A Call to Repentance
1 The Lord says, “People of Israel, if you want to turn, then turn back to me. If you are faithful to me and remove the idols I hate, 2 it will be right for you to swear by my name. Then all the nations will ask me to bless them, and they will praise me.”
3 The Lord says to the people of Judah and Jerusalem, “Plow up your unplowed fields; do not plant your seeds among thorns. 4 Keep your covenant with me, your Lord, and dedicate yourselves to me, you people of Judah and Jerusalem. If you don't, my anger will burn like fire because of the evil things you have done. It will burn, and there will be no one to put it out.”
Judah Is Threatened with Invasion
5 Blow the trumpet throughout the land!
Shout loud and clear!
Tell the people of Judah and Jerusalem
to run to the fortified cities.
6 Point the way to Zion!
Run for safety! Don't delay!
The Lord is bringing disaster
and great destruction from the north.
7 Like a lion coming from its hiding place,
a destroyer of nations has set out.
He is coming to destroy Judah.
The cities of Judah will be left in ruins,
and no one will live in them.
8 So put on sackcloth, and weep and wail
because the fierce anger of the Lord
has not turned away from Judah.
9 The Lord said, “On that day kings and officials will lose their courage; priests will be shocked and prophets will be astonished.”
10 Then I said, “Sovereign Lord, you have completely deceived the people of Jerusalem! You have said there would be peace, but a sword is at their throats.”
11 The time is coming when the people of Jerusalem will be told that a scorching wind is blowing in from the desert toward them. It will not be a gentle wind that only blows away the chaff— 12 the wind that comes at the Lord's command will be much stronger than that! It is the Lord himself who is pronouncing judgment on his people.
Judah Is Surrounded by Enemies
13 Look, the enemy is coming like clouds. Their war chariots are like a whirlwind, and their horses are faster than eagles. We are lost! We are doomed!
14 Jerusalem, wash the evil from your heart, so that you may be saved. How long will you go on thinking sinful thoughts?
15 Messengers from the city of Dan and from the hills of Ephraim announce the bad news. 16 They have come to warn the nations and to tell Jerusalem that enemies are coming from a country far away. These enemies will shout against the cities of Judah 17 and will surround Jerusalem like men guarding a field, because her people have rebelled against the Lord. The Lord has spoken.
18 Judah, you have brought this on yourself by the way you have lived and by the things you have done. Your sin has caused this suffering; it has stabbed you through the heart.
Jeremiah's Sorrow for His People
19 The pain! I can't bear the pain!
My heart! My heart is beating wildly!
I can't keep quiet;
I hear the trumpets
and the shouts of battle.
20 One disaster follows another;
the whole country is left in ruins.
Suddenly our tents are destroyed;
their curtains are torn to pieces.
21 How long must I see the battle raging
and hear the blasts of trumpets?
22 The Lord says, “My people are stupid;
they don't know me.
They are like foolish children;
they have no understanding.
They are experts at doing what is evil,
but failures at doing what is good.”
Jeremiah's Vision of the Coming Destruction
23 I looked at the earth—it was a barren waste;
at the sky—there was no light.
24 I looked at the mountains—they were shaking,
and the hills were rocking back and forth.
25 I saw that there were no people;
even the birds had flown away.
26 The fertile land had become a desert;
its cities were in ruins
because of the Lord's fierce anger.
( 27 The Lord has said that the whole earth will become a wasteland, but that he will not completely destroy it.)
28 The earth will mourn;
the sky will grow dark.
The Lord has spoken
and will not change his mind.
He has made his decision
and will not turn back.
29 At the noise of the cavalry and archers
everyone will run away.
Some will run to the forest;
others will climb up among the rocks.
Every town will be left empty,
and no one will live in them again.
30 Jerusalem, you are doomed!
Why do you dress in scarlet?
Why do you put on jewelry and paint your eyes?
You are making yourself beautiful for nothing!
Your lovers have rejected you
and want to kill you.
31 I heard a cry, like a woman in labor,
a scream like a woman bearing her first child.
It was the cry of Jerusalem gasping for breath,
stretching out her hand and saying,
“I am doomed!
They are coming to kill me!”
Izpostīšanas draudi
1 “Israēl! Ja gribi nākt atpakaļ,”
saka Kungs,
“nāc pie manis!
Un, ja tu novāksi savus dievekļus
prom no manis,
tev nebūs jābēguļo!
2 Ja tu zvērēsi:
dzīvs Kungs! –
ar patiesību,
ar tiesu,
ar taisnību,
tad viņš būs svētība tautām
un viņš būs to slava!”
3 Jo tā saka Kungs Jūdas vīriem un Jeruzālemei:
“Uzplēsiet jaunu atmatu
un nesējiet ērkšķos!
4 Jūdas vīri un Jeruzālemē mītošie,
apgraizieties Kungam!
