The Coming Calamity on the Land
Jeremiah 4:5-31
Jer.4.5 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- הגידו: VERB,hiph,impv,2,m,pl
- ביהודה: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ובירושלם: CONJ+PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- השמיעו: VERB,hiphil,imp,2,m,pl
- ואמרו: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,pl
- תקעו: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
- שופר: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- בארץ: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,def
- קראו: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
- מלאו: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
- ואמרו: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,pl
- האספו: VERB,qal,imp,2,m,pl
- ונבואה: CONJ+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- אל: NEG
- ערי: NOUN,f,pl,cons
- המבצר: NOUN,m,sg,def
Parallels
- Jeremiah 6:1 (verbal): Very close verbal parallel — summons to blow the trumpet, gather the people and flee to fortified places (same imagery and phrasing within Jeremiah).
- Joel 2:1 (verbal): Directly parallels the command to 'blow the trumpet' as an alarm calling the people together for impending judgment; Joel frames the trumpet as a summons before the day of the Lord.
- Amos 3:6 (thematic): Uses the image of a trumpet/alarum as a sign that God is bringing calamity — thematically echoes Jeremiah's trumpet-call as a divine warning to assemble and take refuge.
- Ezekiel 33:3-6 (structural): Develops the watchman/trumpet motif: sounding an alarm to warn the people so they may flee or be spared — parallels Jeremiah's function of public proclamation and warning to assemble in fortified cities.
Alternative generated candidates
- Declare in Judah and proclaim in Jerusalem: sound the trumpet in the land; call, "Fill up," and say, "Assemble!"—bring a proclamation to the fortified cities.
- Make known in Judah, proclaim in Jerusalem: Blow the trumpet in the land; call, 'Assemble!' and say, 'Gather to the fortified cities.'
Jer.4.6 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- שאו: VERB,qal,imp,2,pl
- נס: VERB,niphal,perf,3,m,sg
- ציונה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- העיזו: VERB,hif,perf,3,m,pl
- אל: NEG
- תעמדו: VERB,qal,impf,2,m,pl
- כי: CONJ
- רעה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- אנכי: PRON,1,sg
- מביא: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- מצפון: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ושבר: CONJ+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- גדול: ADJ,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Jeremiah 6:1 (verbal): Near‑identical summons to 'set up a sign' and warning that 'evil appeareth out of the north, and great destruction'—same language and context of imminent invasion.
- Jeremiah 1:14–15 (verbal): Earlier proclamation that 'out of the north an evil shall break forth upon all the inhabitants of the land'—same motif of a northern disaster as divine judgment.
- Isaiah 5:26 (verbal): Uses the image of lifting up an ensign/standard to signal approaching judgment from afar—parallel verbal motif of raising a banner as a warning.
- Joel 2:1 (thematic): Calls for trumpet/ alarm in Zion and summoning the people because of an approaching day of devastation—functions like Jeremiah's call to 'set up a standard' and prepare for coming disaster.
- Habakkuk 1:6 (thematic): God announces raising a foreign power (the Chaldeans) to punish the peoples—parallels Jeremiah's declaration that God will 'bring evil from the north' as an instrument of judgment.
Alternative generated candidates
- Lift up a banner for Zion; be bold, do not stand still— for I bring disaster from the north, and a great destruction.
- Lift up a banner to Zion; flee—do not stand still! For I bring disaster from the north, a great destruction.
Jer.4.7 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- עלה: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- אריה: NOUN,m,sg,cons
- מסבכו: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs+3,m,sg
- ומשחית: CONJ+VERB,qal,ptcp,ms
- גוים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- נסע: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- יצא: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- ממקמו: PREP
- לשום: VERB,qal,inf
- ארצך: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- לשמה: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- עריך: NOUN,f,pl,const
- תצינה: VERB,qal,impf,3,f,sg
- מאין: ADV,interrog
- יושב: VERB,qal,ptcp,1,m,sg
Parallels
- Amos 3:8 (verbal): Uses lion imagery in a prophetic context ('the lion has roared') to signal impending judgment—parallels Jeremiah's 'a lion has gone up from its thicket' as the onset of devastation.
- Joel 1:6 (thematic): An invading force is likened to a lion ('teeth of a lion'), emphasizing a foreign destroyer that strips the land and brings desolation, echoing Jeremiah's portrayal of an enemy coming to lay waste.
- Hosea 5:14 (allusion): God (or an agent of judgment) is compared to a lion going up from its thicket to confront Israel/Ephraim—same motif of a predator leaving its haunt to execute punishment.
