«If you will return, O Israel,» says the LORD, «Return to Me; And if you will put away your abominations out of My sight, Then you shall not be moved.

And you shall swear, «The LORD lives,́ In truth, in judgment, and in righteousness; The nations shall bless themselves in Him, And in Him they shall glory.»

For thus says the LORD to the men of Judah and Jerusalem: «Break up your fallow ground, And do not sow among thorns.

Circumcise yourselves to the LORD, And take away the foreskins of your hearts, You men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem, Lest My fury come forth like fire, And burn so that no one can quench it, Because of the evil of your doings.»

Declare in Judah and proclaim in Jerusalem, and say: «Blow the trumpet in the land; Cry, «Gather together,́ And say, «Assemble yourselves, And let us go into the fortified cities.́

Set up the standard toward Zion. Take refuge! Do not delay! For I will bring disaster from the north, And great destruction.»

The lion has come up from his thicket, And the destroyer of nations is on his way. He has gone forth from his place To make your land desolate. Your cities will be laid waste, Without inhabitant.

For this, clothe yourself with sackcloth, Lament and wail. For the fierce anger of the LORD Has not turned back from us.

«And it shall come to pass in that day,» says the LORD, «That the heart of the king shall perish, And the heart of the princes; The priests shall be astonished, And the prophets shall wonder.»

Then I said, «Ah, Lord GOD! Surely You have greatly deceived this people and Jerusalem, Saying, «You shall have peace,́ Whereas the sword reaches to the heart.»

At that time it will be said To this people and to Jerusalem, «A dry wind of the desolate heights blows in the wilderness Toward the daughter of My people-- Not to fan or to cleanse--

A wind too strong for these will come for Me; Now I will also speak judgment against them.»

«Behold, he shall come up like clouds, And his chariots like a whirlwind. His horses are swifter than eagles. Woe to us, for we are plundered!»

O Jerusalem, wash your heart from wickedness, That you may be saved. How long shall your evil thoughts lodge within you?

For a voice declares from Dan And proclaims affliction from Mount Ephraim:

«Make mention to the nations, Yes, proclaim against Jerusalem, That watchers come from a far country And raise their voice against the cities of Judah.

Like keepers of a field they are against her all around, Because she has been rebellious against Me,» says the LORD.

«Your ways and your doings Have procured these things for you. This is your wickedness, Because it is bitter, Because it reaches to your heart.»

O my soul, my soul! I am pained in my very heart! My heart makes a noise in me; I cannot hold my peace, Because you have heard, O my soul, The sound of the trumpet, The alarm of war.

Destruction upon destruction is cried, For the whole land is plundered. Suddenly my tents are plundered, And my curtains in a moment.

How long will I see the standard, And hear the sound of the trumpet?

«For My people are foolish, They have not known Me. They are silly children, And they have no understanding. They are wise to do evil, But to do good they have no knowledge.»

I beheld the earth, and indeed it was without form, and void; And the heavens, they had no light.

I beheld the mountains, and indeed they trembled, And all the hills moved back and forth.

I beheld, and indeed there was no man, And all the birds of the heavens had fled.

I beheld, and indeed the fruitful land was a wilderness, And all its cities were broken down At the presence of the LORD, By His fierce anger.

For thus says the LORD: «The whole land shall be desolate; Yet I will not make a full end.

For this shall the earth mourn, And the heavens above be black, Because I have spoken. I have purposed and will not relent, Nor will I turn back from it.

The whole city shall flee from the noise of the horsemen and bowmen. They shall go into thickets and climb up on the rocks. Every city shall be forsaken, And not a man shall dwell in it.

«And when you are plundered, What will you do? Though you clothe yourself with crimson, Though you adorn yourself with ornaments of gold, Though you enlarge your eyes with paint, In vain you will make yourself fair; Your lovers will despise you; They will seek your life.

«For I have heard a voice as of a woman in labor, The anguish as of her who brings forth her first child, The voice of the daughter of Zion bewailing herself; She spreads her hands, saying, «Woe is me now, for my soul is weary Because of murderers!́

Hear the word which the LORD speaks to you, O house of Israel.

Thus says the LORD: «Do not learn the way of the Gentiles; Do not be dismayed at the signs of heaven, For the Gentiles are dismayed at them.

For the customs of the peoples are futile; For one cuts a tree from the forest, The work of the hands of the workman, with the ax.

They decorate it with silver and gold; They fasten it with nails and hammers So that it will not topple.

They are upright, like a palm tree, And they cannot speak; They must be carried, Because they cannot go by themselves. Do not be afraid of them, For they cannot do evil, Nor can they do any good.»

Inasmuch as there is none like You, O LORD (You are great, and Your name is great in might),

Who would not fear You, O King of the nations? For this is Your rightful due. For among all the wise men of the nations, And in all their kingdoms, There is none like You.

But they are altogether dull-hearted and foolish; A wooden idol is a worthless doctrine.

Silver is beaten into plates; It is brought from Tarshish, And gold from Uphaz, The work of the craftsman And of the hands of the metalsmith; Blue and purple are their clothing; They are all the work of skillful men.

But the LORD is the true God; He is the living God and the everlasting King. At His wrath the earth will tremble, And the nations will not be able to endure His indignation.

Thus you shall say to them: «The gods that have not made the heavens and the earth shall perish from the earth and from under these heavens.»

He has made the earth by His power, He has established the world by His wisdom, And has stretched out the heavens at His discretion.

When He utters His voice, There is a multitude of waters in the heavens: «And He causes the vapors to ascend from the ends of the earth. He makes lightning for the rain, He brings the wind out of His treasuries.»

Everyone is dull-hearted, without knowledge; Every metalsmith is put to shame by an image; For his molded image is falsehood, And there is no breath in them.

They are futile, a work of errors; In the time of their punishment they shall perish.

The Portion of Jacob is not like them, For He is the Maker of all things, And Israel is the tribe of His inheritance; The LORD of hosts is His name.

Gather up your wares from the land, O inhabitant of the fortress!

For thus says the LORD: «Behold, I will throw out at this time The inhabitants of the land, And will distress them, That they may find it so.»

Woe is me for my hurt! My wound is severe. But I say, «Truly this is an infirmity, And I must bear it.»

My tent is plundered, And all my cords are broken; My children have gone from me, And they are no more. There is no one to pitch my tent anymore, Or set up my curtains.

For the shepherds have become dull-hearted, And have not sought the LORD; Therefore they shall not prosper, And all their flocks shall be scattered.

Behold, the noise of the report has come, And a great commotion out of the north country, To make the cities of Judah desolate, a den of jackals.

O LORD, I know the way of man is not in himself; It is not in man who walks to direct his own steps.

O LORD, correct me, but with justice; Not in Your anger, lest You bring me to nothing.

Pour out Your fury on the Gentiles, who do not know You, And on the families who do not call on Your name; For they have eaten up Jacob, Devoured him and consumed him, And made his dwelling place desolate.