1  THE WORDS of Jeremiah the son of Hilkiah, of the priests that were in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin,

2  to whom the word of YHWH came in the days of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign.

2  accordingly as the word of God came to him in the days of Josias son of Amos king of Juda, in the thirteenth year of his reign.

2  The word of the Lord, which came to him in the days of Josiah, the son of Amon, king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign,

3  It came also in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, unto the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah the son of Josiah, king of Judah, unto the carrying away of Jerusalem captive in the fifth month.

3  And it was in the days of Joakim, son of Josias king of Juda, until the eleventh year of Sedekias king of Juda, even until the captivity of Jerusalem in the fifth month.

3  and which came to him in the days of Jehoiakim, the son of Josiah, king of Judah, even until the completion of the eleventh year of Zedekiah, the son of Josiah, king of Judah, even until the transmigration of Jerusalem in the fifth month.

4  And the word of YHWH came unto me, saying

4  Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

5  Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee, and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee; I have appointed thee a prophet unto the nations.

5  “Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you. And before you went forth from the womb, I sanctified you. And I made you a prophet to the nations.”

6  Then said I: 'Ah, Lord GOD! behold, I cannot speak; for I am a child.'

6  And I said, O Lord, thou that art supreme Lord, behold, I know not how to speak, for I am a child.

6  And I said: “Alas, alas, alas, Lord God! Behold, I do not know how to speak, for I am a boy.”

7  But YHWH said unto me: say not: I am a child; for to whomsoever I shall send thee thou shalt go, and whatsoever I shall command thee thou shalt speak.

7  And the Lord said to me, Say not, I am a child: for thou shalt go to all to whomsoever I shall send thee, and according to all the words that I shall command thee, thou shalt speak.

7  And the Lord said to me: “Do not choose to say, ‘I am a boy.’ For you shall go forth to everyone to whom I will send you. And you shall speak all that I will command you.

8  Be not afraid of them; for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith YHWH.

8  You should not be afraid before their face. For I am with you, so that I may deliver you,” says the Lord.

9  Then YHWH put forth His hand, and touched my mouth; and the YHWH said unto me: Behold, I have put My words in thy mouth;

9  And the Lord stretched forth his hand to me, and touched my mouth: and the Lord said to me, Behold, I have put my words into thy mouth.

9  Then the LORD put forth his hand and touched my mouth. And the LORD said to me, Behold, I have put my words in your mouth.

10  See, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out and to pull down, and to destroy and to overthrow; to build, and to plant.

10  Behold, I have appointed thee this day over nations and over kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to rebuild, and to plant.

10  Behold, today I have appointed you over nations and over kingdoms, so that you may root up, and pull down, and destroy, and scatter, and so that you may build and plant.”

11  Moreover the word of YHWH came unto me, saying: 'Jeremiah, what seest thou?' And I said: 'I see a rod of an almond-tree.'

11  And the word of the Lord came to me, saying, What seest thou? And I said, A rod of an almond tree.

12  Then said YHWH unto me: 'Thou hast well seen; for I watch over My word to perform it.'

12  And the Lord said to me, Thou hast well seen: for I have watched over my words to perform them.

12  Then the LORD said to me, You have well seen; for I will hasten my word to perform it.

13  And the word of YHWH came unto me the second time, saying: 'What seest thou?' And I said: 'I see a seething pot; and the face thereof is from the north.'

13  And the word of the Lord came to me a second time, saying, “What do you see?” And I said, “I see a cooking pot upon a fire, and its face is before the face of the north.”

14  Then YHWH said unto me: 'Out of the north the evil shall break forth upon all the inhabitants of the land.

14  And the Lord said to me, From the north shall flame forth evils upon all the inhabitants of the land.

15  For, lo, I will call all the families of the kingdoms of the north, saith YHWH; and they shall come, and they shall set every one his throne at the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem, and against all the walls thereof round about, and against all the cities of Judah.

15  For behold, I will call together all the close associates of the kingdoms of the north, says the Lord. And they will arrive, and each one of them will place his throne at the entrance to the gates of Jerusalem, and over all its surrounding walls, and over all the cities of Judah.

16  And I will utter My judgments against them touching all their wickedness; in that they have forsaken me, and have offered unto other gods, and worshipped the work of their own hands.

16  And I will speak to them in judgement, concerning all their iniquity, forasmuch as they have forsaken me, and sacrificed to strange gods, and worshipped the works of their own hands.

17  Thou therefore gird up thy loins, and arise, and speak unto them all that I command thee; be not dismayed at them, lest I dismay thee before them.

17  And do thou gird up thy loins, and stand up, and speak all the words that I shall command thee: be not afraid of their face, neither be thou alarmed before them; for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the Lord.

