Jeremiah 4:5-Jeremiah 6:30 - An Invasion From The North

⁵ Report this message in Judah. Make it heard in Jerusalem. Say: Blow the ram's horn throughout the land. Shout loudly and say: 'Assemble together! Let us go into the fortified cities.' ⁶ Raise the flag to signal people to go to Zion. Take cover! Do not just stand there! I am bringing disaster and widespread destruction from the north. ⁷ A lion has come out of its lair. A destroyer of nations has set out. He has left his place and is on his way to destroy your land. Your cities will be ruined. No one will live in them. ⁸ Dress in sackcloth, beat your breasts (mourn), and cry because Jehovah's burning anger has not turned back from us.

⁹ In that day, declares Jehovah, the king and the officials will lose their courage. The priests will be stunned. The prophets will be amazed and astonished.

¹⁰ I said, Lord Jehovah, you have greatly deceived these people and Jerusalem. You said that everything would go well for them, but a sword is held at their throats (threatens their lives).

¹¹ Then it will be said to these people and to Jerusalem: A hot wind from the heights will blow in the desert toward my people. It will not be a wind that winnows or cleanses. ¹² It will be a stronger wind than that. It will come from me. Now, I will pass sentence on them.

¹³ The enemy comes up like clouds. His chariots are like a raging wind. His horses are swifter than eagles. How horable it will be for us! We will be destroyed! ¹⁴ O Jerusalem, wash the evil from your heart so that you may be saved. How long will your wicked thoughts lodge within you? ¹⁵ A message is heard from Dan. A report of disaster comes from the mountains of Ephraim. ¹⁶ Warn the nations about this. Tell it to Jerusalem. Hostile troops are coming from a distant country. They shout battle cries against the cities of Judah. ¹⁷ They surround Judah like men guarding a field, because Judah has rebelled against me, declares Jehovah. ¹⁸ You brought this on yourself. This is your punishment. It is bitter. It breaks your heart.

¹⁹ O my anguish, my anguish! I writhe in pain. My heart pounds in side of me. My heart is pounding! I cannot keep quiet because I hear a ram's horn sounding the alarm for war. ²⁰ Destruction upon destruction is proclaimed. The whole land is ruined. My tents are suddenly destroyed. Their curtains are torn in an instant. ²¹ How long must I see the battle flag and hear the sound of rams' horns?

²² My people are fools. They do not know me. They are stupid people. They do not understand. They are experts in doing wrong, and they do not know how to do good.

²³ I see the earth. It is without form and empty. I see the sky. Its lights are gone. ²⁴ I see the mountains. They tremble and the hills sway. ²⁵ I see that there are no people, and every bird has flown away. ²⁶ I see that the fertile land has become a desert. Its cities are torn down because of Jehovah and his burning anger.

²⁷ Jehovah says: The whole earth will be ruined, although I will not entirely destroy it. ²⁸ The earth will mourn, and the sky will grow black. I have spoken, and I have determined it. I will not change my plans, and I will not turn back!

²⁹ All the people in the city will flee at the sound of riders and archers. They will go off into the thickets and climb among the rocks. The entire city will be abandoned. No one will live in it. ³⁰ You are going to be destroyed! What are you going to do? Why do you dress in scarlet (crimson) and put on gold jewelry? Why do you wear eye shadow? You are making yourself beautiful for nothing. Your lovers despise you. They want to kill you. ³¹ I hear a woman in labor. I hear the woman cry with anguish as she gives birth to her first child. My people Zion gasp for breath. They stretch out their hands and say: How horrible it is for us! My life is exhausted by the presence of murderers!

¹ People of Jerusalem, run through your streets! Look around and see for yourselves! Search the marketplaces! Can you find one person who does what is right and tries to be faithful to God? If you can, Jehovah will forgive Jerusalem. ² Even though you claim to worship Jehovah, you do not mean what you say. ³ Jehovah looks for faithfulness. He struck you, but you paid no attention. He crushed you, but you refused to learn. You were stubborn and would not turn from your sins.

⁴ I thought: These are only the poor and ignorant. They are foolish. They do not know what their God requires, what Jehovah wants them to do. ⁵ I will go to the great men (leaders) and talk with them. Surely they know what their God requires, what Jehovah wants them to do. But all of them have rejected Jehovah's authority and refuse to obey him. ⁶ That is why lions from the forest will kill them. Wolves from the desert will tear them to pieces, and leopards will prowl through their towns. If those people go out, they will be torn apart because their sins are numerous and time after time they have turned from God.

⁷ Jehovah asked: Why should I forgive the sins of my people? They have abandoned me and have worshiped gods that are not real. I fed my people until they were full, but they committed adultery and spent their time with prostitutes. ⁸ They were like well-fed stallions wild with desire, each lusting for his neighbor's wife. ⁹ Why should I not punish the people of Judah? Says Jehovah, Should I take retribution (vengeance)?

¹⁰ Go up through her vineyards and destroy them. But do not execute a complete destruction. Strip away her branches, for they are not Jehovah's. ¹¹ The house of Israel and the house of Judah have dealt very treacherously with me, says Jehovah. ¹² They lied about Jehovah. They said: It is not he, bad things will not happen to us. We will not see sword or famine. ¹³ The prophets are as wind! The word is not in them. Thus it will be done to them!

¹⁴ Jehovah, the God of hosts says: Because you have spoken this word and I am making my words fire in your mouth. This people are wood and will be consumed. ¹⁵ I am bringing a nation against you from afar, O house of Israel, declares Jehovah. It is an enduring nation. It is an ancient nation, a nation whose language you do not know. You cannot understand (comprehend) (make sense of) what they say. ¹⁶ Their quiver is like an open grave. All of them are mighty men. ¹⁷ They will devour your harvest and your food. They will devour your sons and your daughters. They will devour your flocks and your herds. They will devour your vines and your fig trees. They will demolish with the sword your fortified cities in which you trust.

