Jeremiah:4

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* "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 !'

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