17  Therefore, you should gird your waist, and rise up, and speak to them everything that I instruct you. You should not have dread before their face. For I will cause you to be unafraid of their countenance.

18  For, behold, I have made thee this day a fortified city, and an iron pillar, and brazen walls, against the whole land, against the kings of Judah, against the princes thereof, against the priests thereof, and against the people of the land.

18  Behold, I have made thee this day as a strong city, and as a brazen wall, strong against all the kings of Juda, and the princes thereof, and the people of the land.

18  For certainly, this day, I have made you like a fortified city, and an iron pillar, and a brass wall, over all the land, to the kings of Judah, to its leaders, and to the priests, and to the people of the land.

19  And they shall fight against thee; but they shall not prevail against thee; For I am with thee, saith YHWH, to deliver thee.'

19  And they will make war against you, but they will not prevail. For I am with you, says the Lord, so that I may free you.”

19  And they shall fight with you; but they shall not prevail against you; for I am with you to deliver you, says the LORD.

2:1  And the word of YHWH came to me, saying

1  And he said, Thus saith the Lord,

1  MOREOVER the word of the LORD came upon me, saying,

2:2  Go, and cry in the ears of Jerusalem, saying: Thus saith YHWH: I remember for thee the affection of thy youth, the love of thine espousals; how thou wentest after Me in the wilderness, in a land that was not sown.

2  I remember the kindness of thy youth, and the love of thine espousals,

2:3  Israel is YHWH'S hallowed portion, His first-fruits of the increase; all that devour him shall be held guilty, evil shall come upon them, saith the YHWH.

3  in following the Holy One of Israel, saith the Lord, Israel was the holy people to the Lord, and the first-fruits of his increase: al that devoured him shall offend; evils shall come upon them, saith the Lord.

3  Israel has sanctified to the LORD the first fruits of his crops; all those who embezzle them shall be condemned; evil shall come upon them, says the LORD.

2:4  Hear ye the word of YHWH, O house of Jacob, and all the families of the house of Israel;

4  Hear the word of the Lord, O house of Jacob, and every family of the house of Israel.

4  Listen to the word of the Lord, O house of Jacob, and all you families of the house of Israel.

2:5  Thus saith YHWH: What unrighteousness have your fathers found in Me, that they are gone far from Me, and have walked after things of nought, and are become nought?

5  Thus says the Lord: “What iniquity have your fathers found in me, that they would draw far away from me, and would walk after emptiness, and would become empty?

2:6  Neither said they: 'Where is YHWH that brought us up out of the land of Egypt; that led us through the wilderness, through a land of deserts and of pits, through a land of drought and of the shadow of death, through a land that no man passed through, and where no man dwelt?'

6  And they said not, Where is the Lord, who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, who guided us in the wilderness, in an untried and trackless land, in a land which no man at all went through, and no man dwelt there?

6  And they have not said: ‘Where is the Lord, who caused us to ascend from the land of Egypt; who led us through the desert, through an uninhabited and impassable land, through a land of drought and of the image of death, through a land in which no one walked and in which no man lived?’

2:7  And I brought you into a land of fruitful fields, to eat the fruit thereof and the good thereof; but when ye entered, ye defiled My land, and made My heritage an abomination.

7  And I led you into the land of Carmel, so that you would eat from its fruit and from its excellence. And having entered it, you defiled my land, and you turned my inheritance into an abomination.

2:8  The priests said not: 'Where is YHWH?' And they that handle the law knew Me not, and the rulers transgressed against Me; the prophets also prophesied by Baal, and walked after things that do not profit.

8  The priests have not sad: ‘Where is the Lord?’ And those who held the law did not know me. And the pastors betrayed me. And the prophets prophesied in Baal and followed idols.

2:9  Wherefore I will yet plead with you, saith YHWH, and with your children's children will I plead.

9  Because of this, I will still contend in judgment against you, says the Lord, and I will dispute with your sons.

9  Therefore I will yet contend with you, says the LORD; and with your children's children I will contend.

2:10  For pass over to the isles of the Kittites, and see, and send unto Kedar, and consider diligently, and see if there hath been such a thing.

2:11  Hath a nation changed its gods, which yet are no gods? But My people hath changed its glory for that which doth not profit.

11  if the nations will change their gods, though they are not gods: but my people have changed their glory, for that from which they shall not be profited.

11  See if a nation has ever changed their gods, though certainly those are not gods. Yet truly, my people have exchanged their glory for an idol.

2:12  Be astonished, O ye heavens, at this, and be horribly afraid, be ye exceeding amazed, saith YHWH.

12  The heaven is amazed at this, and is very exceedingly horror-struck, saith the Lord.

12  Be astonished at this, O heavens, and be utterly desolate, O gates of heaven, says the Lord.

2:13  For My people have committed two evils: they have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water.