¹⁸ Yet even in those days, says Jehovah, I will not make you a complete destruction. ¹⁹ They will ask: 'Why has Jehovah our God done all this to us?' Answer them: You have abandoned me and served foreign gods in your land. So you will serve foreigners in a land that is not yours.' ²⁰ Declare this to the house of Jacob, and make this heard in Judah:

²¹ Hear this, you stupid and senseless people! You have eyes, but you cannot see. You have ears, but you cannot hear.' ²² Do you not reverence (respect) me? Asks Jehovah. Do you not tremble [with awe] in my presence? I made the sand a boundary for the sea, a permanent barrier it cannot cross. Although the waves toss continuously, they cannot break through. Although they roar, they cannot cross it. ²³ These people are stubborn and rebellious. They have turned aside and departed from me. ²⁴ They do not say in their hearts, to themselves: 'We should respect Jehovah our God. He sends rain at the right time, the autumn rain and the spring rain. He makes sure that we have harvest seasons.' ²⁵ Your wickedness has turned these things away. Your sins have kept good things away from you. ²⁶ Wicked men are found among my people. They lie in ambush like bird catchers. They set traps and catch men. ²⁷ Like cages filled with birds, their houses are filled with deceit. That is why they become powerful and rich. ²⁸ They grow big and fat. Their evil deeds have no limits. They have no respect for the rights of others. They have no respect for the rights of orphans. But they still prosper. They do not defend the rights of the poor. ²⁹ I will punish them for these things, declares Jehovah. I will punish these people!

³⁰ Something horrible and disgusting is happening in the land. ³¹ Prophets prophesy falsehoods. Priests rule under the prophets' directions, and my people love this. But what will you do when the end comes?'

¹ Flee for safety people of Benjamin. Run from the midst of Jerusalem! Blow a ram's horn in Tekoa and raise a signal over Beth-haccerem. Evil looks down from the north. There is great destruction. ² I will destroy the beautiful and luxurious one, the daughter of Zion. ³ Shepherds and their flocks will come to her. They will pitch their tents around her. They will pasture each in his place. ⁴ Prepare for war against her. Arise, and let us attack at noon. Woe to us, for the day declines (is nearly over), for the shadows of the evening lengthen! ⁵ Arise, and let us attack at night and destroy her palaces!

⁶ Jehovah of Hosts says: Cut down trees and build up a siege against Jerusalem. This city should be punished, for there is only oppression in her. ⁷ As a well pours out its water, so Jerusalem pours out her wickedness. Violence and destruction are heard in her. Sickness and wounds are ever before me. ⁸ Be warned, O Jerusalem, I will be alienated from you. I will make you desolation, a land not inhabited.

⁹ Jehovah of Hosts says: They will thoroughly glean as the vine the remnant of Israel. Pass your hand again like a grape gatherer over the baskets.

¹⁰ To whom can I speak and give warning that they may hear? Their ears are closed and they cannot listen. Behold, the word of Jehovah has become a reproach to them. They have no delight in it. ¹¹ I am full of the wrath of Jehovah. I am weary with holding it in. Pour it out on the children in the street and on the gathering of young men together. For both husband and wife will be taken, the aged and the very old. ¹² Their houses, their fields and their wives will be turned over to others. I will stretch out my hand (extend my power) against the inhabitants of the land, declares Jehovah.

¹³ From the least of them even to the greatest of them, everyone is greedy for gain! From the prophet even to the priest everyone deals falsely! ¹⁴ Superficially they have healed the brokenness of my people. They declare: 'Peace! Peace!' But there is no peace.' ¹⁵ Are they ashamed because of the abomination they have done? They are not even ashamed! Not at all! They do not even know how to blush. Therefore they will fall among those who fall. When I punish them, they will be cast down, says Jehovah.

¹⁶ Jehovah says: Stand by the way [of life] and see and ask for the ancient paths. Walk in the good way and you will find rest. But you said: We will not walk in it! ¹⁷ I set watchmen over you. I said: 'Listen to the sound of the trumpet! But they said: 'We will not listen!'

¹⁸ Therefore hear, O nations, and know, O congregation, what is among them. ¹⁹ Hear, O earth: behold, I am bringing disaster on this people as the fruit of their plans. This is because they have not listened to my words, and have rejected my law. ²⁰ What purpose does frankincense come to me from Sheba and the sweet cane from a distant land? Your burnt offerings are not acceptable and your sacrifices are not pleasing to me. ²¹ Therefore, Jehovah says: I am laying stumbling blocks before this people. They will stumble against them, Fathers and sons together; Neighbors and friends will perish.

²² Jehovah says: Behold, a people is coming from the northland! A great nation will be aroused from the remote parts of the earth. ²³ They seize bow and spear. They are cruel and have no mercy. Their voice roars like the sea, and they ride on horses. They are arrayed as a man for the battle against you, O daughter of Zion!

²⁴ We have heard the report! Our hands are limp. Anguish has seized us! We have pain like a woman in childbirth. ²⁵ Do not go out into the field. Do not walk on the road. The enemy has a sword and terror is on every side. ²⁶ O my people put on sackcloth and roll in ashes. Mourn as for an only son, a lamentation most bitter. For suddenly the destroyer will come upon us.

²⁷ I have made you an assayer and a tester among my people. You will know and assay their course of life. ²⁸ All of them are stubborn rebels. They go about telling false stories. They are copper and iron. They are all corrupt, all of them! ²⁹ The bellows blow fiercely and the fire consumes the lead. The refining goes on in vain, but the wicked are not separated. ³⁰ They call them rejected silver, for Jehovah has rejected them.