Maedros wrote:Just read the Lectures of Faith by Joseph Smith Jr - it will expound your understanding; but of course if you don't want to know then you never will.
Who is this, arriving from Edom, from Botzrah with clothing stained red, dressed so notably --- stately in his great strength? “It is I, who speak victoriously, I, well able to save.”
Why is your apparel red, your clothes like someone treading a winepress?
“I have walked in the winepress alone; among the peoples, not one was with me. So I trod them in my anger, trampled them in my fury; so their lifeblood splashed upon my clothing, and I have stained all my apparel.
For the day of vengeance within my heart and my year of redemption have arrived.
I looked, but there was no one to help, and I was appalled that no one supported me. Therefore my own arm brought me salvation, and my outrage held me up.
In my anger I squished down the peoples, made them drunk with my fury, then poured out their lifeblood upon the earth.”
I will recall the grace and the praises of the Lord, because of all that Adonai has granted us and His great goodness toward the house of Israel, which He bestowed on them in keeping with His mercy and with the greatness of His grace.
For He said, “My people, do not lie.” And He is their Savior.
Through all their troubles He was troubled. Then the Angel of His Presence saved them --- in His love and pity He redeemed them.
He had lifted them up and carried them throughout the past.
However, they rebelled, they grieved His Holy Spirit. So He became their enemy and Himself fought against them.
But His was reminded of the past --- days of Moses, Where is He who brought them up from the sea with the shepherds of His flock. Where is he who put his Holy Spirit right in the middle of them,
Who caused His glorious arm to go lead Moses? He divided the water ahead of them, establishing Himself an eternal name;
He led them through the deep like a sure-footed horse in the desert;
like cattle going down into a valley the Spirit of the Lord bid them rest. This is how you led your people, to make yourself a glorious name.”
Peer from heaven; and observe from Your holy, glorious dwelling. Where are your zeal and your mighty deeds, your inner concern and compassion? Don’t hold back.
You are our father. Even if Abraham were not to know us, and Israel did not acknowledge us, You, Lord, are Our Father, Our Redeemer from long ago is your name.
Lord, why do you let us wander from Your ways and harden our hearts, so that we do not regard You? Return, for the sake of your servants, the tribes who are your possession.
Your holy people held your sanctuary such a short interval, before our enemies trampled it down.
For so long we have been like those you never ruled, like those who were not called by Your name!
Young's Literal Translation (YLT)
1 `Who [is] this coming from Edom? With dyed garments from Bozrah? This that is honourable in his clothing, Travelling in the abundance of his power?' -- `I, speaking in righteousness, mighty to save.'
2 `Wherefore [is] thy clothing red? And thy garments as treading in a wine fat?'
3 -- `A wine-press I have trodden by myself, And of the peoples there is no one with me, And I tread them in mine anger, And I trample them in my fury, Sprinkled is their strength on my garments, And all my clothing I have polluted.
4 For the day of vengeance [is] in my heart, And the year of my redeemed hath come.
5 And I look attentively, and there is none helping, And I am astonished that there is none supporting, And give salvation to me doth mine own arm. And my wrath -- it hath supported me.
6 And I tread down peoples in mine anger, And I make them drunk in my fury, And I bring down to earth their strength.
7 The kind acts of Jehovah I make mention of, The praises of Jehovah, According to all that Jehovah hath done for us, And the abundance of the goodness to the house of Israel, That He hath done for them, According to His mercies, And according to the abundance of His kind acts.
8 And He saith, Only My people they [are], Sons -- they lie not, and He is to them for a saviour.
9 In all their distress [He is] no adversary, And the messenger of His presence saved them, In His love and in His pity He redeemed them, And He doth lift them up, And beareth them all the days of old.
10 And they have rebelled and grieved His Holy Spirit, And He turneth to them for an enemy, He Himself hath fought against them.
11 And He remembereth the days of old, Moses -- his people. Where [is] He who is bringing them up from the sea, The shepherd of his flock? Where [is] He who is putting in its midst His Holy Spirit?
12 Leading by the right hand of Moses, the arm of His glory, Cleaving waters from before them, To make to Himself a name age-during.
13 Leading them through the depths, As a horse in a plain they stumble not.
14 As a beast into a valley goeth down, The Spirit of Jehovah causeth him to rest, So hast Thou led Thy people, To make to Thyself a glorious name.
15 Look attentively from the heavens, And see from Thy holy and beauteous habitation, Where [is] Thy zeal and Thy might? The multitude of Thy bowels and Thy mercies Towards me have refrained themselves.
16 For Thou [art] our Father, For Abraham hath not known us, And Israel doth not acknowledge us, Thou, O Jehovah, [art] our Father, Our redeemer from the age, [is] Thy name.
17 Why causest Thou us to wander, O Jehovah, from Thy ways? Thou hardenest our heart from Thy fear, Turn back for Thy servants' sake, The tribes of Thine inheritance.
18 For a little while did Thy holy people possess, Our adversaries have trodden down Thy sanctuary.
19 We have been from of old, Thou hast not ruled over them, Not called is Thy name upon them!
If you would tear through the heavens and come down to earth --- everything would change. Mountains would melt before you.
The mountains would burst into flames like bushes aflame. The mountains would boil like water on the hearth. Our enemies would then learn about you. And all nations would shake with fear when they see you.
You did miraculous things that we did not expect. You came down, and mountains shook fearfully in your presence. No one has ever imagined such a God. No one has ever heard such a story. No one has ever seen another God except for seeing You. You do such great things for those who trust in You.
You welcome people who enjoy doing good things and who remember you by living in a way desired by You. But we sinned against You, and you became angered by us. But you always saved us!
We are all filthy with sin. Even our good works are tainted. They are like bloodstained tampons. We are all like dead leaves. Our sins have blown us away like wind.
We don’t call to You for direction. We aren’t excited to follow You, so You have turned from us. We are helpless before You, because we are fully sinful.
But, Lord, You are our Father. We are like clay, and you a potter. You designed made us all.
Lord, don’t continue to be upset with us! Don’t hold our sins forever before You! Please, look at us! We are all Your people.
Your holy cities are as deserted as the desert. Zion has become a desert! Jerusalem destroyed!
Our ancestors worshiped You in our holy Temple. That wonderful edifice has now been burned. All our precious things have been ruined.
Lord, will all this forever keep You from helping? You continue to say nothing. This punishment is terrible.
Young's Literal Translation (YLT)
1 Didst Thou not rend the heavens? Thou didst come down, From thy presence did mountains flow,
2 (As fire kindleth stubble -- Fire causeth water to boil,) To make known Thy name to Thine adversaries, From Thy presence do nations tremble.