- Ezekiel 19:2-9 (verbal): An extended lion metaphor applied to rulers and foreign aggression; like Jeremiah 4:7 it pictures a lion emerging from its lair and causing downfall and exile of cities/people.
- Habakkuk 1:6-8 (thematic): Describes the Chaldeans as a swift, ruthless people like lions who sweep over nations—parallels Jeremiah's theme of a formidable, lion-like invader who devastates the land.
Alternative generated candidates
- A lion has come up from his thicket and a destroyer of nations has set out; he has gone forth from his place to make your land a desolation; your cities will be laid waste, without an inhabitant.
- A lion has come up from his thicket, a destroyer of nations has set out; he has gone forth from his place to make your land a desolation. Your cities shall be laid waste and without inhabitant.
Jer.4.8 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- על: PREP
- זאת: DEM,f,sg
- חגרו: NOUN,m,sg,abs+PRON,3,m,sg
- שקים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- ספדו: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
- והילילו: VERB,piel,perf,3,m,pl
- כי: CONJ
- לא: PART_NEG
- שב: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- חרון: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אף: ADV
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- ממנו: PREP+PRON,3,m,sg
Parallels
- Jeremiah 6:26 (verbal): Same command to 'gird on sackcloth' and to mourn because of impending judgment; both texts link sackcloth and lament as responses to the wrath of the LORD.
- Joel 2:12-13 (thematic): Call to return with fasting, weeping and mourning before the LORD—shares the theme of communal repentance and lament in view of divine judgement.
- Lamentations 2:10 (verbal): Describes people 'girded with sackcloth' and mourning after devastation; closely parallels the image of widespread lament because God's anger has come upon the nation.
- Isaiah 22:12-13 (verbal): The LORD summons 'weeping and mourning' and 'girding with sackcloth'—a parallel formula tying public lament and sackcloth to the experience or threat of divine wrath.
Alternative generated candidates
- Therefore put on sackcloth, mourn and wail— for the fierce anger of the LORD has not turned back from us.
- Therefore put on sackcloth, wail and lament, for the fierce anger of the LORD is not turned away from you.
Jer.4.9 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- והיה: VERB,qal,imperfect,3,m,sg
- ביום: PREP
- ההוא: DEM,ms,sg
- נאם: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- יאבד: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- לב: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- המלך: NOUN,m,sg,def
- ולב: CONJ+NOUN,m,sg,const
- השרים: NOUN,m,pl,def
- ונשמו: CONJ+NOUN,f,pl,abs
- הכהנים: NOUN,m,pl,def
- והנביאים: NOUN,m,pl,def
- יתמהו: VERB,hithpael,impf,3,m,pl
Parallels
- Ezek.7:13-15 (verbal): Describes hands falling and hearts melting in the day of the Lord’s wrath — similar language and theme of leaders and people overcome with terror at divine judgment.
- Nahum 2:10 (verbal): Speaks of hearts melting and knees knocking in the face of devastation; closely parallels Jeremiah’s image of astonished, fear-stricken leaders and cultic officials.
- Isa.19:3 (thematic): Proclaims that the spirit/counsel of Egypt will fail and its advisers be confounded — parallels the collapse of royal and official leadership before God’s judgment.
- Hab.3:16 (thematic): The prophet describes bodily and emotional trembling (heart trembling, lips quivering) in awe and fear of God’s judgment, echoing Jeremiah’s note of priests and prophets being astonished.
- Joel 2:1–11 (structural): The Day of the Lord passage portrays cosmic upheaval and widespread terror—kings, commanders and peoples thrown into panic—paralleling Jeremiah’s announcement that rulers, priests and prophets will be undone.
Alternative generated candidates
- And it shall be on that day, declares the LORD, that the heart of the king shall fail, and the heart of the princes; the priests shall be astounded, and the prophets shall be astonished.
- And it shall be in that day, declares the LORD: The heart of the king and the heart of the princes shall fail; the priests shall be astonished, the prophets confounded.
Jer.4.10 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ואמר: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,m,sg
- אהה: INTJ
- אדני: NOUN,m,sg,abs,1,sg
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- אכן: ADV
- השא: NOUN,f,sg,def
- השאת: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- לעם: PREP
- הזה: DEM,m,sg
- ולירושלם: CONJ+PREP+NOUN,prop,f,sg
- לאמר: INF,qal,infc
- שלום: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- יהיה: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- לכם: PREP,2,m,pl
- ונגעה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- חרב: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- עד: PREP
- הנפש: NOUN,f,sg,def
Parallels
- Jeremiah 6:14 (verbal): Same condemnation of leaders/prophets who give false assurances—'They heal the hurt of my people lightly, saying, Peace, peace'—echoes Jeremiah 4:10's charge that the people were deceived with promises of peace.