2:14  Is Israel a servant? Is he a home-born slave? Why is he become a prey?

2:15  The young lions have roared upon him, and let their voice resound; and they have made his land desolate, his cities are laid waste, without inhabitant.

15  The lions have roared over him, and they have uttered their voice. They have set his land in solitude; his cities have been burned up, and there is no one who lives in them.

2:16  The children also of Noph and Tahpanhes feed upon the crown of thy head.

16  Also certain rulers of the inhabitants of Memphis and Tahapanes shall rule over you.

2:17  Is it not this that doth cause it unto thee, that thou hast forsaken YHWH thy God, when He led thee by the way?

17  Has not thy forsaking me brought these things upon thee? saith the Lord thy God.

17  Has this not been done to you because you abandoned the Lord your God, in that time when he was leading you by the way?

2:18  And now what hast thou to do in the way to Egypt, to drink the waters of Shihor? Or what hast thou to do in the way to Assyria, to drink the waters of the River?

18  And now, why is it that you go in the way of Egypt, to drink the waters of Sihor? And why is it that you go in the way of Assyria, to drink the waters of the river (Euphrates)?

2:19  Thine own wickedness shall correct thee, and thy backslidings shall reprove thee: know therefore and see that it is an evil and a bitter thing, that thou hast forsaken YHWH thy God, neither is My fear in thee, saith YHWH GOD of hosts.

19  Your own malice will reprove you, and your own apostasy will rebuke you! But know and perceive this: it is an evil and bitter thing for you to forsake the Lord your God, and to be without my fear within you, says the Lord, the God of hosts.

2:20  For of old time I have broken thy yoke, and burst thy bands, and thou saidst: 'I will not transgress'; upon every high hill and under every leafy tree thou didst recline, playing the harlot.

20  For of old thou hast broken thy yoke, and plucked asunder thy bands; and thou has said, I will not serve thee, but will go upon every high hill, and under every shady tree, there will I indulge in my fornication.

20  From ancient times, you have broken my yoke; you have torn apart my bonds, and you have said, ‘I will not serve.’ For on every high hill, and under every leafy tree, you have been debased, O harlot.

2:21  Yet I had planted thee a noble vine, wholly a right seed; how then art thou turned into the degenerate plant of a strange vine unto Me?

21  Yet I planted thee a fruitful vine, entirely of the right sort: how art thou a strange vine turned to bitterness!

21  Yet I planted you as an elect vineyard, with only true seed. Then how have you been turned away from me, toward that which is depraved, O strange vineyard?

2:22  For though thou wash thee with nitre, and take thee much soap, yet thine iniquity is marked before Me, saith YHWH GOD.

22  Though thou shouldest wash thyself with nitre, and multiply to thyself soap, still thou art stained by thine iniquities before me, saith the Lord.

22  Even if you wash yourself with soap, and increase your use of herbal soaps, you are still stained by your iniquity in my sight, says the Lord God.

2:23  How canst thou say: 'I am not defiled, I have not gone after the Baalim'? See thy way in the Valley, know what thou hast done; thou art a swift young camel traversing her ways;

23  How can you say: ‘I have not been polluted. I have not walked after Baal?’ Consider your ways in the steep valley. Acknowledge what you have done, so that you may be like a swift runner, following his course.

2:24  A wild ass used to the wilderness, that snuffeth up the wind in her desire; her lust, who can hinder it? All they that seek her will not weary themselves; in her month they shall find her.

24  You are like a wild ass which is untrained in the wilderness and follows her own will; you have snuffed up the wind, who can bring you back? Whoever seeks her shall weary himself, he shall find her only by means of her footprints.

2:25  Withhold thy foot from being unshod, and thy throat from thirst; but thou saidst: 'There is no hope; no, for I have loved strangers, and after them will I go.'

25  You should keep your foot from being naked, and your throat from being thirsty. But you have said: ‘I have lost hope. I will not do it. For certainly, I have loved strangers, and I will walk after them.’

2:26  As the thief is ashamed when he is found, so is the house of Israel ashamed; they, their kings, their princes, and their priests, and their prophets;

26  As is the shame of a thief when he is caught, so shall the children of Israel be ashamed; they, and their kings, and their princes, and their priests, and their prophets.

26  In the same way that a thief is confounded when he has been apprehended, so the house of Israel has been confounded, they and their kings, their leaders and priests and prophets.

2:27  Who say to a stock: 'Thou art my father', and to a stone: 'Thou hast brought us forth', for they have turned their back unto Me, and not their face; but in the time of their trouble they will say: 'Arise, and save us.'

27  They said to a stock, Thou art my father; and to a stone, Thou has begotten me: and they have turned their backs to me, and not their faces: yet in the time of their afflictions they will say, Arise, and save us.