3 In Thy doing fearful things -- we expect not, Thou didst come down, From Thy presence did mountains flow.
4 Even from antiquity [men] have not heard, They have not given ear, Eye hath not seen a God save Thee, He doth work for those waiting for Him.
5 Thou hast met with the rejoicer And the doer of righteousness, In Thy ways they remember Thee, Lo, Thou hast been wroth when we sin, By them [is] continuance, and we are saved.
6 And we are as unclean -- all of us, And as a garment passing away, all our righteous acts; And we fade as a leaf -- all of us. And our iniquities as wind do take us away.
7 And there is none calling in Thy name, Stirring up himself to lay hold on Thee, For Thou hast hid Thy face from us, And thou meltest us away by our iniquities.
8 And now, O Jehovah, thou [art] our Father, We [are] the clay, and Thou our Framer, And the work of Thy hand -- all of us.
9 Be not wroth, O Jehovah, very sore, Nor for ever remember iniquity, Lo, look attentively, we beseech Thee, Thy people [are] we all.
10 Thy holy cities have been a wilderness, Zion a wilderness hath been, Jerusalem a desolation.
11 Our holy and our beautiful house, Where praise Thee did our fathers, Hath become burnt with fire, And all our desirable things have become a waste.
12 For these dost Thou refrain Thyself, Jehovah? Thou art silent, and dost afflict us very sore!'
I made myself accessible to those who hadn't ask after me. I let myself be discovered by those who didn’t seek me. I shouted, ‘Here I am! Here I am!’ to a nation not called in my name.
I spread out my hands all day to a rebellious lot who live in an evil way. They follow their own feelings.
This people provoke me to my face repeatedly, sacrificing in glens and burning incense on hearths.
They sit among tombs and spend the night in caves --- they eat pig meat and their pots hold soup made from vile things.
They say, ‘Keep away, don’t come near me, because I am better than you.’ These are smoke in my nose, a fire that daily smolders!
See, it is recorded right in front of me; I will not be silent until I repay them --- they will get what they deserve in full,
Both for your own crimes and those of your forefathers together,”
Those who made perfume on the mountains, and on the high places have disappointed Me, And I have measured their former work into their lap.'
Here is what the Lord says: “As when juice is found in clusters of grapes, and people say, ‘Don’t destroy it, there is still usefulness,’ so I will do similarly for the sake of my servants, and not destroy them all.
I will bring forth descendants from Jacob, heirs of my mountains from Judah; my chosen ones will possess them, and my servants will reside there.
The Sharon will be a pasture for flocks. The Akhor Valley a place for cattle to rest, for my people who have sought me.
“But as for you who abandon the Lord, who forget my holy mountain, who prepare a table for a Gad (god of luck), and fill bowls of mixed wine for Meni (god of destiny) —
I will hand you over you to the sword, you will all bow down to be slaughtered; because when I called, you never answered. When I spoke, you did not listen, but did what was evil from my point of view and chose what did not satisfy me.”
So the Lord Jehovah says: “My servants will eat, while you starve; my servants will drink, while you thirst. My servants will rejoice, while you will look ashamed.
Yes, my servants will sing for joy from their very souls, but you will cry out from the pain deep within and howl from an distraught spirit.
My chosen will use your name as a curse — ‘May Lord Jehovah strike you dead!’ But to his servants he will bestow a different name.
Thus someone on earth who blesses himself will bless himself by the God of truth, and someone on earth who swears an oath will swear by the God of truth; for past problems will be forgotten --- hidden from view.
“For, see! I will create new heavens and a new earth. Past things will not be remembered, They will be eternally forgotten.
So be glad and rejoice forever in what I am creating. See! I am making Jerusalem a joy, and her citizens delightful.
I will rejoice in Jerusalem and take joy in my chosen. The sound of sobbing and crying will forever end.
No more infant deaths. No more will an old man die sooner than he was intended. The one who dies at 100 will be thought young, and less than 100 ---- imagined cursed. They will build houses and live in them, they will plant vineyards and eat their fruit.
They will not build and others move in. they will not plant and others eat. Because the days of my chosen will be like the lifespan of a tree. My chosen will themselves enjoy the use of what they make.
They will not work for nothing or raise children to be killed, for they are the seed blessed by the Lord; and their offspring as well.
Before they call, I will answer; while they are still speaking, I will hear.
The wolf and the lamb will eat together, and the lion eat straw like an ox (but the serpent — its food will be decay). They will not hurt or destroy anywhere on my holy mountain,”
Young's Literal Translation (YLT)
1 I have been inquired of by those who asked not, I have been found by those who sought Me not, I have said, `Behold Me, behold Me,' Unto a nation not calling in My name.
2 I have spread out My hands all the day Unto an apostate people, Who are going in the way not good after their own thoughts.
3 The people who are provoking Me to anger, To My face continually, Sacrificing in gardens, and making perfume on the bricks:
4 Who are dwelling among sepulchres, And lodge in reserved places, Who are eating flesh of the sow, And a piece of abominable things -- their vessels.
5 Who are saying, `Keep to thyself, come not nigh to me, For I have declared thee unholy.' These [are] a smoke in Mine anger, A fire burning all the day.
6 Lo, it is written before Me: `I am not silent, but have recompensed; And I have recompensed into their bosom,
7 Your iniquities, and the iniquities of your fathers together, said Jehovah, Who have made perfume on the mountains, And on the heights have reproached Me, And I have measured their former work into their bosom.'
8 Thus said Jehovah: As the new wine is found in the cluster, And one hath said, `Destroy it not for a blessing [is] in it,' So I do for My servants' sake, not to destroy the whole.
9 And I have brought out from Jacob a seed, And from Judah a possessor of My mount, And possess it do My chosen ones, And My servants do dwell there.
10 And Sharon hath been for the habitation of a flock, And the valley of Achor for the lying down of a herd, For My people who have sought Me.
11 And ye [are] those forsaking Jehovah, Who are forgetting My holy mountain, Who are setting in array for Gad a table, And who are filling for Meni a mixture.
12 And I have numbered you for the sword, And all of you for slaughter bow down, Because I called, and ye have not answered, I have spoken, and ye have not hearkened, And ye do the evil thing in Mine eyes, And on that which I desired not -- fixed.
13 Therefore, thus said the Lord Jehovah: Lo, My servants do eat, and ye do hunger, Lo, My servants do drink, and ye do thirst, Lo, My servants rejoice, and ye are ashamed,
14 Lo, My servants sing from joy of heart, And ye cry from pain of heart, And from breaking of spirit ye do howl.
15 And ye have left your name For an oath for My chosen ones, And the Lord Jehovah hath put thee to death, And to His servants He giveth another name.
