5 Declare in Judah, and proclaim in Jerusalem, and say,
f“Blow the trumpet through the land;
cry aloud and say,
‘Assemble, and glet us go
into the fortified cities!’
6 Raise a standard toward Zion,
flee for safety, stay not,
for I bring disaster from the hnorth,
and great destruction.
7 A ilion has gone up from his thicket,
a destroyer of nations has set out;
he has gone out from his place
jto make your land a waste;
your cities will be ruins
without inhabitant.
8 For this kput on sackcloth,
lament and wail,
for the fierce anger of the Lord
has not turned back from us.”
9 “In that day, declares the Lord, courage shall fail both lking and officials. The priests shall be appalled and the prophets astounded.” 10 Then I said, “Ah, Lord God, surely you have utterly mdeceived this people and Jerusalem, saying, n‘It shall be well with you,’ whereas the sword has reached their very life.”
11 At that time it will be said to this people and to Jerusalem, “A hot owind from the bare heights in the desert toward the daughter of my people, not to winnow or cleanse, 12 a wind too full for this comes for me. Now it is I who speak in judgment upon them.”
13 Behold, he comes up like clouds;
his chariots plike the whirlwind;
his qhorses are swifter than eagles—
woe to us, for we are ruined!
14 O Jerusalem, rwash your heart from evil,
that you may be saved.
How long shall your wicked thoughts
lodge within you?
15 For a voice declares from Dan
and proclaims trouble from Mount Ephraim.
16 Warn the nations that he is coming;
announce to Jerusalem,
“Besiegers come sfrom a distant land;
they shout against the cities of Judah.
17 Like keepers of a field are they against her all around,
because she has rebelled against me,
declares the Lord.
18 tYour ways and your deeds
have brought this upon you.
This is your doom, and it is ubitter;
it has reached your very heart.”
19 My 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.
20 Crash follows hard on crash;
the whole land is laid waste.
Suddenly my tents are laid waste,
my curtains in a moment.
21 How long must I see the standard
and hear the sound of the trumpet?
22 “For my people are foolish;
they vknow me not;
they are stupid children;
they have no understanding.
They are ‘wise’—in doing evil!
But how to do good they know not.”
23 I looked on the earth, and behold, it was wwithout form and void;
and to the heavens, and they had no light.
24 I looked on the mountains, and behold, they were quaking,
and all the hills moved to and fro.
25 I looked, and behold, there was no man,
and all the xbirds of the air had fled.
26 I looked, and behold, the yfruitful land was a desert,
and all its cities were laid in ruins
before the Lord, before his fierce anger.
27 For thus says the Lord, “The whole land shall be a desolation; zyet I will not make a full end.
28 “For this the earth shall amourn,
and the heavens above be dark;
for I have spoken; I have purposed;
I have not relented, bnor will I turn back.”
29 At 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.
30 And you, O desolate one,
what do you mean that you dress in scarlet,
that you adorn yourself with ornaments of gold,
that you cenlarge your eyes with paint?
In vain you beautify yourself.
Your lovers despise you;
they seek your life.
31 For I heard a cry das of a woman in labor,
anguish as of one giving birth to her first child,
the cry of the edaughter of Zion gasping for breath,
stretching out her hands,
“Woe is me! I am fainting before murderers.”
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