusalem, so that you may be saved. How long will you harbor wicked thoughts within you?
15FOR A VOICE [IS] DECLARING FROM DAN AND [IS] PROCLAIMING TROUBLE FROM [THE] HILL COUNTRY OF EPHRAIM 15For a voice resounds from Dan, proclaiming disaster from the hills of Ephraim.
16MAKE KNOWN TO THE NATIONS HERE! PROCLAIM TO JERUSALEM BESIEGERS [ARE] COMING FROM [THE] LAND OF <THE> DISTANCE AND THEY HAVE GIVEN FORTH ON [THE] CITIES OF JUDAH VOICE THEIR 16Warn the nations now! Proclaim to Jerusalem: “A besieging army comes from a distant land; they raise their voices against the cities of Judah.
17LIKE [THOSE WHO] GUARD <OF> A FIELD THEY ARE ON IT FROM ROUND ABOUT FOR <OBJ.> ME IT HAS BEEN REBELLIOUS AGAINST [THE] UTTERANCE OF YAHWEH 17They surround her like men guarding a field, because she has rebelled against Me,” declares the LORD.
18CONDUCT YOUR AND DEEDS YOUR THEY HAVE BROUGHT ABOUT THESE [THINGS] TO <THE> YOU THIS [IS] WICKEDNESS YOUR FOR IT IS BITTER FOR IT HAS REACHED TO HEART YOUR 18“Your ways and deeds have brought this upon you. This is your punishment; how bitter it is, because it pierces to the heart!”
19INWARD PARTS MY INWARD PARTS MY I AM WAITING [THE] WALLS OF HEART MY [IS] IN TURMOIL TO <THE> ME HEART MY NOT I WILL KEEP SILENT FOR [THE] SOUND OF A TRUMPET YOU HAVE HEARD O SELF MY [THE] SHOUT OF BATTLE Lamentation for Judah 19My anguish, my anguish! I writhe in pain! Oh, the pain in my chest! My heart pounds within me; I cannot be silent. For I have heard the sound of the horn, the alarm of battle.
20DESTRUCTION TO DESTRUCTION IT HAS BEEN PROCLAIMED FOR IT HAS BEEN DEVASTATED ALL THE LAND SUDDENLY THEY HAVE BEEN DEVASTATED TENTS MY A MOMENT TENT CURTAINS MY 20Disaster after disaster is proclaimed, for the whole land is laid waste. My tents are destroyed in an instant, my curtains in a moment.
21UNTIL WHEN? WILL I SEE A STANDARD WILL I HEAR [THE] SOUND OF A TRUMPET 21How long must I see the signal flag and hear the sound of the horn?
22FOR [IS] A FOOL PEOPLE MY <OBJ.> ME NOT THEY KNOW [ARE] CHILDREN FOOLS THEY AND NOT [ARE] HAVING UNDERSTANDING THEY [ARE] SKILLFUL THEY TO DO EVIL AND TO DO GOOD NOT THEY KNOW 22“For My people are fools; they have not known Me. They are foolish children, without understanding. They are skilled in doing evil, but they know not how to do good.”
23I LOOKED AT <OBJ.> THE EARTH AND THERE! [IT WAS] FORMLESSNESS AND EMPTINESS AND TO THE HEAVENS AND THERE NOT [WAS] LIGHT THEIR 23I looked at the earth, and it was formless and void; I looked to the heavens, and they had no light.
24I LOOKED AT THE MOUNTAINS AND THERE! [THEY WERE] QUAKING AND ALL THE HILLS THEY SHOOK TO AND FRO 24I looked at the mountains, and behold, they were quaking; all the hills were swaying.
25I LOOKED AND THERE! THERE NOT [WAS] <THE> HUMANKIND AND EVERY <THE> BIRD OF THE HEAVENS THEY HAD FLED 25I looked, and no man was left; all the birds of the air had fled.
26I LOOKED AND THERE! THE GARDEN-LAND [WAS] <THE> WILDERNESS AND ALL CITIES ITS THEY HAD BEEN PULLED DOWN FROM BEFORE YAHWEH FROM BEFORE [THE] BURNING OF ANGER HIS 26I looked, and the fruitful land was a desert. All its cities were torn down before the LORD, before His fierce anger.
27FOR THUS HE SAYS YAHWEH A DESOLATION IT WILL BE ALL THE EARTH AND COMPLETE DESTRUCTION NOT I WILL MAKE 27For this is what the LORD says: “The whole land will be desolate, but I will not finish its destruction.
28ON THIS IT WILL MOURN THE EARTH AND THEY WILL BE DARK THE HEAVENS <FROM> ABOVE ON FOR I HAVE SPOKEN I HAVE RESOLVED AND NOT I HAVE REPENTED AND NOT I WILL TURN BACK FROM IT 28Therefore the earth will mourn and the heavens above will grow dark. I have spoken, I have planned, and I will not relent or turn back
29FROM [THE] SOUND OF A HORSEMAN AND A SHOOTER OF A BOW [IS] FLEEING EVERY <THE> CITY PEOPLE WILL GO IN THE THICKETS AND ON THE ROCKS PEOPLE WILL GO UP EVERY <THE> CITY [IS] ABANDONED AND THERE NOT [IS] DWELLING IN <THE> THEM ANYONE 29Every city flees at the sound of the horseman and archer. They enter the thickets and climb among the rocks. Every city is abandoned; no inhabitant is left.
30AND YOU O DEVASTATED [ONE] WHAT? ARE YOU DOING THAT YOU ARE DRESSING SCARLET THAT YOU ORNAMENT YOURSELF ORNAMENT[S] OF GOLD THAT YOU TEAR OPEN WITH <THE> EYE-PAINT EYES YOUR FOR <THE> VANITY YOU BEAUTIFY YOURSELF THEY HAVE REJECTED <IN> <THE> YOU LOVERS LIFE YOUR THEY SEEK 30And you, O devastated one, what will you do, though you dress yourself in scarlet, though you adorn yourself with gold jewelry, though you enlarge your eyes with paint? You adorn yourself in vain; your lovers despise you; they want to take your life.
31FOR A SOUND LIKE A SICK [WOMAN] I HAVE HEARD DISTRESS LIKE A [WOMAN] BEARING A FIRST CHILD [THE] SOUND OF [THE] DAUGHTER OF ZION SHE IS GASPING FOR BREATH SHE IS SPREADING OUT HANDS HER WOE! PLEASE TO <THE> ME FOR IT IS WEARY SELF MY TO MURDERERS 31For I hear a cry like a woman in labor, a cry of anguish like one bearing her first child— the cry of the Daughter of Zion gasping for breath, stretching out her hands to say, “Woe is me for my soul faints before the murderers!”