16 So that he who is blessing himself in the earth, Doth bless himself In the God of faithfulness, And he who is swearing in the earth, Doth swear by the God of faithfulness, Because the former distresses have been forgotten, And because they have been hid from Mine eyes.
17 For, lo, I am creating new heavens, and a new earth, And the former things are not remembered, Nor do they ascend on the heart.
18 But joy ye, and rejoice for ever, that I [am] Creator, For, lo, I am creating Jerusalem a rejoicing, And her people a joy.
19 And I have rejoiced in Jerusalem, And have joyed in My people, And not heard in her any more Is the voice of weeping, and the voice of crying.
20 There is not thence any more a suckling of days, And an aged man who doth not complete his days, For the youth a hundred years old dieth, And the sinner, a hundred years old, is lightly esteemed.
21 And they have built houses, and inhabited, And planted vineyards, and eaten their fruit.
22 They do not build, and another inhabit, They do not plant, and another eat, For as the days of a tree [are] the days of My people, And the work of their hands wear out do My chosen ones.
23 They labour not for a vain thing, Nor do they bring forth for trouble, For the seed of the blessed of Jehovah [are] they, And their offspring with them.
24 And it hath come to pass, They do not yet call, and I answer, They are yet speaking, and I hear.
25 Wolf and lamb do feed as one, And a lion as an ox eateth straw, As to the serpent -- dust [is] its food, They do no evil, nor destroy, In all My holy mountain, said Jehovah!
This the Lord says: “Heaven is my domain, and the earth is where I rest my feet. So do you really imagine you can build a house for me? Do I need a place to hangout?
I am the one who created EVERYTHING! They exist because I made them,” says the Lord. “These are the people I care for: the poor, humble people who obey my commands.
Some people kill bulls as a sacrifice, but they then beat-up people. They kill sheep as a sacrifice, but they also break the necks of dogs. They offer up grain offerings, but they also offer the blood of swine. They burn incense, but they also adore their worthless idols. They select their own direction, and they love their dreadful idols.
So I plan to use their own tricks. I will punish them using what they fear. I will do this because I called to them, but they did not respond. I called to them, but they did not listen. They did what I said is evil. They chose to do what I hated.
You who obey the Lord’s commands, listen to what he says: “Your brothers hated you. They turned against you because you obey me. Your brothers said, ‘When the Lord demonstrates His brilliance, then we will rejoice with you.’ But they will be punished.
Listen! There is a loud noise coming from the city and the Temple. It is the Lord punishing his enemies. He is giving them the punishment they deserve.
“A woman does not give birth before the pain. A woman must feel the pain of childbirth before she can see the boy she gives birth to. Who ever heard of such a thing? In the same way, no one ever saw a new world begin in one day. No one has ever heard of a new nation beginning in one day. But when Zion feels the pain, she will give birth to her children.
Likewise, I will not cause pain without allowing something new to be born.” The Lord says: “I promise that if I cause you the pain of birth, I will not stop you from establishing a new nation.” Your God said this.
Jerusalem and friends, be happy! All of you who were sad for her, be happy and rejoice with her!
Be happy that you will receive mercy like milk coming from her breast. Jerusalem’s “milk” will satisfy you! You will drink and enjoy her glory.
The Lord says: “Look, I will give Jerusalem peace flowing as a river. Wealth from all nations will flow into her. And like small babies, you will drink that ‘milk.’ I will embrace you in my arms, and bounce you on my knees.
I will comfort you like a mother comforting her child. You will be comforted in Jerusalem.”
When you see these things, you will be happy. You will be free and grow like grass. The Lord’s servants will observe His power, but His enemies will see his anger.
Look, the Lord is coming with fire. His armies are coming clouds of dust. He is angry, and He will punish His enemies in flames.
The Lord will judge the people and will punish them with fire and His sword. There will be many people killed by the Lord.
The Lord says, “These are the people who wash themselves and make themselves pure so that they can go into their pagan gardens to worship their idols. They follow each other into the gardens to eat meat from pigs, rats, and other vial things. But they will all be destroyed at once.
“They have evil thoughts --- do evil things, so I am arriving to punish them. I will gather all nations and all people. Everyone will be gathered together to see my Glory.
I will put a emblem on some of the people. I will send some of these saved people to the nations of Tarshish, Libya, Lud (the land of archers), Tubal, Greece, and distant lands. Those people have never heard my teachings. They have never seen my Glory. So the saved people will tell the nations of my glory.
And they will bring all your brothers and sisters from those other nations to my holy mountain Jerusalem as an offering to the Lord. Your brothers and sisters will ride on horses, mules, camels, and in chariots and wagons. They will be like the presents that the Israelites bring on clean plates to the Temple of the Lord.
I will also choose some of these people to be priests and Levites.” The Lord says.
The Lord says, “I will make a new world ---- both heavens and earth—that will last eternially. In the same way, your names and your children will always be with me.
Everyone will come to worship me on every worship day; they will come every Sabbath and every first day of the month. This is what I, the Lord, have said.
“Whoever goes out of the city will see dead bodies of those who sinned against me. The worms eating those bodies will eat forever, and the fires burning them are eternal. It will be horiffic to anyone witnessing it.”
Young's Literal Translation (YLT)
1 Thus said Jehovah: The heavens [are] My throne, And the earth My footstool, Where [is] this -- the house that ye build for Me? And where [is] this -- the place -- My rest?
2 And all these My hand hath made, And all these things are, An affirmation of Jehovah! And unto this one I look attentively, Unto the humble and bruised in spirit, And who is trembling at My word.
3 Whoso slaughtereth the ox smiteth a man, Whoso sacrificeth the lamb beheadeth a dog, Whoso is bringing up a present -- The blood of a sow, Whoso is making mention of frankincense, Is blessing iniquity. Yea, they have fixed on their own ways, And in their abominations their soul hath delighted.
4 I also -- I fix on their vexations, And their fears I bring in to them, Because I have called, and there is none answering, I spake, and they have not hearkened, And they do the evil things in Mine eyes, And on that which I desired not -- fixed.
5 Hear a word of Jehovah, Ye who are trembling unto His word, Said have your brethren who are hating you, Who are driving you out, for My name's sake: `Honoured is Jehovah, and we look on your joy,' But they are ashamed.
6 A voice of noise [is] from the city, a voice from the temple, The voice of Jehovah, giving recompence to His enemies.
7 Before she is pained she hath brought forth, Before a pang cometh to her, She hath delivered a male.
8 Who hath heard anything like this? Who hath seen anything like these? Is earth caused to bring forth in one day? Born is a nation at once? For she hath been pained, Zion also hath borne her sons.
9 `Do I bring to the birth, And not cause to bring forth?' saith Jehovah, `Am not I He who is causing to beget? I have also restrained,' said thy God.