- Jeremiah 8:11 (verbal): Uses the identical formula 'They heal the hurt of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace,' directly paralleling the motif of false reassurance in 4:10.
- Ezekiel 13:10–11 (verbal): Accuses false prophets of seducing the people by prophesying 'Peace' where there is no peace; parallels Jeremiah's charge that the people were misled about peace while judgment (the sword) is imminent.
- Jeremiah 23:16–17 (thematic): Warns against listening to prophets who speak visions of their own hearts and tell the people 'Peace, peace' when there is no peace—the same theme of deceptive prophecy and impending judgment found in 4:10.
Alternative generated candidates
- Then they shall say, "Ah, Lord GOD! Truly you have deceived this people and Jerusalem, saying, 'Peace shall be to you'—when a sword reaches to the life."
- Then I said, 'Alas, Lord GOD! You have deceived this people and Jerusalem, saying, "Peace shall be yours," when the sword reaches to the life.'
Jer.4.11 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- בעת: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- ההיא: DEM,f,sg
- יאמר: VERB,qal,imperfect,3,m,sg
- לעם: PREP
- הזה: DEM,m,sg
- ולירושלם: CONJ+PREP+NOUN,prop,f,sg
- רוח: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- צח: ADJ,m,sg,abs
- שפיים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- במדבר: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- דרך: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- בת: NOUN,f,sg,cs
- עמי: NOUN,m,sg,abs+1s
- לוא: NEG
- לזרות: VERB,qal,inf
- ולוא: CONJ_NEG
- להבר: VERB,qal,inf
Parallels
- Genesis 41:6 (verbal): Joseph’s dream: an east wind (or hot wind) withers the ears of grain — similar imagery of a destructive wind coming from the heights/desert that causes ruin rather than cleansing.
- Isaiah 30:30 (thematic): God’s action described with burning wind/terrible blast bringing judgment — parallels the motif of a devastating divine wind sent against the people.
- Psalm 1:4 (thematic): The wicked are compared to chaff driven away by the wind — uses wind imagery to signify judgment and removal, resonating with Jeremiah’s destructive wind image.
- Amos 9:9 (verbal): God’s judgment described in terms of sifting/winnowing Israel (‘I will sift the house of Israel’), which contrasts with Jeremiah’s note that the incoming wind is not to winnow or cleanse but to destroy.
- Matthew 3:12 (thematic): John the Baptist’s winnowing imagery of separating wheat and chaff and destroying the chaff echoes the prophetic use of wind and winnowing language to signify purifying judgment versus wholesale destruction.
Alternative generated candidates
- At that time it will be said to this people and to Jerusalem: A dry wind from the bare heights in the wilderness is blowing against my people—not to winnow, nor to cleanse.
- At that time a harsh wind will come to this people and to Jerusalem—from the bare heights of the desert, from the way of the daughter of my people—neither to winnow nor to cleanse.
Jer.4.12 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- רוח: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- מלא: ADJ,m,sg
- מאלה: PREP+DEM
- יבוא: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- לי: PREP+PRON,1,sg
- עתה: ADV
- גם: ADV
- אני: PRON,1,sg
- אדבר: VERB,qal,impf,1,sg
- משפטים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- אותם: PRON,3,m,pl,obj
Parallels
- Jeremiah 4:11 (structural): Immediate context: God announces a hot/wasteful wind from his anger; continues the same wind‑of‑destruction motif and links the wind with divine judgment.
- Hosea 8:7 (thematic): Uses wind imagery as emblem of Israel's self‑inflicted disaster (“they sow the wind, and reap the whirlwind”), thematically parallel to wind as coming judgment.
- Nahum 1:3 (thematic): Portrays God’s wrath in tempestuous terms—he is a consuming force who executes judgment—paralleling wind/storm language for divine punishment.
- Ezekiel 7:8–9 (verbal): Declares imminent outpouring of God’s fury and swift judgment on the land—language of God ‘pouring out’ wrath and executing sentences echoes Jeremiah’s declaration to ‘speak/judge’.
- Jeremiah 25:32 (thematic): Speaks of a tumult/distress coming on the nations (a ‘day’ of the Lord) often associated with winds and invasion imagery; thematically linked as prophetic announcement of overwhelming coming judgment.
