Jeremiah 4 in plain modern English. New Ground English Translation.

"If you come back, Israel" — this is Yahweh's declaration — "come back to me. If you throw out your disgusting idols from my sight and stop your wandering,"

"and if you swear, 'As Yahweh lives,' in truth, in justice, and in what is right — then the nations will find their own blessing through him, and in him they will boast."

This is what Yahweh says to the people of Judah and Jerusalem: "Break up your hardened ground, don't scatter seed among thorns."

"Circumcise yourselves for Yahweh — strip away the hard covering from your hearts, people of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem — or my fury will erupt like fire and burn with no one able to put it out, because of the evil things you've done."

"Announce it in Judah, broadcast it in Jerusalem, say: 'Blow the ram's horn across the land!' Shout at full voice and say: 'Gather together! Let's get into the fortified cities!'"

"Raise the signal flag toward Zion! Run for cover, don't just stand there! Because I am bringing disaster from the north — a massive destruction."

"A lion has come up from its thicket, a destroyer of nations has set out. He has left his place to turn your land into a wasteland. Your cities will be torn apart, left without anyone living in them."

"Because of this, wrap yourselves in rough cloth, grieve and wail, because the burning fury of Yahweh has not turned away from us."

"On that day" — this is Yahweh's declaration — "the king will lose his nerve, the officials too. The priests will be horrified and the prophets will be in shock."

Then I said, "Oh, Lord Yahweh! You have completely deceived this people and Jerusalem by saying, 'You will have peace' — but the sword is at our throats!"

At that time it will be said to this people and to Jerusalem: "A scorching wind from the bare heights in the desert blows toward my people — not to winnow, not to clean the grain — "

"a wind too fierce for that comes at my command. Now I myself will pronounce judgments against them."

"Look — he rises like storm clouds, his chariots come like a whirlwind, his horses are faster than eagles. We're finished! We're done for!"

"Wash the evil from your heart, Jerusalem, so you can be rescued. How long will you let twisted schemes live inside you?"

"Listen — a voice is reporting from Dan, announcing trouble from the hills of Ephraim:"

"Warn the nations: 'Look, they're coming!' Announce it over Jerusalem: 'Besiegers are coming from a distant land, raising their war cry against the cities of Judah.'"

"Like guards around a field, they surround her, because she has rebelled against me" — this is Yahweh's declaration.

"Your own choices, your own actions — these have done this to you. This is your own bitter consequence, and it has cut you to the heart."

My insides, my insides! I'm writhing in pain! The walls of my heart! My heart is pounding — I can't stay silent! Because you, my whole being, have heard the ram's horn, the alarm of war.

Disaster crashes into disaster, the whole land is devastated. In an instant my tents are destroyed, my shelters torn apart in a moment.

How long must I see the signal flag, must I hear the ram's horn?

"My people are fools — they don't know me. They are senseless children with no understanding. They are experts at doing evil but don't know how to do good."

I looked at the earth — it was formless and void. At the sky — its light was gone.

I looked at the mountains — they were trembling, and all the hills were swaying back and forth.

I looked — and there was no one. Every bird in the sky had fled.

I looked — and the fertile land was a desert, and all its cities were torn down before Yahweh, before his burning fury.

This is what Yahweh has said: "The whole land will be a wasteland, but I will not make a complete end of it."

Because of this the earth will mourn and the sky above will grow dark, because I have spoken, I have decided, I have not changed my mind and I will not turn back from it.

At the sound of horsemen and archers every city runs. They dive into the thickets, they climb up the rocks. Every city is abandoned — not a single person is left in them.

And you, devastated one — what are you doing dressing in scarlet, decking yourself with gold jewelry, lining your eyes with paint? You're making yourself beautiful for nothing. Your lovers despise you — they want your life.

I hear a cry like a woman in labor, anguish like someone giving birth for the first time — the cry of daughter Zion gasping for breath, stretching out her hands: "I'm dying! My life is falling into the hands of killers!"