27  For they say to a piece of wood, ‘You are my father,’ and to a stone, ‘You have conceived me.’ They have turned their back to me, and not their face. But in the time of their affliction, they will say: ‘Rise up and deliver us.’

2:28  But where are thy gods that thou hast made thee? Let them arise, if they can save thee in the time of thy trouble; for according to the number of thy cities are thy gods, O Judah.

28  And where are thy gods, which thou madest for thyself? will they arise and save in the time of thine affliction? for according to the number of thy cities were thy gods, O Juda; and according to the number of the streets of Jerusalem they sacrificed to Baal.

28  Where are your gods that you made for yourselves? Let them rise up and deliver you in the time of your affliction. For certainly, your gods were like the number of your cities, O Judah.

2:29  Wherefore will ye contend with Me? Ye all have transgressed against Me, saith YHWH.

29  Wherefore do ye speak unto me? ye all have been ungodly, and ye all have transgressed against me, saith the Lord.

29  Why do you want to contend against me in judgment? You have all forsaken me, says the Lord.

2:30  In vain have I smitten your children--they received no correction; your sword hath devoured your prophets, like a destroying lion.

30  I have struck your children to no effect; they have not accepted discipline. Your own sword has devoured your prophets. Your generation is like a raging lion.

2:31  O generation, see ye the word of YHWH: have I been a wilderness unto Israel? or a land of thick darkness? Wherefore say My people: 'We roam at large; we will come no more unto Thee'?

31  Hear ye the word of the Lord: thus saith the Lord, Have I been a wilderness or a dry land to Israel? wherefore has my people said, We will not be ruled over, and will not come to thee any more?

31  Consider the word of the Lord. Have I become like a wilderness to Israel, or like a land late to bear fruit? Then why have my people said, ‘We are withdrawing; we will no longer approach you’?

2:32  Can a maid forget her ornaments, or a bride her attire? Yet My people have forgotten Me days without number.

32  Can a virgin forget her ornament, or a bride the covering across her breast? Yet truly, my people have forgotten me, for innumerable days.

2:33  How trimmest thou thy way to seek love! Therefore--even the wicked women hast thou taught thy ways;

33  What fair device wilt thou yet employ in thy ways, so as to seek love? it shall not be so; moreover thou has done wickedly in corrupting thy ways;

33  Why do you deck yourself to induce love? For behold you have also learned evil by means of your conduct.

2:34  Also in thy skirts is found the blood of the souls of the innocent poor; thou didst not find them breaking in; yet for all these things

34  and in thine hands has been found the blood of innocent souls; I have not found them in holes, but on every oak.

34  and in your armpits there is found the blood of poor and innocent souls? I have found them, not in ditches, but everywhere that I mentioned previously.

2:35  Thou saidst: 'I am innocent; surely His anger is turned away from me'--behold, I will enter into judgment with thee, because thou sayest: 'I have not sinned.'

35  Yet thou saidst, I am innocent: only let his wrath be turned away from me. Behold, I will plead with thee, whereas thou sayest, I have not sinned.

35  And you have said: ‘I am innocent and without sin. And because of this, let your fury be turned away from me.’ Behold, I will contend with you in judgment, because you have said: ‘I have not sinned.’

2:36  How greatly dost thou cheapen thyself to change thy way? Thou shalt be ashamed of Egypt also, as thou wast ashamed of Asshur.

36  How exceedingly vile you have become, repeating your ways again and again! And so, you will be ashamed of Egypt, just as you were ashamed of Assur.

2:37  From him also shalt thou go forth, with thy hands upon thy head; for YHWH hath rejected them in whom thou didst trust, and thou shalt not prosper in them.

37  For you will also depart from that place, and your hand will be upon your head. For the Lord has crushed your confidence, and you will have nothing prosperous by it.”

3:1  saying: If a man put away his wife, and she go from him, and become another man's, may he return unto her again? Will not that land be greatly polluted? But thou hast played the harlot with many lovers; and wouldest thou yet return to Me? saith YHWH.

1  If a man put away his wife, and she depart from him, and become another man’s, shall she return to him any more at all? shall not that woman be utterly defiled? yet thou hast gone a-whoring with many shepherds, and hast returned to me, saith the Lord.

1  “It is commonly said: ‘If a man has divorced his wife, and she departs from him, she will marry another man.’ So why would he return to her again? Is not that woman polluted and defiled? But you have fornicated yourself with many lovers. Even so, return to me, says the Lord, and I will accept you.

3:2  Lift up thine eyes unto the high hills, and see: Where hast thou not been lain with? By the ways hast thou sat for them, as an Arabian in the wilderness; and thou hast polluted the land with thy harlotries and with thy wickedness.