Alternative generated candidates
- A wind from him who measures comes now—my decision is to pronounce judgment upon them.
- A full wind from the distant places will come to me; even now I will pronounce my judgments against them.
Jer.4.13 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- הנה: PART
- כעננים: PREP+NOUN,m,pl,abs
- יעלה: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- וכסופה: CONJ+ADJ,f,sg,abs
- מרכבותיו: NOUN,f,pl,abs+SUFF,3,m,sg
- קלו: NOUN,m,sg,abs+3ms
- מנשרים: PREP+NOUN,m,pl,abs
- סוסיו: NOUN,m,pl,abs+3ms
- אוי: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- לנו: PREP+PRON,1,pl
- כי: CONJ
- שדדנו: VERB,qal,perf,1,pl
Parallels
- Habakkuk 1:6-8 (verbal): Describes an invading force coming swiftly in chariots and horses “swifter than leopards/eagles,” closely echoing Jeremiah’s imagery of clouds, chariots like a whirlwind, and horses swifter than eagles.
- Isaiah 66:15 (verbal): Speaks of the LORD coming “with fire, and with his chariots like a whirlwind,” using the same chariot/whirlwind motif as Jeremiah’s depiction of an imminent, devastating approach.
- Psalm 104:3 (thematic): Portrays clouds and wind as God’s vehicle—“He makes the clouds his chariot”—echoing Jeremiah’s image of coming forces appearing like clouds and chariots.
- Joel 2:2-11 (thematic): Describes a devastating, fast-moving invading host (likened to locusts/clouds) whose advance brings ruin—paralleling Jeremiah’s theme of a swift, overwhelming destructive force coming like clouds and chariots.
Alternative generated candidates
- Behold, it comes up like clouds; his chariots are like a whirlwind; his horses are swifter than eagles. Woe to us, for we are ruined!
- Behold, his chariots come up like clouds, his chariots like a whirlwind; his horses are swifter than eagles. Woe to us, for we are destroyed!
Jer.4.14 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- כבסי: VERB,qal,imp,2,f,sg
- מרעה: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- לבך: NOUN,m,sg,abs+PRON,2,m,sg
- ירושלם: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- למען: PREP
- תושעי: VERB,nip,impf,2,f,sg
- עד: PREP
- מתי: ADV,int
- תלין: VERB,qal,impf,2,m,sg
- בקרבך: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs,prs:2ms
- מחשבות: NOUN,f,pl,abs
- אונך: NOUN,m,sg,abs,2,f
Parallels
- Deuteronomy 10:16 (verbal): Commands to 'circumcise the foreskin of your heart' echo Jeremiah's call to cleanse the heart—both use bodily-purity imagery for inner moral renewal.
- Jeremiah 4:4 (structural): Immediate parallel within the same chapter: both verses exhort removal of moral corruption from the heart (circumcision/cleansing) as prerequisites for rescue.
- Isaiah 1:16 (verbal): Isaiah's 'Wash, make yourselves clean' parallels Jeremiah's 'wash the evil from your heart'—shared language of washing for moral and communal purification.
- Psalm 51:2 (thematic): David's plea 'wash me thoroughly from my iniquity' and petition for a clean heart (Psalm 51:10) corresponds to Jeremiah's appeal to remove wicked thoughts and be saved.
- Ezekiel 36:25 (allusion): God's promise 'I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean' resonates with Jeremiah's call for inner cleansing, linking prophetic motifs of spiritual renewal through cleansing.
Alternative generated candidates
- Wash your heart, O Jerusalem, that you may be saved; how long will wicked thoughts lodge within you?
- Wash away the evil from your heart, O Jerusalem, that you may be saved. How long shall wicked thoughts lodge within you?
Jer.4.15 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- כי: CONJ
- קול: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- מגיד: VERB,hiph,ptc,ms
- מדן: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ומשמיע: CONJ+VERB,hiph,ptc,3,m,sg
- און: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- מהר: VERB,qal,imp,2,m,sg
- אפרים: NOUN,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- 1 Kings 12:28-30 (verbal): Mentions Dan and Bethel (Ephraim) as sites of Jeroboam's idolatry—directly connects these northern loci with the source of religious/political evil behind prophetic denunciation.
- Judges 18:30 (verbal): Reports the Danites' setting up of an idol in their territory—historical precedent for identifying Dan as a source of 'evil' or apostasy, echoing Jeremiah's charge.