10 Rejoice ye with Jerusalem, And be glad in her, all ye loving her, Rejoice ye with her for joy, All ye are mourning for her,
11 So that ye suck, and have been satisfied, From the breast of her consolations, So that ye wring out, and have delighted yourselves From the abundance of her honour.
12 For thus said Jehovah: `Lo, I am stretching out to her peace as a river, And as an overflowing stream the honour of nations, And ye have sucked, on the side ye are carried, And on the knees ye are dandled.
13 As one whom his mother comforteth, so do I comfort you, Yea, in Jerusalem ye are comforted.
14 And ye have seen, and rejoiced hath your heart, And your bones as tender grass do flourish, And the hand of Jehovah hath been known unto His servants, And He hath been indignant with His enemies.
15 For, lo, Jehovah in fire cometh, And as a hurricane His chariots, To refresh in fury His anger, And His rebuke in flames of fire.
16 For by fire and by His sword, Doth Jehovah do judgment with all flesh. And many have been Jehovah's pierced ones.'
17 Those sanctifying and cleansing themselves at the gardens, After Ahad in the midst, Eating flesh of the sow, And of the abomination, and of the mouse, Together are consumed, An affirmation of Jehovah.
18 And I -- their works and their thoughts, I come to gather all the nations and tongues, And they have come and seen My honour.
19 And I have set among them a sign, And have sent out of them those escaping unto the nations, (Tarshish, Pul, and Lud, drawing bow, Tubal and Javan, the isles that are far off,) Who have not heard My fame, nor seen Mine honour, And they have declared Mine honour among nations.
20 And they have brought all your brethren out of all the nations, A present to Jehovah, On horses, and on chariot, and on litters, And on mules, and on dromedaries, Unto My holy mountain Jerusalem, said Jehovah, As the sons of Israel bring the present in a clean vessel, Into the house of Jehovah.
21 And also of them I take for priests, For Levites, said Jehovah.
22 For, as the new heavens and the new earth that I am making, Are standing before Me, An affirmation of Jehovah! So remain doth your seed and your name.
23 And it hath been from month to month, And from sabbath to sabbath, Come do all flesh to bow themselves before Me, Said Jehovah.
24 And they have gone forth, And looked on the carcases of the men Who are transgressing against me, For their worm dieth not, And their fire is not quenched, And they have been an abhorrence to all flesh!
We are at the book of Jeremiah as revealed to the bachelor prophet. 1:1-19
These are God’s messages to Hilkiah's son Jeremiah the priest, residing in the town of Anathoth in the territory of Benjamin.
The first of these messages came to him in the 13th year in the reign of Amon’s son Josiah, king of Judah.
Other messages came during the reign of Josiah’s son Jehoiakim, king of Judah, and at various occasions until July of Josiah’s son Zedekiah king of Juda's 11th year of reign. At this time Jerusalem was captured and the people were taken away in slavery.
The Lord then told me the following:
“I totally knew you before you were conceived in your mother’s womb; before your birth I consecrated you and appointed you as my spokesman to the world.”
I said to God, “I can’t do this! I’m really too young! I’m only a youth!”
“Don’t say that,” He answered, “for you will go wherever I send you and speak whatever I reveal to you.
Don’t fear the people, for I, the Lord, will be beside you and get you through it all.”
Then he touched my mouth and said, “See, I have put My words in your mouth!
Today your work begins, to warn the nations and the kingdoms of the world. Accordingly, with My words spoken from your mouth I will pull down some destroying them, and plant others ---- nurturing them, and making them strong and great.”
Then the Lord said to me, “Look, Jeremiah! What do you perceive?” And I replied, “I see a switch made from the branch of an almond tree.”
And the Lord replied, “Correct, and it means that I will surely carry out my threatened punishment.”
The Lord asked me, “What do you now see presently?” And I replied, “I see a pot of boiling water, tipping over southward, spilling over Judah.”
He said, “Exactly, for terror from the north will boil out upon all the people of this country.
I am calling the armies of the kingdoms of the north to come to Jerusalem and set their thrones at the gates of the city and along its walls, and throughout the other communities of Judah.
This is the way I will punish my people for ignoring Me and worshiping other gods—idols of their own design!
Get up, dress, and go out and tell them whatever I tell you to say. Don’t fear them, or else I will frighten you before them.
For realize that today I have made you impervious to their attacks. They cannot hurt you. You are strong like a fortified city that cannot be captured, like an iron pillar and heavy armored walls of brass. All the kings of Judah, its officers, priests, and people will not be able to overcome you.
They will try, but will fail. For I am with you,” says the Lord. “I'll deliver you.”
Young's Literal Translation (YLT)
1 Words of Jeremiah son of Hilkiah, of the priests who [are] in Anathoth, in the land of Benjamin,
2 unto whom the word of Jehovah hath been in the days of Josiah son of Amon, king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign,
3 and it is in the days of Jehoiakim son of Josiah, king of Judah, till the completion of the eleventh year of Zedekiah son of Josiah, king of Judah, till the removal of Jerusalem in the fifth month.
4 And there is a word of Jehovah unto me, saying,
5 `Before I form thee in the belly, I have known thee; and before thou comest forth from the womb I have separated thee, a prophet to nations I have made thee.'
6 And I say, `Ah, Lord Jehovah! lo, I have not known -- to speak, for I [am] a youth.'
7 And Jehovah saith unto me, `Do not say, I [am] a youth, for to all to whom I send thee thou goest, and all that I command thee thou speakest.
8 Be not afraid of their faces, for with thee [am] I to deliver thee, -- an affirmation of Jehovah.'
9 And Jehovah putteth forth His hand, and striketh against my mouth, and Jehovah saith unto me, `Lo, I have put my words in thy mouth.
10 See, I have charged thee this day concerning the nations, and concerning the kingdoms, to pluck up, and to break down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant.'
11 And there is a word of Jehovah unto me, saying, `What art thou seeing, Jeremiah?' And I say, `A rod of an almond tree I am seeing.'
12 And Jehovah saith unto me, `Thou hast well seen: for I am watching over My word to do it.'
13 And there is a word of Jehovah unto me a second time, saying, `What art thou seeing?' And I say, `A blown pot I am seeing, and its face [is] from the north.'
14 And Jehovah saith unto me, `From the north is the evil loosed against all inhabitants of the land.
15 For, lo, I am calling for all families of the kingdoms of the north, -- an affirmation of Jehovah -- and they have come, and put each his throne at the opening of the gates of Jerusalem, and by its walls round about, and by all cities of Judah.
16 And I have spoken My judgments with them concerning all their evil, in that they have forsaken Me, and make perfume to other gods, and bow themselves to the works of their own hands.
