| English Standard Version | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 1“If you return, O Israel, declares the LORD, to me you should return. If you remove your detestable things from my presence, and do not waver, | 1If you return, Israel-- this is the LORD's declaration-- you will return to Me, if you remove your detestable idols from My presence and do not waver, |
| 2and if you swear, ‘As the LORD lives,’ in truth, in justice, and in righteousness, then nations shall bless themselves in him, and in him shall they 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 sow not 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; remove the foreskin of your hearts, O men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem; lest my wrath go forth like fire, and burn with none to quench it, because of the evil of your deeds.” | 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 through the land; cry aloud and say, ‘Assemble, 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. |
| 6Raise a standard toward Zion, flee for safety, stay not, for I 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 great destruction. |
| 7A lion has gone up from his thicket, 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. | 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 put on 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“In that day, declares the LORD, courage shall fail both king and officials. The priests shall be appalled and the prophets astounded.” | 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 utterly deceived this people and Jerusalem, saying, ‘It shall be well with you,’ whereas the sword has reached their very life.” | 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 hot wind from the bare heights in the desert toward the daughter of my people, not to winnow or 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 full for this comes for me. Now it is I who speak in judgment upon them.” | 12a wind too strong for this comes at My call. Now I will also pronounce judgments against them.'" |
| 13Behold, he comes up like clouds; his chariots like the whirlwind; his horses are swifter than eagles— woe to us, for we are ruined! | 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 evil, that you may be saved. How long shall your wicked thoughts lodge within you? | 14Wash the evil from your heart, Jerusalem, so that you will be delivered. How long will you harbor malicious thoughts within you? |
| 15For a voice declares from Dan and proclaims trouble from Mount Ephraim. | 15For a voice announces from Dan, proclaiming malice from Mount Ephraim. |
| 16Warn the nations that he is coming; announce to Jerusalem, “Besiegers come from a distant land; they shout 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 are they against her all around, because she has rebelled against me, declares the LORD. | 17They have her surrounded like those who guard a field, because she has rebelled against Me. This is the LORD's declaration. |
| 18Your ways and your deeds have brought this upon you. This is your doom, and it is bitter; it has reached your very heart.” | 18Your way of life and your actions have brought this on you. This is your punishment. It is very bitter, because it has reached your heart! |
| 19My anguish, my anguish! I writhe in pain! Oh the walls of my heart! My heart is beating wildly; I cannot keep silent, for I hear 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. |
| 20Crash follows hard on crash; the whole land is laid waste. Suddenly my tents are laid waste, 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 must 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 know me not; they are stupid children; they have no understanding. They are ‘wise’—in doing evil! But how to do good they know not.” | 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 looked on the earth, and behold, it was without form and void; and to the heavens, and 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 looked on the mountains, and behold, they were quaking, and all the hills moved to and fro. | 24I looked at the mountains, and they were quaking; all the hills shook. |
| 25I looked, and behold, there was no man, and all the birds of the air had fled. | 25I looked, and no man was left; all the birds of the sky had fled. |
| 26I looked, and behold, the fruitful land was a desert, and all its cities were laid in ruins before the LORD, before 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 a desolation; 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. |
| 28“For this the earth shall mourn, and the heavens above be dark; for I have spoken; I have purposed; I have not relented, nor will I turn back.” | 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. |
| 29At the noise of horseman and archer every city takes to flight; they enter thickets; they climb among rocks; all the cities are forsaken, and no man dwells in them. | 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. |
| 30And you, O desolate one, what do you mean that you dress in scarlet, that you adorn yourself with ornaments of gold, that you enlarge your eyes with paint? In vain you beautify yourself. Your lovers despise you; they 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 enlarge your eyes with paint? You beautify yourself for nothing. Your lovers reject you; they want to take your life. |
| 31For I heard a cry as of a woman in labor, anguish as of one giving birth to her first child, the cry of the daughter of Zion gasping for breath, stretching out her hands, “Woe is me! I am fainting before 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! |
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