New King James Version

Christian Standard Bible

1“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.

1If you return, Israel--this is the LORD's declaration--you will return to me, if you remove your abhorrent idols from my presence and do not waver,

2And 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.”

2then you can swear, "As the LORD lives," in truth, in justice, and in righteousness, then the nations will be blessed by him and will pride themselves in him.

3For thus says the LORD to the men of Judah and Jerusalem: “Break up your fallow ground, And do not sow among thorns.

3For this is what the LORD says to the men of Judah and Jerusalem: Break up the unplowed ground; do not sow among the thorns.

4Circumcise 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.”

4Circumcise yourselves to the LORD; remove the foreskin of your hearts, men of Judah and residents of Jerusalem. Otherwise, my wrath will break out like fire and burn with no one to extinguish it because of your evil deeds.

5Declare 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.’

5Declare in Judah, proclaim in Jerusalem, and say: Blow the ram's horn throughout the land. Cry out loudly and say: Assemble yourselves, and let's flee to the fortified cities.

6Set up the standard toward Zion. Take refuge! Do not delay! For I will bring disaster from the north, And great destruction.”

6Lift up a signal flag toward Zion. Run for cover! Don't stand still! For I am bringing disaster from the north--a crushing blow.

7The 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.

7A lion has gone up from his thicket; a destroyer of nations has set out. He has left his lair to make your land a waste. Your cities will be reduced to uninhabited ruins.

8For this, clothe yourself with sackcloth, Lament and wail. For the fierce anger of the LORD Has not turned back from us.

8Because of this, put on sackcloth; mourn and wail, for the LORD's burning anger has not turned away from us.

9“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.”

9"On that day"--this is the LORD's declaration--"the king and the officials will lose their courage. The priests will tremble in fear, and the prophets will be scared speechless."

10Then 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.”

10I said, "Oh no, Lord GOD, you have certainly deceived this people and Jerusalem, by announcing, 'You will have peace,' while a sword is at our throats."

11At 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—

11"At that time it will be said to this people and to Jerusalem, 'A searing wind blows from the barren heights in the wilderness on the way to my dear people. It comes not to winnow or to sift;

12A wind too strong for these will come for Me; Now I will also speak judgment against them.”

12a wind too strong for this comes at my call. Now I will also pronounce judgments against them.'"

13“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!”

13Look, he advances like clouds; his chariots are like a storm. His horses are swifter than eagles. Woe to us, for we are ruined!

14O Jerusalem, wash your heart from wickedness, That you may be saved. How long shall your evil thoughts lodge within you?

14Wash the evil from your heart, Jerusalem, so that you will be delivered. How long will you harbor malicious thoughts?

15For a voice declares from Dan And proclaims affliction from Mount Ephraim:

15For a voice announces from Dan, proclaiming malice from Mount Ephraim.

16“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.

16Warn the nations: Look! Proclaim to Jerusalem: Those who besiege are coming from a distant land; they raise their voices against the cities of Judah.

17Like keepers of a field they are against her all around, Because she has been rebellious against Me,” says the LORD.

17They have her surrounded like those who guard a field, because she has rebelled against me. This is the LORD's declaration.

18“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.”

18Your way and your actions have brought this on you. This is your punishment. It is very bitter, because it has reached your heart!

19O 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.

19My anguish, my anguish! I writhe in agony! Oh, the pain in my heart! My heart pounds; I cannot be silent. For you, my soul, have heard the sound of the ram's horn--the shout of battle.

20Destruction upon destruction is cried, For the whole land is plundered. Suddenly my tents are plundered, And my curtains in a moment.

20Disaster after disaster is reported because the whole land is destroyed. Suddenly my tents are destroyed, my tent curtains, in a moment.

21How long will I see the standard, And hear the sound of the trumpet?

21How long must I see the signal flag and hear the sound of the ram's horn?

22“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.”

22"For my people are fools; they do not know me. They are foolish children, without understanding. They are skilled in doing what is evil, but they do not know how to do what is good."

23I beheld the earth, and indeed it was without form, and void; And the heavens, they had no light.

23I looked at the earth, and it was formless and empty. I looked to the heavens, and their light was gone.

24I beheld the mountains, and indeed they trembled, And all the hills moved back and forth.

24I looked at the mountains, and they were quaking; all the hills shook.

25I beheld, and indeed there was no man, And all the birds of the heavens had fled.

25I looked, and there was no human being, and all the birds of the sky had fled.

26I 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.

26I looked, and the fertile field was a wilderness. All its cities were torn down because of the LORD and his burning anger.

27For thus says the LORD: “The whole land shall be desolate; Yet I will not make a full end.

27For this is what the LORD says: The whole land will be a desolation, but I will not finish it off.

28For 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.

28Because of this, the earth will mourn; the skies above will grow dark. I have spoken; I have planned, and I will not relent or turn back from it.

29The 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.

29Every city flees at the sound of the horseman and the archer. They enter the thickets and climb among the rocks. Every city is abandoned; no inhabitant is left.

30“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.

30And you, devastated one, what are you doing that you dress yourself in scarlet, that you adorn yourself with gold jewelry, that you enhance your eyes with makeup? You beautify yourself for nothing. Your lovers reject you; they intend to take your life.

31“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!’

31I hear a cry like a woman in labor, a cry of anguish like one bearing her first child. The cry of Daughter Zion gasping for breath, stretching out her hands: "Woe is me, for my life is weary because of the murderers!"

The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.

The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission.