Jeremiah

Jeremiah 4 ©

1 Israel is excited to repentance by promises, 3 and Judah by threats of hostile invasion and the calamities of war. 19 The prophet lamenteth bitterly the afflictions of his country.

1

IF thou wilt return, O aIsrael, saith the LORD, breturn unto me: and if thou wilt put away thine cabominations out of my sight, then shalt thou not dremove.

a ch. 2.4; 3.12,18,20.
b Joel 2.12. Ho. 14.1; 12.6. Is. 31.6. ch. 3.1,4,14,22.
c De. 27.15. Eze. 11.18; 20.7,8; 14.3,4; 22.28.
d ch. 15.4; 24.9. Is. 6.12; 26.15. 2Ch. 33.8. 1Ki. 14.15.
2

And ethou shalt swear, The LORD liveth, fin truth, in judgment, and in righteousness; and gthe nations shall bless themselves in him, and in him shall they glory.

e De. 10.20.
f Is. 48.1.
g Ge. 22.18. ch. 3.17; 9.24. Is. 45.25. 1Co. 1.31. 2Co. 10.17. Is. 60.19; 65.16. Ps. 72.17.
3

¶For thus saith the LORD to the men of Judah and Jerusalem, hBreak up your fallow ground, and sow not among thorns.

h Ho. 10.12. Mat. 13.7,22. Lu. 8.14. Ga. 6.7,8.
4

iCircumcise yourselves to the LORD, and take away the foreskins of your heart, ye men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem: jlest my fury come forth like fire, and burn that none can quench it, because of the evil of your doings.

i ch. 9.24. De. 10.16; 30.6. Ro. 2.28,29. Col. 2.11. Eze. 18.31.
j ch. 21.12. Am. 5.6. Zep. 2.2. De. 32.22. Is. 5.24,26. Eze. 20.46,47.
5

kDeclare ye in Judah, and publish in Jerusalem; and say, Blow ye the trumpet in the land: cry, gather together, and say, Assemble yourselves, and let us go into lthe defenced cities.

k Eze. 33.2,3. Ho. 8.1. v.16. ch. 6.1; 8.14; 35.11.
l ch. 1.18.
6

Set up the *standard toward Zion: 1retire, stay not: for mI will bring evil from the north, and a great 2destruction.

m ch. 1.13-15; 6.22; 19.2,15; 25.9; 21.7.
7

The nlion is come up from his thicket, and the destroyer of the Gentiles is on his way; he is gone forth from his place to make thy land desolate; and thy cities shall be laid waste, owithout an inhabitant.

n ch. 2.15; 5.6; 25.9; 50.23; 51.20. Da. 7.4; 4.30. Is. 6.11,12. 2Ki. 24.1; 25.1.
o Is. 5.9; 6.11. ch. 26.9; 33.10.
8

For this p*gird you with sackcloth, lament and howl: for the fierce anger of the LORD qis not turned back from us.

p ch. 6.26. 2Ki. 6.30. Is. 22.12; 15.3.
q Is. 9.12,17,21; 10.4.
9

And it shall come to pass at that day, saith the LORD, that rthe heart of the king shall perish, and the heart of the princes; and sthe priests shall be astonished, and the prophets shall wonder.

r Ps. 73.26; 102.4. Is. 19.11,12; 20.3,4; 22.3,5. 2Ki. 24.1,12; 25.4.
s ch. 6.13,14; 37.19. v.10. Is. 29.9. Ac. 13.41.
10

Then said I, Ah, Lord GOD! surely thou thast greatly deceived this people and Jerusalem, saying, uYe shall have peace; whereas the sword vreacheth unto the soul.

t Is. 63.17. 1Ki. 22.21-23. Eze. 14.9. ch. 5.12; 14.13. 2Th. 2.11,12. Ps. 81.12.
u Is. 37.35.
v La. 2.21. v.18. Ex. 9.14. Is. 1.5,6. Eze. 7.4.
11

At that time shall it be said to this people and to Jerusalem, wA dry wind of the high places in the wilderness toward the daughter of my people, xnot to fan, nor to cleanse,

w Is. 5.26-30; 27.8. ch. 23.19; 30.23,24; 49.36; 51.1. Eze. 17.10; 19.12. Ho. 13.15. Ps. 11.6.
x ch. 18.17; 51.2.
12

Even 3a full wind from those places shall come unto me: now also will I 4give sentence against them.

13

Behold, yhe shall come up as clouds, and his chariots shall be as a whirlwind: zhis horses are swifter than eagles. Woe unto us! for we are spoiled.

y Is. 19.1; 5.28; 65.15. v.7.
z De. 28.49. La. 4.19. Da. 7.4. Ho. 8.1. Hab. 1.6,8.
14

O Jerusalem, awash thine heart from wickedness, that thou mayest be saved. How long shall thy vain thoughts lodge within thee?

a Is. 1.16. Mat. 23.26. Ja. 4.8. Ac. 8.22. ch. 13.27; 3.12,13; 2.18,36,37.
15

For ba voice declareth cfrom Dan, and publisheth affliction from mount Ephraim.

b ch. 8.16; 6.1. v.6.
c ch. 1.13.
16

Make ye mention to the nations; behold, publish against Jerusalem, that dwatchers come from a far country, and egive out their voice against the cities of Judah.

