| International Standard Version | New American Standard Bible 1995 |
| 1"Israel, if you return to me," declares the LORD, "Return to me, remove your detestable idols from my presence, and don't waver. | 1"If you will return, O Israel," declares the LORD, "Then you should return to Me. And if you will put away your detested things from My presence, And will not waver, |
| 2If you swear, 'as surely as the LORD lives,' in truth, in justice, and in righteousness, then nations will be blessed by him, and in him they will boast." | 2And you will swear, 'As the LORD lives,' In truth, in justice and in righteousness; Then the nations will bless themselves in Him, And in Him they will glory." |
| 3For this is what the LORD says to the men of Judah and Jerusalem, "Break up your unplowed ground, and don't sow among thorns. | 3For thus says the LORD to the men of Judah and to Jerusalem, "Break up your fallow ground, And do not sow among thorns. |
| 4Circumcise yourselves to the LORD and remove the foreskin of your heart, you men of Judah and residents of Jerusalem, or else my wrath will break out like fire and burn with no one to put it out, because of your evil deeds." | 4"Circumcise yourselves to the LORD And remove the foreskins of your heart, Men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem, Or else My wrath will go forth like fire And burn with none to quench it, Because of the evil of your deeds." |
| 5Declare in Judah, make known in Jerusalem, by saying, "Blow the trumpet in the land, cry out, and say, 'Gather together and let's go to the fortified cities!' | 5Declare in Judah and proclaim in Jerusalem, and say, "Blow the trumpet in the land; Cry aloud and say, 'Assemble yourselves, and let us go Into the fortified cities.' |
| 6Raise a standard in the direction of Zion. Flee! Don't stand around! For I'm bringing calamity from the north, along with great destruction. | 6"Lift up a standard toward Zion! Seek refuge, do not stand still, For I am bringing evil from the north, And great destruction. |
| 7A lion has gone up from his thicket, and a destroyer of nations has set out. He has left his place to make your land a waste. Your cities will be ruined, and without inhabitants. | 7"A lion has gone up from his thicket, And a destroyer of nations has set out; He has gone out from his place To make your land a waste. Your cities will be ruins Without inhabitant. |
| 8So, put on sackcloth, mourn and wail, because the burning anger of the LORD has not turned away from us." | 8"For this, put on sackcloth, Lament and wail; For the fierce anger of the LORD Has not turned back from us." |
| 9"On that day," declares the LORD, "the courage of the king and the leaders will fail. The priests will be appalled and the prophets astounded." | 9"It shall come about in that day," declares the LORD, "that the heart of the king and the heart of the princes will fail; and the priests will be appalled and the prophets will be astounded." |
| 10Then I replied, "Ah, Lord GOD, you have completely deceived this people and Jerusalem when you said, 'You will have peace,' while the sword is at their throat!" | 10Then I said, "Ah, Lord GOD! Surely You have utterly deceived this people and Jerusalem, saying, 'You will have peace'; whereas a sword touches the throat." |
| 11At that time, it will be told this people and to Jerusalem, "A scorching wind from the barren heights in the desert is coming toward my people, and it's not for winnowing or cleansing. | 11In that time it will be said to this people and to Jerusalem, "A scorching wind from the bare heights in the wilderness in the direction of the daughter of My people-- not to winnow and not to cleanse, |
| 12A wind too strong for that is coming at my bidding. Now I'm judging them as I speak." | 12a wind too strong for this-- will come at My command; now I will also pronounce judgments against them. |
| 13Look, he comes up like clouds, and his chariots are like a whirlwind. His horses are as swift as eagles. Woe to us—we're destroyed! | 13"Behold, he goes up like clouds, And his chariots like the whirlwind; His horses are swifter than eagles. Woe to us, for we are ruined!" |
| 14Jerusalem, wash your evil from your heart so that you may be delivered. How long will you harbor evil schemes within you? | 14Wash your heart from evil, O Jerusalem, That you may be saved. How long will your wicked thoughts Lodge within you? |
| 15For a voice announces from Dan and declares disaster from Mount Ephraim. | 15For a voice declares from Dan, And proclaims wickedness from Mount Ephraim. |
| 16"Tell the nations, 'Here they come!' Proclaim to Jerusalem, 'The besieging forces are coming from a distant land. They cry out against the cities of Judah. | 16"Report it to the nations, now! Proclaim over Jerusalem, 'Besiegers come from a far country, And lift their voices against the cities of Judah. |
