Jeremiah 4:1-31

“I, YAHWEH, say to Israel: “Listen, if you turn to come back to me, then return to me with all your heart. If you remove your disgusting idols from before my face, then come home and never stray from my presence again. If you make a promise in my name, saying, ‘As surely as YAHWEH lives’ with truth, honesty, and integrity, then all other nations will desire his blessing and prosperity. They will shine and make their boast in me.” YAHWEH says to the people of Judah and Jerusalem: “As a plow breaks open untilled ground, break open your hard hearts. Do not sow good seed among thorns. Listen, people of Judah and Jerusalem. Circumcise your hearts and become vulnerable to me. If you do not, my anger will blaze up like unquenchable fire on account of your evil deeds.” YAHWEH says: “Blow the trumpet in Jerusalem, and sound the alarm throughout the land of Judah! Cry out! Shout it out, and say, ‘Gather together and let us run into the fortified cities!’ Set up a signal to run to Zion. Don’t just stand there; run for cover! I am bringing disaster from the north, terrible destruction is on the way.” A nation-wrecker is on the prowl like a lion coming up from his lair. He is roused from his den to ransack your land. Your cities will be ruined and left without inhabitant. Therefore, put on sackcloth, lament, and wail, for the burning anger of YAHWEH has not turned away from us. YAHWEH has declared, “In that day, the courage of the king will melt away. The hearts of his officials will tremble. The priests will be overcome with fear, and the prophets horrified.” In response to all this I said: “O Lord YAHWEH, you have completely deceived Jerusalem and these people! You promised peace, yet even now, the blade of the sword threatens our lives.” At that time it will be said to the people and to Jerusalem: “A blazing wind from the barren desert heights will blow upon my dear people, not a gentle wind to winnow or sift out—I am sending a wind much stronger than that. Now, I will bring charges against them.” Look, as a storm cloud in the sky, he arises, and his war chariots kick up dust like a whirlwind. His horses are swifter than eagles. We’re done for! It’s over for us! Jerusalem, wash the evil from your heart so that you may be rescued. How long will evil thoughts and harmful schemes find a resting place in you? I hear a shout warning of disaster from the territory of Dan and another from the hills of Ephraim. “Warn the nations of what is coming! Announce to Jerusalem: ‘Watchers are coming from a distant land, shouting a battle cry against Judah’s cities! The enemies surround Judah and Jerusalem like men who are guarding a field, for Judah has rebelled against me,’ ” declares YAHWEH. “You have brought this on yourself by your deeds and your lifestyle. Your evil and your bitterness have reached your heart. This is your doom!” With gut-wrenching pain deep in my soul, I writhe on the ground in anguish. My heart is pounding within me. I cannot keep silent, for I hear the shofar blast. I say to my soul, I hear the cry of war! A chain of disasters, one after another. The entire land is in ruins! Suddenly, and in an instant, our tent and its curtains are destroyed. How long must I see their battle flags and hear their shofars blaring for battle? “My people are foolish because they don’t know who I really am. They are reckless, senseless children. They think they are wise, but they are cunning in sinfulness and clueless in righteousness.” I looked at the earth, and it was completely empty and formless, the heavens hid its light. I looked at the mountains and saw them trembling, and all the hills were shaking to and fro. I looked for a human, but not one was to be found. Every bird had flown away. I looked at the once fruitful land, now nothing but a desert, all its cities left in ruins before YAHWEH’s burning anger. “For I, YAHWEH, have spoken: ‘The whole land will remain desolate; however, the end of the world is not yet. This is why the earth will mourn, and the heavens will veil their light— because I have spoken. I will neither relent nor turn away from my plans.’ ” When they hear the approach of the horsemen and archers, the whole city flees in terror. Some run into the forest to hide, and others climb up into the rocks. Every city is deserted, and no one lives there anymore. And you, desolate Zion, what are you doing dressing up in scarlet, adorning yourself in ornaments of gold and putting on eye shadow? You’re making yourself beautiful for nothing. Your lovers don’t want you anymore. In fact, they seek your life! I heard a cry of a woman gasping in labor pains; I saw her writhing in distress as one giving birth to her first child. It is the daughter of Zion, gasping and stretching out her hands for help, saying: “I’m staring at death! I’m fainting before my murderers!”