2  Lift your eyes straight up, and see where you did not debase yourself. You were sitting in the roadways, waiting for them, like a robber in the wilderness. And you have polluted the land by your fornications and by your wickedness.

3:3  Therefore the showers have been withheld, and there hath been no latter rain; yet thou hadst a harlot's forehead, thou refusedst to be ashamed.

3  And thou didst retain many shepherds for a stumbling-block to thyself: thou hadst a whore’s face, thou didst become shameless toward all.

3  For this reason, the rain showers were withheld, and there were no late season rains. You made your face like that of a promiscuous woman; you were not willing to blush.

3:4  Didst thou not just now cry unto Me: 'My father, Thou art the friend of my youth.

4  Hast thou not called me as it were a home, and the father and guide of thy virgin-time?

3:5  Will He bear grudge for ever? Will He keep it to the end?' Behold, thou hast spoken, but hast done evil things, and hast had thy way.

5  Why should you be angry unceasingly? And will you continue in this to the end? Behold, you have spoken and done evil, for you were able to do so.”

3:6  And YHWH said unto me in the days of Josiah the king: 'Hast thou seen that which backsliding Israel did? she went up upon every high mountain and under every leafy tree, and there played the harlot.

6  And the Lord said to me in the days of Josias the king, Hast thou seen what things the house of Israel has done to me? they have gone on every high mountain, and under every shady tree, and have committed fornication there.

3:7  And I said: After she hath done all these things, she will return unto me; but she returned not. And her treacherous sister Judah saw it.

7  And I said after she had committed all these acts of fornication, Turn again to me. Yet she returned not. And faithless Juda saw her faithlessness.

7  And when she had done all these things, I said: ‘Return to me.’ But she did not return. And her deceitful sister Judah saw this

3:8  And I saw, when, forasmuch as backsliding Israel had committed adultery, I had put her away and given her a bill of divorcement, that yet treacherous Judah her sister feared not; but she also went and played the harlot;

8  that because the apostate Israel had committed adultery, I had dismissed her and had given her a bill of divorce. Yet her deceitful sister Judah was not afraid. But she, too, went and committed fornication herself.

3:9  and it came to pass through the lightness of her harlotry, that the land was polluted, and she committed adultery with stones and with stocks;

9  And her fornication was nothing accounted of; and she committed adultery with wood and stone.

3:10  and yet for all this her treacherous sister Judah hath not returned unto Me with her whole heart, but feignedly, saith YHWH--

10  And for all these things faithless Juda turned not to me with all her heart, but falsely.

10  And after all these things, her deceitful sister Judah has not returned to me with her whole heart, but with lies, says the Lord.”

3:11  even YHWH said unto me--backsliding Israel hath proved herself more righteous than treacherous Judah.

11  And the Lord said to me, Israel has justified himself more than faithless Juda.

3:12  Go, and proclaim these words toward the north, and say: Return, thou backsliding Israel, saith YHWH; I will not frown upon you; for I am merciful, saith the YHWH, I will not bear grudge for ever.

12  Go and read these words toward the north, and thou shalt say, Return to me, O house of Israel, saith the Lord; and I will not set my face against you: for I am merciful, saith the Lord, and I will not be angry with you for ever.

12  Go proclaim these words toward the north, and say, Repent, O you inhabitant of Israel, says the LORD; and I will not be severe against you; for I am good, says the LORD, and I will not keep anger for ever.

3:13  Only acknowledge thine iniquity, that thou hast transgressed against YHWH thy God, and hast scattered thy ways to the strangers under every leafy tree, and ye have not hearkened to My voice, saith the YHWH.

13  So then, truly acknowledge your iniquity, that you have betrayed the Lord your God, and that you have spread your ways to strangers, under every leafy tree, and that you have not listened to my voice, says the Lord.

3:14  Return, O backsliding children, saith YHWH; for I am a lord unto you, and I will take you one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion;

14  Convert, O rebellious sons, says the Lord. For I am your leader. And so, I will take you, one from a city, and two from a family, and I will lead you into Zion.

14  Repent, O backsliding children, says the LORD; for I was pleased with you; and took one person of you from every town and two from every family, and I brought you to Zion.

3:15  and I will give you shepherds according to My heart, who shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.

3:16  And it shall come to pass, when ye are multiplied and increased in the land, in those days, saith YHWH, they shall say no more: The ark of the covenant of the YHWH; neither shall it come to mind; neither shall they make mention of it; neither shall they miss it; neither shall it be made any more.

16  And when you have been multiplied and increased in the land in those days, says the Lord, they will no longer say: ‘The Ark of the covenant of the Lord!’ And it will not enter into the heart, and they will not call it to mind. It will neither be visited, nor made use of, any longer.

