1“If you will return, Israel,” says Yahweh, “if you will return to me, and if you remove your detestable idols from my sight, then you will not be uprooted.
2Then you will swear, ‘As Yahweh lives,’ in truth, in justice, and in righteousness. The nations will bless themselves through him, and they will praise him.”
3For Yahweh says to the people of Judah and to Jerusalem, “Break up your uncultivated land, and do not plant seeds among thorns.
4Dedicate yourselves to Yahweh, and remove your stubborn hearts, you men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem. Otherwise, my wrath will burst out like fire and burn, with no one to put it out, because of your evil deeds.”
5Declare in Judah and announce in Jerusalem; say, “Blow the trumpet throughout the land!” Shout loudly and say, “Gather yourselves! Let’s go into the fortified cities!”
6Set up a signal toward Zion. Flee to safety! Don’t wait! For I am bringing disaster from the north, and great destruction.”
7A lion has come out from its den, a destroyer of nations. He is on his way; he has left his place to make your land desolate, so that your cities will be laid waste, with no one living in them.
8Because of this, put on sackcloth, mourn and wail, for Yahweh’s fierce anger has not turned away from us.
9“It will happen on that day,” says Yahweh, “that the king and his officials will lose heart. The priests will be shocked, and the prophets will be amazed.”
10Then I said, “Oh, Lord Yahweh! You have surely tricked these people and Jerusalem greatly by saying, ‘You will have peace,’ when in fact the sword is at their throats.”
11At that time, it will be said to these people and to Jerusalem: “A scorching wind blows from the bare hills in the desert towards my people. It’s not a wind for winnowing or cleaning grain.
12A strong wind from those places will come for me. Now I will also announce my judgments against them.”
13Look! He will come up like clouds, and his chariots will be like a whirlwind. His horses are faster than eagles. Oh no! We are ruined!
14Jerusalem, wash the evil from your heart so you can be saved. How long will you keep your wicked thoughts inside you?
15A voice from Dan announces bad news, and spreads it from the hills of Ephraim:
16“Tell the nations! Announce against Jerusalem: ‘Watchmen are coming from a distant country and are raising their voices against the cities of Judah.’
17They surround her on all sides, like guards watching a field, because she has rebelled against me,” says Yahweh.
18“Your actions and your behavior have brought these things upon you. This is your wickedness; it is bitter, and it strikes at your very heart.”
19My pain, my pain! I am in agony in my heart; my heart is restless inside me. I cannot be silent, because you, my soul, have heard the sound of the trumpet, the alarm of war.
20Reports of destruction keep coming; for the whole land is laid waste. Suddenly my tents are destroyed, my curtains in an instant.
21How long must I see the battle banner and hear the sound of the trumpet?
22“For my people are foolish, they don’t know me. They are ignorant children, and they have no understanding. They are skilled at doing evil, but they have no knowledge of how to do good.”
23I looked at the earth, and it was formless and empty; and the heavens had no light.
24I looked at the mountains, and they were trembling, and all the hills swayed back and forth.
25I looked, and there was no human, and all the birds of the sky had fled.
26I looked, and the fruitful land was a wilderness, and all its cities were torn down in the presence of Yahweh, because of his fierce anger.
27For Yahweh says, “The whole land will be a wasteland; yet I will not completely destroy it.”
28Because of this, the earth will mourn, and the heavens above will be dark; because I have spoken it, I have planned it, and I have not changed my mind, nor will I turn back from it.
29Every city flees from the noise of horsemen and archers; they go into the thickets and climb onto the rocks. Every city is deserted, and no one lives there.
30And you, when you are made desolate, what will you do? Even if you dress yourself in scarlet, even if you decorate yourself with gold ornaments, even if you put makeup around your eyes, you make yourself beautiful in vain. Your lovers despise you. They are trying to kill you.
31For I have heard a cry like a woman in labor, the anguish of someone giving birth to her first child—the cry of Jerusalem, gasping for breath, stretching out her hands and saying, “Oh no! I am collapsing before the murderers.”