17 `And thou, thou dost gird up thy loins, and hast arisen, and spoken unto them all that I command thee: be not affrighted because of them, lest I affright thee before them.
18 And I, lo, I have given thee this day for a fenced city, and for an iron pillar, and for brazen walls over all the land, to the kings of Judah, to its heads, to its priests, and to the people of the land;
19 and they have fought against thee, and they prevail not against thee; for with thee [am] I, -- an affirmation of Jehovah -- to deliver thee.
Last edited by Guest on Thu Mar 10, 2016 7:59 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Jeremiah is the bachelor prophet. God would not permit homeless Jeremiah to marry, likely because the bizarre behavior required by his job would have been difficult for any woman.
The word of the Lord came to me: “Go and announce loudly in Jerusalem:
This is what the Lord says: “‘I remember the loyalty of your youth, how as a bride you adored me and followed me through the wilderness, through a land not seeded.
Israel was holy to the Lord, the firstfruits of his harvest, all who consumed her were held accountable, and disaster caught up with them,’" pronounced the Lord.
Listen to the word of the Lord, you descendants of Jacob, tribes of Israel.
This is what the Lord says:
“What wrong did your ancestors discover with me, that they wandered far from me -- following worthless idols ---- becoming without value themselves?
They never asked, ‘Where is the Lord, who brought us up out of Egypt and led us through the barren wilderness, through a land of deserts and crags, a land of drought and utter darkness, a land where no one journeys and survives?’
I brought you into a fertile land to eat its fruit and rich produce. But you came and defiled my land and made my inheritance disgusting.
The priests never requested, ‘Where is the Lord?’ Those dealing with the law did not know me; the leaders rebelled against me. The prophets prophesied through Baal, and empty statuary.
“Therefore I bring charges against you again,” declares the Lord. “And I will bring charges against your decedents.
Cross over to the coasts of Cyprus and look, investigate Kedar and observe closely; note if such a thing has occurred before
Has a nation ever changed gods? (Yet, are such actually god's.) But my people have traded their glorious God for worthless idols.
So be disgusted heavens, and be chilled in horror,” declares the Lord.
“My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me (the fountain of living water), and have dug their own cisterns (that leak) .
Is Israel a servant, a slave by birth? Why then has he become plunder?
Lions roared; growling at him. They made his land destitute ---- his towns are burned and empty ruins.
Also, the men of Memphis and Tahpanhes have cracked your skull.
Have you not brought this on yourselves by forsaking the Lord your God when he led you along?
Now why go to Egypt to drink water from the Nile, and to Assyria to drink water from the Euphrates?
Your wickedness will punish you; your backsliding will rebuke you. Ponder and understand how evil and difficult it gets for you when you forsake the Lord your God and have no regard of me,” Declares the Lord, the Lord Almighty.
Long ago you broke off your yoke and threw off your bonds. You said, ‘I will not serve you!’ Indeed, on every high hill and under every spreading tree you prostitute yourself with false gods.
I had planted you like a select vine of healthy and reliable stock. How then did you turn against me into a corrupt, wild weed?
Although you wash yourself with soap and use lots of cleanser, the stain of your guilt is still before me,” declares the Sovereign Lord.
How can you say that you're not defiled; I have not run after the Baals’? See how you behaved in the valley; consider what you have done. You are a swift she-camel running helter-skelter,
Such a wild donkey accustomed to the desert, sniffing the wind in her sexual craving—in her heat who can hold her? Any males pursuing her need not tire themselves; at mating time they will find her.
Do not run until your feet are bare and your throat is parched. But you said, ‘It’s no use! I love foreign gods, and I must chase after them.’
As a thief is mortified when he is caught, so the people of Israel are mortified— they, their kings, their officials, their priests and their prophets.
They say to wood, ‘You are my father,’ and to stone, ‘You gave me birth.’ They have turned their backs to me and not their faces; yet when they are in trouble, they cry, ‘Help! save us!’
Where then are the gods you fabricated for yourselves? Let them come if they can save you when you are in trouble! For you, Judah, have a designer god for every village.
Why do you bring charges and rebel against Me,” declares the Lord.
Vainly I punished your people; they did not respond to correction. Your sword has made minced meat of your prophets like a hungry lion.
You of this generation, consider the Lord's word: “Have I been a desert to Israel or a land of terrible darkness? Why do My people gloat, ‘We are free to roam; we will not return to You any more’?
Does a young woman forget her jewelry, a bride her wedding ornaments? Yet my people have ignored me, endlessly.
How skilled you are at pursuing love! Even the most wicked of women can learn from your example.
Upon your clothes is found the lifeblood of the innocent poor, though you did not discover them breaking in.
Yet in spite of everything you say, ‘I am innocent; He is not angry with me.’ But I will judge you because you say, ‘I'm sinless.’
Why do you flit about so much, changing direction? Egypt will be a disappointment to you, same as was Assyria.
You will also leave that place with your head in your hands, for the Lord has rejected those you trust; you'll get no help from them."
Young's Literal Translation (YLT)
1 And there is a word of Jehovah unto me, saying,
2 `Go, and thou hast called in the ears of Jerusalem, saying, Thus said Jehovah: I have remembered for thee The kindness of thy youth, the love of thine espousals, Thy going after Me in a wilderness, in a land not sown.
3 Holy [is] Israel to Jehovah, The first-fruit of His increase, All consuming him are guilty, Evil cometh in unto them, an affirmation of Jehovah.
4 Hear a word of Jehovah, O house of Jacob, And all ye families of the house of Israel.
5 Thus said Jehovah: What -- have your fathers found in Me perversity, That they have gone far off from Me, And go after the vanity, and become vain,
6 And have not said, Where [is] Jehovah, Who bringeth us up out of the land of Egypt, Who leadeth us in a wilderness, In a land of deserts and pits, In a dry land, and of death-shade, In a land -- none hath passed through it, Nor dwelt hath man there?'
7 Yea, I bring you in to a land of fruitful fields, To eat its fruit and its goodness, And ye come in and defile My land, And Mine inheritance have made an abomination.
8 The priests have not said, `Where [is] Jehovah?' And those handling the law have not known Me. And the shepherds transgressed against Me, And the prophets have prophesied by Baal, And after those who profit not have gone.
9 Therefore, yet I plead with you, An affirmation of Jehovah, And with your sons' sons I plead.
10 For, pass to the isles of Chittim, and see, And to Kedar send, and consider well, And see if there hath been like this:
11 Hath a nation changed gods? (And they [are] no gods!) And My people hath changed its honour For that which doth not profit.
12 Be astonished, ye heavens, at this, Yea, be frightened, be greatly wasted, An affirmation of Jehovah.
13 For two evils hath My people done, Me they have forsaken, a fountain of living waters, To hew out for themselves wells -- broken wells, That contain not the waters.