3:17  At that time they shall call Jerusalem The throne of YHWH; and all the nations shall be gathered unto it, to the name of the YHWH, to Jerusalem; neither shall they walk any more after the stubbornness of their evil heart.

17  In those days and at that time they shall call Jerusalem the throne of the Lord; and all the nations shall be gathered to it: and they shall not walk any more after the imaginations of their evil heart.

17  In that time, Jerusalem will be called: ‘The Throne of the Lord.’ And all the nations will be gathered to it, in the name of the Lord, in Jerusalem. And they will not walk after the depravity of their own most wicked heart.

3:18  In those days the house of Judah shall walk with the house of Israel, and they shall come together out of the land of the north to the land that I have given for an inheritance unto your fathers.'

3:19  But I said: 'How would I put thee among the sons, and give thee a pleasant land, the goodliest heritage of the nations!' And I said: 'Thou shalt call Me, My father; and shalt not turn away from following Me.'

19  And I said, So be it, Lord, for thou saidst I will set thee among children, and will give thee a choice land, the inheritance of the Almighty God of the Gentiles: and I said, Ye shall call me Father; and ye shall not turn away from me.

19  And I said, I will consider you as children, and give you a pleasant land, a goodly heritage of the hosts of nations; and I said, You shall call me, My father, and shall not turn away from me.

3:20  Surely as a wife treacherously departeth from her husband, so have ye dealt treacherously with Me, O house of Israel, saith YHWH.

20  But as a wife acts treacherously against her husband, so has the house of Israel dealt treacherously against me, saith the Lord.

20  But, in the same way that a woman spurns her lover, so also has the house of Israel spurned me, says the Lord.”

3:21  Hark! upon the high hills is heard the suppliant weeping of the children of Israel; for that they have perverted their way, they have forgotten YHWH their God.

21  A voice from the lips was heard, even of weeping and supplication of the children of Israel: for they have dealt unrighteously in their ways, they have forgotten God their Holy One.

21  A voice has been heard in the highways, the weeping and wailing of the sons of Israel. For they have made their own ways sinful; they have forgotten the Lord their God.

3:22  Return, ye backsliding children, I will heal your backslidings.-- 'Here we are, we are come unto Thee; for Thou art YHWH our God.

22  “Convert, O rebellious sons! And I will heal your rebelliousness.” “Behold, we are returning to you. For you are the Lord our God!

3:23  Truly vain have proved the hills, the uproar on the mountains; truly in YHWH our God is the salvation of Israel.

23  Truly, the hills were liars, with the multitude of the mountains. Truly, the salvation of Israel is in the Lord our God.

23  Truly, in vain is salvation hoped for from the hills and from fortified mountains; truly, in the LORD our God is the salvation of Israel.

3:24  But the shameful thing hath devoured the labour of our fathers from our youth; their flocks and their herds, their sons and their daughters.

3:25  Let us lie down in our shame, and let our confusion cover us; for we have sinned against YHWH our God, we and our fathers, from our youth even unto this day; and we have not hearkened to the voice of the YHWH our God.'

25  We have lain down in our shame, and our disgrace has covered us: because we and our fathers have sinned before our God, from our youth until this day; and we have not hearkened to the voice of the Lord our God.

25  We will sleep in our confusion, and our disgrace will cover us. For we have sinned against the Lord our God: we and our fathers, from our youth, even to this day. And we have not listened to the voice of the Lord our God.”

4:1  If thou wilt return, O Israel, saith YHWH, yea, return unto Me; and if thou wilt put away thy detestable things out of My sight, and wilt not waver;

1  If Israel will return to me, saith the Lord, he shall return: and if he will remove his abominations out of his mouth, and fear before me, and swear,

1  “O Israel, if you would return, says the Lord, then be converted to me. If you remove your offense from before my face, then you will not be shaken.

4:2  And wilt swear: 'As YHWH liveth' in truth, in justice, and in righteousness; then shall the nations bless themselves by Him, and in Him shall they glory.

2  The Lord lives, with truth, in judgement and righteousness, then shall nations bless by him, and by him they shall praise God in Jerusalem.

2  And you will swear, ‘As the Lord lives,’ in truth and in judgment and in justice.” And the Gentiles will bless him, and they will praise him.

4:3  For thus saith YHWH to the men of Judah and to Jerusalem: Break up for you a fallow ground, and sow not among thorns.

3  For thus saith the Lord to the men of Juda, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, Break up fresh ground for yourselves, and sow not among thorns.

4:4  Circumcise yourselves to YHWH, and take away the foreskins of your heart, ye men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem; lest My fury go forth like fire, and burn that none can quench it, because of the evil of your doings.