Nost jūsu sirds priekšādu!
Kamēr neizlaužas
manas dusmas kā uguns,
kā degsme, ko nenodzēst, –
jūsu ļauno darbu dēļ.”
5 Stāstiet Jūdā un sakiet,
lai sadzird Jeruzālemē,
pūtiet ragu pār visu zemi,
sauciet jo skaļi un sakiet:
“Pulcējamies un ejam
uz nocietinātām pilsētām!”
6 Paceliet Ciānā karogu!
Tverieties, nestāviet!
Jo es nesu no ziemeļiem ļaunumu
un lielu postu!
7 Lauva no biezokņa iznācis,
tautu nīdētājs devies karā,
iznācis no savas vietas,
lai izdeldētu tavu zemi,
tavas pilsētas nopostītu,
ka neviens tur vairs nedzīvo.
8 Tādēļ jozieties maisu,
vaimanājiet un kauciet,
jo mums neiet secen
Kunga dusmu kvēle.
9 “Tajā dienā būs tā,”
saka Kungs,
“nodrebēs ķēniņa sirds
un augstmaņu sirdis,
priesteri apstulbs
un pravieši paliks mēmi!”
10 Un es teicu:
“Ak, Kungs Dievs!
Tiešām tu esi viltin vīlis
šo tautu un Jeruzālemi,
sacīdams: jums būs miers! –
Bet zobens jau dzīvību skar!”
11 Tajā laikā teiks
šai tautai un Jeruzālemei:
“Svelošs pakalnu vējš
manai tautmeitai tuksnesī pretī –
ne sijāt, ne vētīt.
12 Pārlieku liels vējš
nāk pār mani, –
nu gan es runāšu
tiesā pret viņiem!”
13 Redzi, viņš kā mākonis ceļas,
kā viesulis viņa rati,
viņa zirgi par ērgļiem ātrāki!
Vai! mums – mēs pagalam!
14 Jeruzāleme,
mazgā no ļaunuma savu sirdi,
ka tu tiktu glābta!
Cik ilgi vēl tu turēsies
pie savām grēka domām?
15 Jo balss vēstī no Dāna,
sauc par nelaimi no Efraima kalna.
16 Brīdini tautas: “Redzi!
Lai dzird Jeruzālemē:
no tālas zemes nāk lencēji,
tie ceļ savu balsi pret Jūdas pilsētām!
17 Kā lauka sargi viņi tai apkārt,
jo pret mani tā spītējās,
saka Kungs,
18 to tev nodara tas,
ko tu dari un kur tu staigā,
tas ir tavs ļaunums –
jo rūgts,
jo sniedz tev līdz sirdij.”
Sēras par izpostīto zemi
19 Iekšas man, iekšas man ļogās –
manas sirds mūri!
Sitas man sirds,
nevaru klusēt,
jo mana dvēsele dzird
raga skaņu
un kaujas kliedzienus.
20 Posts nāk pār postu,
jo dēd visa zeme!
Pēkšņi noplēstas manas teltis,
mirklī – manas telts aizkari!
21 Cik ilgi vēl jāredz man karogs
un jāklausās raga skaņās? –
22 Jo mana tauta ir muļķe,
mani tā nepazīst,
mani dēli ir stulbi,
tie nesaprot,
viņi ir gudri uz ļaunu,
bet labu tie nezina. –
23 Es paraudzījos uz zemi, un redzi –
viss sajucis!
Un uz debesīm –
tās bez gaismas!
24 Es paraudzījos kalnos, un redzi –
tie grīļojās!
Trīcēja visi pakalni!
25 Es paraudzījos, un redzi –
ne cilvēka!
Un visi debesu putni aizlaidušies!
26 Es paraudzījos, un redzi –
leknā zeme jau tuksnesis!
Un visas pilsētas noārdītas!
Tāds savā dusmu kvēlē Kungs!
27 Jo tā saka Kungs:
“Izpostījums būs pār visu zemi,
bet pavisam to nepiebeigšu!
28 Tādēļ lai sēro zeme
un melnē debesis augšā,
jo es esmu teicis un nodomājis,
man nebūs žēl, un es neatkāpšos!”
29 No jātnieku un loka šāvēju dunas
bēg visa pilsēta,
tie mūk mežā un klintīs rāpjas –
pamesta visa pilsēta,
neviens tur vairs nedzīvo.
30 Ko tu dari, izdeldētā?
Kaut purpurā tērpies,
kaut rotājies zelta rotām,
kaut izkrāšļo acis, –
velti tu taisies skaista! –
tavi mīlnieki nicina tevi
un pēc tavas dzīvības lūko!
31 Es dzirdēju dzemdētājas balsi,
kas pirmoreiz radību sāpēs, –
tur sten Ciānas meita
un stiepj savas rokas.
Vai man!
Mana dvēsele gurst
slepkavu priekšā.