14 A servant [is] Israel? Is he a child of the house? Wherefore hath he been for a prey?
15 Against him roar do young lions, They have given forth their voice, And make his land become a desolation, His cities have been burnt without inhabitant.
16 Also sons of Noph and Tahapanes Consume thee -- the crown of the head!
17 Dost thou not do this to thyself? [By] thy forsaking Jehovah thy God, At the time He is leading thee in the way?
18 And now, what -- to thee in the way of Egypt, To drink the waters of Sihor? And what -- to thee in the way of Asshur, To drink the waters of the River?
19 Instruct thee doth thy wickedness, And thy backslidings reprove thee, Know and see that an evil and a bitter thing [Is] thy forsaking Jehovah thy God, And My fear not being on thee, An affirmation of the Lord Jehovah of Hosts.
20 For from of old thou hast broken thy yoke, Drawn away thy bands, and sayest, `I do not serve,' For, on every high height, and under every green tree, Thou art wandering -- a harlot.
21 And I planted thee a choice vine, wholly a true seed, And how hast thou been turned to Me, To the degenerate shoots of a strange vine?
22 But though thou dost wash with nitre, And dost multiply to thyself soap, Marked is thine iniquity before Me, An affirmation of the Lord Jehovah.
23 How sayest thou, `I have not been defiled, After the Baalim I have not gone?' See thy way in a valley, know what thou hast done, A swift dromedary winding her ways,
24 A wild ass accustomed to a wilderness, In the desire of her soul she hath swallowed up wind, Her meeting -- who doth turn her back? None seeking her do weary themselves, In her month they find her.
25 Withhold thy foot from being unshod, And thy throat from thirst, And thou sayest, `It is incurable, No, for I have loved strangers, and after them I go.'
26 As the shame of a thief when he is found, So put to shame have been the house of Israel, They, their kings, their heads, And their priests, and their prophets,
27 Saying to wood, `My father [art] thou!' And to a stone, `Thou hast brought me forth,' For they turned unto me the back and not the face, And in the time of their vexation, They say, `Arise Thou, and save us.'
28 And where [are] thy gods, that thou hast made to thyself? Let them arise, if they may save thee, In the time of thy vexation, For -- the number of thy cities have been thy gods, O Judah,
29 Why do ye strive with Me? All of you have transgressed against Me, An affirmation of Jehovah.
30 In vain I have smitten your sons, Instruction they have not accepted, Devoured hath your sword your prophets, As a destroying lion.
31 O generation, see ye the word of Jehovah: A wilderness have I been to Israel? A land of thick darkness? Wherefore have My people said, `We mourned, We come not in again unto Thee.'
32 Doth a virgin forget her ornaments? A bride her bands? And My people have forgotten Me days without number.
33 What -- dost thou make pleasing thy ways to seek love? Therefore even the wicked thou hast taught thy ways.
34 Also in thy skirts hath been found the blood of innocent needy souls, Not by digging have I found them, but upon all these.
35 And thou sayest, `Because I have been innocent, Surely turned back hath His anger from me?' Lo, I have been judged with thee, Because of thy saying, `I have not sinned.'
36 What? thou art very vile to repeat thy way, Even of Egypt thou art ashamed, As thou hast been ashamed of Asshur,
37 Also from this thou goest out, And thy hands on thy head, For Jehovah hath kicked at thy confidences, And thou dost not give prosperity to them!
If a man divorces his wife, and she leaves and becomes another man’s, shall go back to again to her? Shall not that land be greatly polluted? But you have played the harlot with loads of lovers; yet return again to Me, says the Lord.
Look up to the high places, and observe! Where exactly have you not been ravished? In the roads you have sat for them as the Arabian in the wilderness. And you polluted the land with your prostitution and wickedness.
As a result the showers have been withheld, and there has been no latter rain. (Drought) And you had a harlot’s decorated forehead; you refused to be ashamed.
Wont you from this time cry to Me, “My Father, You are the guide of my youth?
Shall He withhold His anger forever? Shall He hold it to the end?” Really, you have spoken and done evil things whenever possible.
The Lord said additionally to Jeremiah during the reign of Josiah the king, "Have you seen that which Israel has done while backslidden? She has gone up on every high mountain and under every green tree, and there has played being a prostitute.
I said after she had finished all such things, “Turn to Me.” But she did not return. And her treacherous sister Judah saw it.
I saw that for all the adulteries of backsliding Israel, I had put her away and given her a bill of divorce. Yet her treacherous sister Judah showed no regard, but went and played the harlot also.
Through the exposure of her harlotry she defiled the land and committed adultery with stones and with trees.
Yet with all this, her treacherous sister Judah has not turned to Me wholeheartedly, but pretended, says the Lord.
The Lord said to me, "Backsliding Israel has proved herself more righteous than treacherous Judah.
Go and proclaim these words northward, and say, "Come back, backsliding Israel", says the Lord, "and I will not allow My anger to come down on you. For I am merciful, and I will not remain angry forever.
Only acknowledge your sin, that you have transgressed against the Lord your God and have demonstrated your ways to the strangers under every green tree, and you have not obeyed My voice."
Return, dear backsliding sons, says the Lord. For I am married to you. And I will take you, one from a city and two from a family, and I will bring you to Zion.
And I will provide shepherds according to My heart, who shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.
It shall come to pass when you are multiplied and increased in the land in those days, says the Lord, they will no longer mention, “The ark of the covenant of the Lord.” It will not come to mind, nor remember it, nor will they call for it, nor will it be made any more.
At that day they will call Jerusalem, the Throne of the Lord, and all the nations will be gathered to it, to Jerusalem, for the name of the Lord. They will never walk again after the stubbornness of their evil hearts.
In those days the house of Judah will follow along with the house of Israel, and they will unite out of the land of the north to the land that I have given to your fathers for an inheritance.
But I said, "How can I put you among My sons and give you a pleasant land, the most beautiful heritage of the nations?" Additionally, you shall call Me, My Father, and shall not leave Me.
"Surely as a wife treacherously departs from her husband, so you have dealt treacherously with Me, Dear house of Israel," says the Lord.
A voice was heard upon the high places, the weeping and pleading of the sons of Israel, because they have perverted their way, they have forgotten the Lord their God.
Return, O backsliding sons, and I will heal your backslidings. “We come to You; for You are the Lord our God."
Truly in vain is salvation hoped for from the hills, and from the multitude of mountains. Truly, in the Lord our God is the salvation of Israel.
For shame has devoured the labor of our fathers from our youth, their flocks and their herds, their sons and their daughters.
We're prostrate in our shame, and our humiliation buries us. For we have sinned against the Lord our God, we and our ancestors, from our youth even to today, and have not obeyed the voice of the Lord our God.