d De. 28.49,52. ch. 25.9; 39.1. Is. 39.3.
e Eze. 21.22. ch. 2.15.
17

As fkeepers of a field, are they against her round about; because gshe hath been rebellious against me, saith the LORD.

f Is. 1.8; 22.7. 2Ki. 25.1-4. ch. 6.3; 39.1.
g Ne. 9.26,30. La. 1.8. Da. 9.7. Is. 1.2-8; 24.5,6. ch. 6.7; 7.13. Zep. 3.1-3. ch. 2.19.
18

hThy way and thy doings have procured these things unto thee; this is thy wickedness, because it is bitter, because it reacheth unto thine heart.

h Ps. 107.17; 11.6. Is. 50.1; 3.11. ch. 2.17,19; 5.19; 6.19; 7.17-20. Ro. 2.8,9.
19

¶My i*bowels, my bowels! I am pained at 5my very heart; my heart maketh a noise in me; I cannot hold my peace, because jthou hast heard, O my soul, the sound of the trumpet, the alarm of war.

i Is. 16.11; 22.4; 21.3,4; 15.5. ch. 9.1. Job 30.27. La. 1.20; 2.11.
j v.5,6,15,16. Hab. 3.16.
20

kDestruction upon destruction is cried; for the whole land is spoiled: suddenly are my ltents spoiled, and mmy curtains in a moment.

k Ps. 42.7. Eze. 7.26. v.23-26.
l ch. 10.20. Is. 33.20; 54.2; 38.12; 1.8. 2Ki. 25.4,9.
m ch. 49.29.
21

nHow long shall I see the *standard, and hear the sound of the trumpet?

n 2Ki. 23.29; 24; 25. v.5,6,15,16. ch. 6.1.
22

For omy people is foolish, they have not known me; they are *sottish children, and they have none understanding: pthey are wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge.

o Ro. 1.22. ch. 9.5; 5.4,5. Is. 1.3; 27.11. Ho. 4.1,6. De. 32.28.
p Mi. 2.1. Lu. 16.8. 1Co. 14.20. 2Sa. 13.3. Ro. 8.6,7; 16.19. ch. 9.5,8. Am. 3.10. 2Ti. 3.
23

I qbeheld the earth, and, lo, it was without form, and void; and the heavens, and they had no light.

q Is. 24.1-12,17-23; 5.30; 13.10. Eze. 32.7. Joel 2.10; 3.15. Am. 8.9. Ge. 1.2.
24

I rbeheld the mountains, and, lo, they trembled, and all the hills moved lightly.

r Is. 5.25. Lu. 21.25,26. ch. 9.10. Eze. 38.20. Hab. 3.6.
25

I beheld, and, lo, there was sno man, and all the birds of the heavens were fled.

s Is. 6.11,12; 1.28; 2.10-22; 3.25,26. Zep. 1.3.
26

I beheld, and, lo, tthe fruitful place was a wilderness, and all the cities thereof were broken down at uthe presence of the LORD, and by his fierce anger.

t ch. 7.20; 9.10; 12.4; 14.2. Ho. 4.3. Is. 5.9,24,25.
u Na. 1.5. La. 2.1-22. Ps. 76.7.
27

For thus hath the LORD said, The whole land shall be desolate; vyet will I not make a full end.

v ch. 5.10,18; 30.11; 46.28. Is. 1.9; 24.13. Le. 26.44. Eze. 11.13. Hab. 3.2.
28

For wthis shall the earth mourn, and the heavens above be black: because xI have spoken it, I have purposed it, and will not repent, neither will I turn back from it.

w Ho. 4.3. Is. 5.30; 8.22; 13.10; 33.9; 34.4; 50.3. v.23-26.
x Nu. 23.19. Is. 14.24,27; 46.10. ch. 15.1-9. Eze. 14.13-21. ch. 7.16; 14.11,12; 25.9-11.
29

The ywhole city shall flee for the noise of the horsemen and bowmen; they shall go into thickets, and climb up upon the rocks: every city shall be forsaken, and not a man dwell therein.

y ch. 6.1. 2Ki. 25.4. Am. 9.2,3. 2Ch. 36.16,17; 33.11. ch. 25.9-11. La. 1-3.
30

And when thou art spoiled, zwhat wilt thou do? Though thou clothest thyself with crimson, though thou adeckest thee with ornaments of gold, though thou rentest thy 6face with painting, bin vain shalt thou make thyself fair; thy clovers will despise thee, they will seek thy life.

a Is. 61.10.
b ch. 2.13,18,25,36; 17.5; 22.20-22. La. 1.2,19; 4.17. Eze. 16.36,37; 23.9,10,22-49. Ho. 12.1.
c Eze. 23.5.
z Is. 10.3; 33.14; 20.6.
31

For I have heard a voice das of a woman in *travail, and the anguish as of her that bringeth forth her first child, the voice of ethe daughter of Zion, that bewaileth herself, that fspreadeth her hands, saying, Woe is me now! for my soul is wearied gbecause of murderers.

d Is. 13.8; 21.3; 26.17. ch. 6.24; 13.21; 30.6; 48.41; 49.22,24,30.
e ch. 6.2,23. La. 1.6; 2.1; 5.18. Is. 1.8.
f La. 1.17. Is. 1.15.
g 2Ch. 36.16,17. ch. 19.7; 18.21; 21.5-10; 51.34,35. La. 4.9,10; 2.20,21. Eze. 23.46,47.