4  Be circumcised to the Lord, and take away the foreskins from your hearts, O men of Judah, O inhabitants of Jerusalem. Otherwise my indignation may burst forth and flare up like a fire. And then there will be no one who can extinguish it, because of the wickedness of your thoughts.

4:5  Declare ye in Judah, and publish in Jerusalem, and say: 'Blow ye the horn in the land'; cry aloud and say: 'Assemble yourselves, and let us go into the fortified cities.'

5  Declare ye in Juda, and let it be heard in Jerusalem: say ye, Sound the trumpet in the land; cry ye aloud: say ye, Gather yourselves together, and let us enter into the fortified cities.

5  Declare it in Judah, and make it known in Jerusalem! Speak out and sound the trumpet in the land! Cry out strongly and say: ‘Gather yourselves! And let us go forth to fortified cities!’

4:6  Set up a standard toward Zion; put yourselves under covert, stay not; for I will bring evil from the north, and a great destruction.

6  Gather up your wares and flee to Sion: hasten, stay not: for I will bring evils from the north, an great destruction.

6  Lift up a standard in Zion. Be strengthened! Do not choose to stand still. For I am bringing an evil from the north, with great destruction.

4:7  A lion is gone up from his thicket, and a destroyer of nations is set out, gone forth from his place; to make thy land desolate, that thy cities be laid waste, without inhabitant.

7  The lion is gone up from his lair, he has roused himself to the destruction of the nations, and has gone forth out of his place, to make the land desolate; and the cities shall be destroyed, so as to be without inhabitant.

7  A powerful king is come up like a lion from his thicket, and the destroyer of the Gentiles is on his way; he has gone forth from his country to make your land desolate; and your cities shall be laid waste without an inhabitant.

4:8  For this gird you with sackcloth, lament and wail; for the fierce anger of YHWH is not turned back from us.

8  For these things gird yourselves with sackclothes, and lament, and howl: for the anger of the Lord is not turned away from you.

8  Concerning this, wrap yourselves in haircloth, mourn and wail: ‘For the wrath of the fury of the Lord has not been turned away from us.’

4:9  And it shall come to pass at that day, saith YHWH, that the heart of the king shall fail, and the heart of the princes; and the priests shall be astonished, and the prophets shall wonder.

9  And this shall be in that day, says the Lord: The heart of the king will perish, with the heart of the princes. And the priests will be stupefied, and the prophets will be in consternation.”

4:10  Then said I: 'Ah, Lord GOD! surely Thou hast greatly deceived this people and Jerusalem, saying: Ye shall have peace; whereas the sword reacheth unto the soul.'

10  And I said: “Alas, alas, alas, O Lord God! Could it be that you have deceived this people and Jerusalem, saying: ‘Peace shall be yours,’ while, behold, the sword reaches even to the soul?”

10  Then I said, I beseech thee, O LORD God, surely I have greatly deceived this people and Jerusalem; for I have said, You shall have peace; and behold, the sword reaches into the soul.

4:11  At that time shall it be said of this people and of Jerusalem; A hot wind of the high hills in the wilderness toward the daughter of My people, not to fan, nor to cleanse;

11  At that time they shall say to this people and to Jerusalem, There is a spirit of error in the wilderness: the way of the daughter of my people is not to purity, nor to holiness.

11  “In that time, it will be said to this people and to Jerusalem: ‘A burning wind is in the ways that are in the desert, along the way of the daughter of my people, but not to winnow and not to cleanse.’

4:12  A wind too strong for this shall come for Me; now will I also utter judgments against them.

12  But a spirit of full vengeance shall come upon me; and now I declare my judgements against them.

12  A full spirit from these places will come to me. And now I will speak my judgments over them.

4:13  Behold, he cometh up as clouds, and his chariots are as the whirlwind; his horses are swifter than eagles.--'Woe unto us! for we are undone.'--

13  Behold, he shall come up as a cloud, and his chariots as a tempest: his horses are swifter than eagles. Woe unto us! for we are in misery.

13  Behold, he will ascend like a cloud, and his chariot will ascend like a tempest. His horses are swifter than eagles. ‘Woe to us! For we are being devastated!’

4:14  O Jerusalem, wash thy heart from wickedness, that thou mayest be saved. How long shall thy baleful thoughts lodge within thee?

14  Cleanse thine heart from wickedness, O Jerusalem, that thou mayest be saved: how long will thy grievous thoughts be within thee?

14  Wash your heart from malice, O Jerusalem, so that you may be saved. How long will harmful thoughts abide in you?

4:15  For hark! one declareth from Dan, and announceth calamity from the hills of Ephraim

15  For a voice of one publishing from Dan shall come, and trouble out of mount Ephraim shall be heard of.

4:16  'Make ye mention to the nations: Behold--publish concerning Jerusalem--watchers come from a far country, and give out their voice against the cities of Judah.'