Young's Literal Translation (YLT)
1 Saying, `Lo, one sendeth away his wife, And she hath gone from him, And she hath been to another man, Doth he turn back unto her again? Greatly defiled is not that land? And thou hast committed whoredom with many lovers, And turn again to Me, an affirmation of Jehovah.
2 Lift thine eyes to the high places, and see, Where hast thou not been lain with? On the ways thou hast sat for them, As an Arab in a wilderness, And thou defilest the land, By thy fornications, and by thy wickedness.
3 And withheld are showers, and gathered rain hath not been. The forehead of a whorish woman thou hast, Thou hast refused to be ashamed.
4 Hast thou not henceforth called to Me, `My father, Thou [art] the leader of my youth?
5 Doth He keep to the age? watch for ever?' Lo, these things thou hast spoken, And thou dost the evil things, and prevailest.
6 And Jehovah saith unto me, in the days of Josiah the king, `Hast thou seen that which backsliding Israel hath done? She is going on every high mountain, and unto the place of every green tree, and committeth fornication there.
7 And I say, after her doing all these, Unto Me thou dost turn back, and she hath not turned back, and see [it] doth her treacherous sister Judah.
8 And I see when (for all the causes whereby backsliding Israel committed adultery) I have sent her away, and I give the bill of her divorce unto her, that treacherous Judah her sister hath not feared, and goeth and committeth fornication -- she also.
9 And it hath come to pass, from the vileness of her fornication, that the land is defiled, and she committeth fornication with stone and with wood.
10 And even in all this her treacherous sister Judah hath not turned back unto Me with all her heart, but with falsehood, an affirmation of Jehovah.'
11 And Jehovah saith unto me: `Justified herself hath backsliding Israel, More than treacherous Judah.
12 Go, and thou hast proclaimed these words toward the north, and hast said, Turn back, O backsliding Israel, An affirmation of Jehovah! I cause not Mine anger to fall upon you, For I [am] kind, an affirmation of Jehovah, I watch not to the age.
13 Only, know thine iniquity, For against Jehovah thy God thou hast transgressed, And thou dost scatter thy ways to strangers, Under every green tree, And to My voice thou hast not hearkened, An affirmation of Jehovah.
14 Turn back, O backsliding sons, An affirmation of Jehovah. For I have ruled over you, And taken you one of a city, and two of a family, And have brought you to Zion,
15 And I have given to you shepherds According to Mine own heart, And they have fed you with knowledge and understanding.
16 And it hath come to pass, when ye are multiplied, And have been fruitful in the land, In those days -- an affirmation of Jehovah, They say not any more, `The ark of the covenant of Jehovah,' Nor doth it go up on the heart, Nor do they remember concerning it, Nor do they inspect, nor is it made again.
17 At that time they cry to Jerusalem, `O throne of Jehovah,' And gathered unto her hath been all the nations, For the name of Jehovah, to Jerusalem, Nor do they go any more after the stubbornness of their evil heart.
18 In those days do the house of Judah Go unto the house of Israel, And they come together from the land of the south, unto the land That I caused your fathers to inherit.
19 And I have said, How do I put thee among the sons, And give to thee a desirable land, A beauteous inheritance of the hosts of nations, And I say, My father -- ye do call to Me, And from after Me ye do not turn back.
20 But -- a woman hath deceived her friend, So ye have dealt treacherously with Me, O house of Israel, an affirmation of Jehovah.
21 A voice on high places is heard -- weeping, Supplications of the sons of Israel, For they have made perverse their way, They have forgotten Jehovah their God.
22 Turn back, O backsliding sons, I cause your backslidings to cease. -- Behold us, we have come to Thee, For Thou [art] Jehovah our God.
23 Surely in vain from the heights, The multitude of mountains -- Surely in Jehovah our God [is] the salvation of Israel.
24 And the shameful thing hath devoured The labour of our fathers from our youth, Their flock and their herd, Their sons and their daughters.
25 We have lain down in our shame, and cover us doth our confusion, For against Jehovah our God we have sinned, We, and our fathers, from our youth even unto this day, Nor have we hearkened to the voice of Jehovah our God!
“Israel, if you wish to come back to Me, says the Lord, you must eliminate those disgusting idols from my sight and must no longer go astray.
You must be truthful, honest and upright when you make oath saying, ‘As surely as the Lord lives!’ If you do, the nations will pray to be as blessed by Him as you are and will make Him the object of their boasts.”
Yes, the Lord has this to say to the citizen of Judah and Jerusalem: “Like a farmer breaking up hard virgin ground, you must break your rebellious will and start a new; just as a farmer must clear away thorns unless the seed is wasted, you must get rid of the sin that is ruining your lives.
Just as ritual circumcision trims away the foreskin as an external symbol of dedicated covenant commitment, you must genuinely dedicate yourselves to the Lord and get rid of everything that hinders your commitment to Me, citizens of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem. If you do not, my anger will ignite like a blaze against you that no one will be able to extinguish. That will happen because of the evil you have done.”
The Lord said, “Announce this in Judah and proclaim it in Jerusalem: ‘Sound the trumpet throughout the land!’ Shout out loudly, ‘Gather together! Let us run inside the fortified cities!’
Raise a signal banner that tells people to go to Zion. Run for safety without delay! For I am about to bring disaster from the north ---- bring great destruction.
Like a lion that has come up from its lair the one who destroys nations has set out from his home base. He's arriving to lay your land waste. Your cities will become ruins and be ghost towns.
So put on sackcloth! Mourn and wail, saying, ‘The fierce anger of the Lord has not been deflected from us!’”
“When this happens,” says the Lord, “the king and his officials will lose their courage. The priests will be horror struck, and the prophets will be speechless in astonishment.”
In answer to all this Jeremiah said, “Ah, Lord God, you have surely allowed the people of Judah and Jerusalem to be deceived by those who say, ‘You will be safe!’ But in fact a sword is already at our throats.”
“At that time the people of Judah and Jerusalem will be told, ‘A searing wind will swoop down from the hilltops in the desert on my dear people. It wont be a gentle breeze for winnowing the grain to blowing away the chaff.
No, a wind too strong for that will come at My bidding. Yes, even now I, myself, am calling down judgment on them.’
Look! The enemy is approaching like gathering clouds. The roar of his chariots is like that of a tornado. His horses swifter than eagles.” Jeremiah cries, “We are doomed, for we will be destroyed!”
“Oh people of Jerusalem, purify your hearts from evil so that you may yet be delivered. How long will you continue to stockpile wicked schemes inside you?
For messengers are coming, announcing disaster, from the city of Dan and from the hills of Ephraim.