| 17They have surrounded her like those guarding a field because they have rebelled against me,'" declares the LORD. | 17'Like watchmen of a field they are against her round about, Because she has rebelled against Me,' declares the LORD. |
| 18"Your lifestyles and your actions have brought these things on you. This is your calamity—it is indeed bitter, for it has reached your heart!" | 18"Your ways and your deeds Have brought these things to you. This is your evil. How bitter! How it has touched your heart!" |
| 19"My anguish, my anguish! I writhe in pain. Oh, the aching of my heart! My heart pounds within me; I cannot keep silent. For I hear the sound of the trumpet, the alarm for war. | 19My soul, my soul! I am in anguish! Oh, my heart! My heart is pounding in me; I cannot be silent, Because you have heard, O my soul, The sound of the trumpet, The alarm of war. |
| 20Disaster upon disaster is proclaimed, for the entire land is devastated. Suddenly, my tent is destroyed, in a moment my curtains. | 20Disaster on disaster is proclaimed, For the whole land is devastated; Suddenly my tents are devastated, My curtains in an instant. |
| 21How long will I see the battle standard and hear the sound of the trumpet? | 21How long must I see the standard And hear the sound of the trumpet? |
| 22"For my people are foolish, they don't know me. They're stupid children, they have no understanding. They're skilled at doing evil, but how to do good, they don't know." | 22"For My people are foolish, They know Me not; They are stupid children And have no understanding. They are shrewd to do evil, But to do good they do not know." |
| 23I looked at the earth, and it was formless and void, at the heavens, and there was no light there. | 23I looked on the earth, and behold, it was formless and void; And to the heavens, and they had no light. |
| 24I looked at the mountains; they were quaking, and all the hills moved back and forth. | 24I looked on the mountains, and behold, they were quaking, And all the hills moved to and fro. |
| 25I looked, and no people were there. All the birds of the sky had gone. | 25I looked, and behold, there was no man, And all the birds of the heavens had fled. |
| 26I looked, and the fruitful land had become a desert. All its towns were broken down because of the LORD, because of his burning anger. | 26I looked, and behold, the fruitful land was a wilderness, And all its cities were pulled down Before the LORD, before His fierce anger. |
| 27For this is what the LORD says: "The entire land will be devastated, but I won't completely destroy it. | 27For thus says the LORD, "The whole land shall be a desolation, Yet I will not execute a complete destruction. |
| 28Because of this, the land will mourn, and the heavens above will be dark. Because I have spoken and decided, I won't turn back from doing it." | 28"For this the earth shall mourn And the heavens above be dark, Because I have spoken, I have purposed, And I will not change My mind, nor will I turn from it." |
| 29At the sound of the horseman and the archer the entire city flees. Its residents go into the thickets and climb among the rocks. Every city is abandoned, and no one lives in them. | 29At the sound of the horseman and bowman every city flees; They go into the thickets and climb among the rocks; Every city is forsaken, And no man dwells in them. |
| 30You are ruined! What are you doing dressing in scarlet, putting on golden ornaments, and highlighting your eyes with makeup? You are making yourself beautiful in vain. Your lovers reject you— they're out to kill you. | 30And you, O desolate one, what will you do? Although you dress in scarlet, Although you decorate yourself with ornaments of gold, Although you enlarge your eyes with paint, In vain you make yourself beautiful. Your lovers despise you; They seek your life. |
| 31I heard a cry like that of a woman in labor, anguish like one giving birth to her firstborn, the cry of the daughter of Zion gasping for air, stretching out her hand: "Woe is me! I'm about to faint in front of killers!" | 31For I heard a cry as of a woman in labor, The anguish as of one giving birth to her first child, The cry of the daughter of Zion gasping for breath, Stretching out her hands, saying, "Ah, woe is me, for I faint before murderers." |
The Holy Bible: International Standard Version® Release 2.1 Copyright © 1996-2012 The ISV Foundation
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. | New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit //www.lockman.org |
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