4:17  As keepers of a field are they against her round about; because she hath been rebellious against Me, saith YHWH.

17  They have been stationed over her, like the guardians of fields, all around. For she has provoked me to wrath, says the Lord.

4:18  Thy way and thy doings have procured these things unto thee; this is thy wickedness; yea, it is bitter, yea, it reacheth unto thy heart.

18  Your ways and your thoughts have brought these things upon you. This is your own wickedness. And it is bitter, because it has touched your heart.

4:19  My bowels, my bowels! I writhe in pain! The chambers of my heart! My heart moaneth within me! I cannot hold my peace! because thou hast heard, O my soul, the sound of the horn, the alarm of war.

19  I am pained in my bowels, my bowels, and the sensitive powers of my heart; my soul is in great commotion, my heart is torn: I will not be silent, for my soul has heard the sound of a trumpet, the cry of war, and of distress: it calls on destruction;

4:20  Destruction followeth upon destruction, for the whole land is spoiled; suddenly are my tents spoiled, my curtains in a moment.

20  for all the land is distressed: suddenly my tabernacle is distressed, my curtains have been rent asunder.

20  Destruction upon destruction has been called forth. And the entire earth has been devastated. My tabernacles have been destroyed suddenly, and my tents in an instant.

4:21  How long shall I see the standard, shall I hear the sound of the horn?

4:22  For My people is foolish, they know Me not; they are sottish children, and they have no understanding; they are wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge.

22  For the princes of my people have not known me, they are foolish and unwise children: they are wise to do evil, but how to do good they have not known.

22  For my foolish people have not known me. They are foolish and mad sons. They are clever in doing evil, but they do not know how to do good.

4:23  I beheld the earth, and, lo, it was waste and void; and the heavens, and they had no light.

23  I looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was not; and to the sky, an there was no light in it.

23  I gazed upon the earth, and behold, it was empty and brought to nothing. And I gazed upon the heavens, but there was no light in them.

4:24  I beheld the mountains, and, lo, they trembled, and all the hills moved to and fro.

24  I watched the mountains, and behold, they trembled, and all the hills were shaken.

4:25  I beheld, and, lo, there was no man, and all the birds of the heavens were fled.

25  I looked, and behold, there was no man, and all the birds of the sky were scared.

25  I looked, and there was no man. And all the flying things of the air had gone away.

4:26  I beheld, and, lo, the fruitful field was a wilderness, and all the cities thereof were broken down at the presence of YHWH, and before His fierce anger.

26  I saw, and, behold, Carmel was desert, and all the cities were burnt with fire at the presence of the Lord, and at the presence of his fierce anger they were utterly destroyed.

26  I gazed, and behold, Carmel was a desert, and all its cities were destroyed before the face of the Lord, and before the face of the wrath of his fury.”

4:27  For thus saith YHWH: The whole land shall be desolate; yet will I not make a full end.

27  Thus saith the Lord, The whole land shall be desolate; but I will not make a full end.

27  For thus says the Lord: “All the earth will be desolate, but I will not yet bring about its consummation.

4:28  For this shall the earth mourn, and the heavens above be black; because I have spoken it, I have purposed it, and I have not repented, neither will I turn back from it.

28  For these things let the earth mourn, and let the sky be dark above: for I have spoken, and I will not repent; I have purposed, and I will not turn back from it.

28  The earth will mourn, and the heavens will lament from above. For I have spoken, I have decided, and I have not regretted. Neither will I be turned away from it.

4:29  For the noise of the horsemen and bowmen the whole city fleeth; they go into the thickets, and climb up upon the rocks; every city is forsaken, and not a man dwelleth therein.

29  The whole land has recoiled from the noise of the horseman and the bent bow; they have gone into the caves, and have hidden themselves in the groves, and have gone up upon the rocks: every city was abandoned, no man dwelt in them.

29  Because of the noise of the horsemen and bowmen, the whole city has fled; enter into the forests and climb up upon the rocks; all towns are deserted and no man dwells therein

4:30  And thou, that art spoiled, what doest thou, that thou clothest thyself with scarlet, that thou deckest thee with ornaments of gold, that thou enlargest thine eyes with paint? In vain dost thou make thyself fair; thy lovers despise thee, they seek thy life.

30  So then, when you have been devastated, what will you do? Though you will clothe yourself with scarlet, though you will adorn yourself with a gold necklace and tint your eyes with cosmetics, you will be dressing yourself up in vain. Your lovers have spurned you; they will be seeking your life.

4:31  For I have heard a voice as of a woman in travail, the anguish as of her that bringeth forth her first child, the voice of the daughter of Zion, that gaspeth for breath, that spreadeth her hands: 'Woe is me, now! for my soul fainteth before the murderers.'