They are saying, ‘Announce to the surrounding nations, “The enemy is arriving!” Proclaim this message to Jerusalem: “Those who besiege cities are coming from a faraway land. They are ready to raise the battle cry against the communities of Judah.”’
They will surround Jerusalem like men guarding a field because they have rebelled against me,” says the Lord.
“The way you lived and the things you have done will bring this upon you. This is the punishment you deserve, and it will be painful indeed. The pain will be so bad it will run you through.”
Jeremiah said, "Oh, the feeling in the pit of my stomach! I writhe in anguish. Oh, the pain in my chest! My heart pounds within me. I cannot stay silent. For I hear the sound of the trumpet; the sound of the battle cry torments my soul!
I see one cataclysm upon another happening, so that the whole land lies ruined. I see our tents suddenly destroyed, their curtains torn down in a mere instant.
“How long must I view the enemy’s battle flags and hear the military signals upon bugles?”
The Lord answered, “This will happen because my people are foolish. They do not know me. They are like children with no sense, no understanding. They are skilled at doing evil. They do not know how to do what is right.”
“I looked at the land and saw that it was an empty wasteland. I looked up at the sky, and its light had vanished.
I looked at the mountains and saw that they were shaking. All the hills were swaying back and forth!
I looked and saw that there were no more people, and that all the birds in the sky had migrated away.
I looked and saw that the fruitful land had turned to a desert and that all of the cities were only ruins. The Lord brought this all about because of His intense anger."
All this will happen because the Lord said, “The entire country will be desolate; however, I will not completely destroy it.
Because of this the land will mourn and the sky above will grow black. For I have made my purpose known and will not relent or retreat from carrying it out.”
At the sound of the approaching horsemen and archers the people of every town will scatter. Some of them will hide in thickets. Others will climb up among the rocks. All the cities will be emptied. No one will remain in them.
And you, Zion, city doomed to destruction, you accomplish nothing by wearing a beautiful dress, decking yourself out in jewels of gold, and putting on eye shadow! You are beautifying for nothing. Your lovers ignore you. They want you dead.
In fact, I hear a cry like that of a woman in labor, a cry of anguish like that of a woman giving birth to her first child. It is the cry of Daughter Zion gasping for breath, reaching out for assistance, crying “I am worn out! My life is drifting away before these murderers!”
Young's Literal Translation (YLT)
1 If thou dost turn back, O Israel, An affirmation of Jehovah, unto Me turn back, And if thou dost turn aside Thine abominations from My face, Then thou dost not bemoan.
2 And thou hast sworn -- Jehovah liveth, In truth, in judgment, and in righteousness, And blessed themselves in Him have nations, And in Him they boast themselves.
3 For thus said Jehovah, To the man of Judah, and to Jerusalem: Till for yourselves tillage, And do not sow unto the thorns.
4 Be circumcised to Jehovah, And turn aside the foreskins of your heart, O man of Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, Lest My fury go out as fire, and hath burned, And there is none quenching, Because of the evil of your doings.
5 Declare in Judah, and in Jerusalem sound, And say ye, `Blow a trumpet in the land,' Call ye fully, and say ye: `Be gathered, and we go in to the fenced city.'
6 Lift up an ensign Zionward, Strengthen yourselves, stand not still, For evil I am bringing in from the north, And a great destruction.
7 Gone up hath a lion from his thicket, And a destroyer of nations hath journeyed, He hath come forth from his place To make thy land become a desolation, Thy cities are laid waste, without inhabitant.
8 For this, gird on sackcloth, lament and howl, For the fierce anger of Jehovah hath not turned back from us.
9 And it hath come to pass, in that day, An affirmation of Jehovah: `Perish doth the heart of the king, And the heart of the princes, And astonished have been the priests, And the prophets do wonder.'
10 And I say, `Ah, Lord Jehovah, Surely thou hast entirely forgotten this people and Jerusalem, saying, Peace is for you, And struck hath a sword unto the soul!'
11 At that time it is said of this people, And of Jerusalem: `A dry wind of high places in the wilderness,' The way of the daughter of My people, (Not for winnowing, nor for cleansing,)
12 A full wind from these doth come for Me, Now, also, I speak judgments with them.
13 Lo, as clouds he cometh up, And as a hurricane his chariots, Lighter than eagles have been his horses, Wo to us, for we have been spoiled.
14 Wash from evil thy heart, O Jerusalem, That thou mayest be saved, Till when dost thou lodge in thy heart Thoughts of thy strength?
15 For a voice is declaring from Dan, And sounding sorrow from mount Ephraim.
16 Make ye mention to the nations, Lo, sound ye to Jerusalem: `Besiegers are coming from the land afar off, And they give forth against cities of Judah their voice.
17 As the keepers of a field They have been against her round about, For with Me she hath been rebellious, An affirmation of Jehovah.'
18 Thy way and thy doings have done these to thee, This [is] thy vexation, for [it is] bitter, For it hath struck unto thy heart.
19 My bowels, my bowels! I am pained [at] the walls of my heart, Make a noise for me doth My heart, I am not silent, For the voice of a trumpet I have heard, O my soul -- a shout of battle!
20 Destruction on destruction is proclaimed, For spoiled hath been all the land, Suddenly spoiled have been my tents, In a moment -- my curtains.
21 Till when do I see an ensign? Do I hear the voice of a trumpet?
22 For my people [are] foolish, me they have not known, Foolish sons [are] they, yea, they [are] not intelligent, Wise [are] they to do evil, And to do good they have not known.
23 I looked [to] the land, and lo, waste and void, And unto the heavens, and their light is not.
24 I have looked [to] the mountains, And lo, they are trembling. And all the hills moved themselves lightly.
25 I have looked, and lo, man is not, And all fowls of the heavens have fled.
26 I have looked, and lo, The fruitful place [is] a wilderness, And all its cities have been broken down, Because of Jehovah, Because of the fierceness of His anger.
27 For thus said Jehovah: All the land is a desolation, but a completion I make not.
28 For this doth the land mourn, And black have been the heavens above, because I have spoken -- I have purposed, And I have not repented, Nor do I turn back from it.
29 From the voice of the horseman, And of him shooting with the bow, all the city is fleeing, They have come into thickets, And on cliffs they have gone up, All the city is forsaken, And there is no one dwelling in them.
30 And thou, O spoiled one, what dost thou? For thou puttest on scarlet, For thou adornest thyself [with] ornaments of gold. For thou rendest with pain thine eyes, In vain thou dost make thyself fair, Kicked against thee have doting ones, Thy life they do seek.
31 For a voice as of a sick woman I have heard, Distress, as of one bringing forth a first-born, The voice of the daughter of Zion, She bewaileth herself, she spreadeth out her hands, `Wo to me now, for weary is my soul of slayers!'