Jeremiah 4

King James Version

Full text for Jeremiah Chapter 4

1¶ If thou wilt return, O Israel, saith the LORD, return unto me: and if thou wilt put away thine abominations out of my sight, then shalt thou not remove.

2And thou shalt swear, The LORD liveth, in truth, in judgment, and in righteousness; and the nations shall bless themselves in him, and in him shall they glory.

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

4Circumcise yourselves to the LORD, and take away the foreskins of your heart, ye men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem: lest my fury come forth like fire, and burn that none can quench [it], because of the evil of your doings.

5¶ Declare 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 the defenced cities.

6Set up the standard toward Zion: retire, stay not: for I will bring evil from the north, and a great destruction.

7The lion 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, without an inhabitant.

8For this gird you with sackcloth, lament and howl: for the fierce anger of the LORD is not turned back from us.

9And it shall come to pass at that day, saith the LORD, [that] the heart of the king shall perish, and the heart of the princes; and the priests shall be astonished, and the prophets shall wonder.

10Then said I, Ah, Lord GOD! surely thou hast greatly deceived this people and Jerusalem, saying, Ye shall have peace; whereas the sword reacheth unto the soul.

11At that time shall it be said to this people and to Jerusalem, A dry wind of the high places in the wilderness toward the daughter of my people, not to fan, nor to cleanse,

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

13Behold, he shall come up as clouds, and his chariots [shall be] as a whirlwind: his horses are swifter than eagles. Woe unto us! for we are spoiled.

14O Jerusalem, wash thine heart from wickedness, that thou mayest be saved. How long shall thy vain thoughts lodge within thee?

15For a voice declareth from Dan, and publisheth affliction from mount Ephraim.

16Make ye mention to the nations; behold, publish against Jerusalem, [that] watchers come from a far country, and give out their voice against the cities of Judah.

17As keepers of a field, are they against her round about; because she hath been rebellious against me, saith the LORD.

18Thy way and thy doings have procured these [things] unto thee; this [is] thy wickedness, because it is bitter, because it reacheth unto thine heart.

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

20Destruction upon destruction is cried; for the whole land is spoiled: suddenly are my tents spoiled, [and] my curtains in a moment.

21How long shall I see the standard, [and] hear the sound of the trumpet?

22For my people [is] foolish, they have not known me; they [are] sottish children, and they have none understanding: they [are] wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge.

23I beheld the earth, and, lo, [it was] without form, and void; and the heavens, and they [had] no light.

24I beheld the mountains, and, lo, they trembled, and all the hills moved lightly.

25I beheld, and, lo, [there was] no man, and all the birds of the heavens were fled.

26I beheld, and, lo, the fruitful place [was] a wilderness, and all the cities thereof were broken down at the presence of the LORD, [and] by his fierce anger.

27For thus hath the LORD said, The whole land shall be desolate; yet will I not make a full end.

28For this shall the earth mourn, and the heavens above be black: because I have spoken [it], I have purposed [it], and will not repent, neither will I turn back from it.

29The whole 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.

30And [when] thou [art] spoiled, what wilt thou do? Though thou clothest thyself with crimson, though thou deckest thee with ornaments of gold, though thou rentest thy face with painting, in vain shalt thou make thyself fair; [thy] lovers will despise thee, they will seek thy life.

31For I have heard a voice as of a woman in travail, [and] the anguish as of her that bringeth forth her first child, the voice of the daughter of Zion, [that] bewaileth herself, [that] spreadeth her hands, [saying], Woe [is] me now! for my soul is wearied because of murderers.

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

Jeremiah 4 begins with a call for Israel to return to the LORD, put away abominations, and circumcise their hearts, lest God's wrath be unleashed. A dire warning is then issued concerning a devastating invasion from the north, which will bring widespread destruction and desolation upon Judah and Jerusalem. The prophet expresses deep personal anguish over the impending judgment, lamenting the people's foolishness and the inevitable ruin.

Medium Summary

The chapter opens with the LORD's conditional offer of restoration to Israel, contingent upon their return to Him and the removal of their abominations. Judah and Jerusalem are specifically commanded to break up their fallow ground and to circumcise their hearts, warning that failure to do so will result in unquenchable fiery judgment. Immediately following, a trumpet call signals an imminent invasion from the north, described as a destructive lion and a swift, cloud-like army, destined to lay waste to the land and its cities. Jeremiah expresses profound sorrow and confusion, questioning God's earlier promises of peace in light of the impending sword. He laments the people's foolishness and lack of understanding, as the land faces utter desolation, though not a full end.

Long Summary

Jeremiah 4 commences with the LORD's plea for Israel to return to Him, emphasizing that true repentance involves putting away abominations and swearing by His name in truth and righteousness, which would lead to nations blessing themselves in Him. The men of Judah and Jerusalem are exhorted to prepare their spiritual ground, breaking up fallow ground and circumcising their hearts to the LORD, warning that uncircumcised hearts will provoke God's unquenchable fury. A dramatic shift occurs as a trumpet call is sounded, urging the people to flee to defenced cities, for a great destruction is coming from the north, personified as a lion and a destroyer. This invading force will make the land desolate and cities waste, causing kings, princes, priests, and prophets to be astonished. Jeremiah, in anguish, questions the LORD, feeling that the people were deceived with promises of peace while the sword reached their soul. He describes the coming judgment as a dry, full wind, and the enemy as swift as clouds and eagles, bringing woe and spoilage. Jerusalem is urged to wash her heart from wickedness to be saved, as affliction is declared from Dan and Mount Ephraim. Watchers from a far country are coming against Judah, because of her rebellion. The prophet's personal agony is palpable, as he hears the alarm of war and sees destruction upon destruction, lamenting his people's foolishness and lack of knowledge for good. He then envisions a cosmic desolation, where the earth is without form and void, mountains tremble, and all men and birds have fled, a direct result of the LORD's fierce anger, though He promises not a full end. The chapter concludes with the image of the daughter of Zion, lamenting in travail, her soul wearied by murderers, as her attempts to beautify herself in ruin are in vain, for her lovers will despise her and seek her life.

Core Concepts

  • Conditional ReturnThe LORD offers Israel restoration if they return to Him, put away their abominations, and swear by His name in truth, judgment, and righteousness.
  • Spiritual CircumcisionJudah and Jerusalem are commanded to circumcise their hearts to the LORD, signifying an inward cleansing and dedication, to avoid God's fierce, unquenchable wrath.
  • Invasion from the NorthA powerful and destructive enemy, metaphorically described as a lion and a whirlwind, is prophesied to come from the north, bringing desolation and laying waste to the land and its cities.
  • Jeremiah's AnguishThe prophet expresses profound personal pain and lament over the impending destruction, questioning God's earlier promises of peace and feeling the alarm of war in his soul.
  • People's FoolishnessThe people are characterized as foolish, lacking understanding, and wise only in doing evil, which is presented as the root cause of their impending judgment.
  • Cosmic DesolationJeremiah envisions the land returning to a state of formlessness and void, with mountains trembling and all life fleeing, as a manifestation of the LORD's fierce anger, though not a complete end.
  • Zion's LamentJerusalem, personified as the daughter of Zion, is depicted in anguish like a woman in travail, lamenting her desolation and the weariness of her soul due to murderers.