- Hosea 4:15 (verbal): Addresses Ephraim's unfaithfulness and warns against going to Bethel/Beth-aven—links Ephraim (Mount Ephraim) with corrupt worship and moral ruin, paralleling Jeremiah's indictment.
- Amos 7:9 (thematic): Prophesies judgment against the northern kingdom (the house of Jeroboam/Ephraim) and the desolation of its high places—thematic parallel in announcing calamity originating in or directed at Israel (Ephraim/Dan).
Alternative generated candidates
- For a report comes from Dan, and the sound of evil from Mount Ephraim.
- For a voice declares from Dan, and evil is prophesied from Mount Ephraim.
Jer.4.16 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- הזכירו: VERB,hiph,impv,2,m,pl
- לגוים: PREP+NOUN,m,pl,abs
- הנה: PART
- השמיעו: VERB,hiphil,imp,2,m,pl
- על: PREP
- ירושלם: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- נצרים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- באים: VERB,qal,part,3,m,pl
- מארץ: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- המרחק: NOUN,m,sg,def
- ויתנו: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
- על: PREP
- ערי: NOUN,f,pl,cons
- יהודה: NOUN,m,sg,prop
- קולם: NOUN,m,sg,abs+PRON,3,m,pl
Parallels
- Isaiah 5:26 (verbal): Speaks of lifting up a signal/whistle to the nations from afar and their swift coming — close verbal and thematic parallel to 'watchmen/people coming from a distant land.'
- Joel 2:1 (verbal): Commands blowing the trumpet in Zion and sounding an alarm on the holy mountain — parallels the call to announce an alarm against Jerusalem and the sounding of voices.
- Ezekiel 33:2-6 (thematic): Describes the duty of the watchman to sound the alarm for the city; shares the watchman/warning motif present in Jeremiah's announcement against Jerusalem.
- Jeremiah 25:9 (thematic): God declares he will summon the peoples of the north to punish Judah and Jerusalem — closely related motif of nations being called/raised up against Jerusalem as instruments of judgment.
Alternative generated candidates
- Make mention to the nations—'Behold, proclaim against Jerusalem: Foes come from a distant land, and set their array against the cities of Judah.'
- Give this charge to the nations: 'Behold and hear! A blast comes from a distant land; they lift up their voice against the cities of Judah.'
Jer.4.17 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- כשמרי: PREP+NOUN,m,pl,cons
- שדי: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- היו: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
- עליה: PREP,3,f,sg
- מסביב: ADV,loc
- כי: CONJ
- אתי: PRON,1,sg
- מרתה: NOUN,f,sg,abs+PRON,3,f,sg
- נאם: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Ezekiel 16:37 (thematic): God declares he will recompense Jerusalem and cause her to know shame and reproach — parallel theme of divine judgment that brings the city to shame.
- Isaiah 47:3 (verbal): Speaks of a city’s nakedness and shame being exposed as punishment; uses similar imagery of humiliation as divine judgment.
- Lamentations 1:8 (thematic): Jerusalem is portrayed as disgraced and ashamed because of her sins and afflictions, reflecting the same motif of the city’s humiliation.
- Psalm 44:15–16 (verbal): Israel is described as a reproach and object of scorn among the nations — language closely matching the idea of being put to shame before surrounding peoples.
- 2 Kings 25:1–10 (structural): The Babylonian siege surrounds and humiliates Jerusalem, a historical fulfillment that parallels Jeremiah’s image of the city being encompassed and brought to shame.
Alternative generated candidates
- They stand round about her like watchmen on a hill; 'She has been rebellious against me,' says the LORD.
- Her officials are like watchmen all around her; 'she has rebelled against me,' declares the LORD.
Jer.4.18 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- דרכך: NOUN,f,sg,abs+PRON,2,m,sg
- ומעלליך: CONJ+NOUN,m,pl,abs
- עשו: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
- אלה: DEM,pl,abs
- לך: PRON,2,m,sg
- זאת: DEM,f,sg
- רעתך: NOUN,f,sg,abs+2,m
- כי: CONJ
- מר: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- כי: CONJ
- נגע: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- עד: PREP
- לבך: NOUN,m,sg,abs+PRON,2,m,sg
Parallels
- Jeremiah 2:19 (verbal): Almost identical wording and theme: the people's wickedness/backsliding brings punishment and is described as evil and bitter, echoing 'your way and your deeds have done these things' and 'this is your evil; how bitter.'
- Hosea 8:7 (thematic): Expresses the principle that actions produce fitting consequences ('they sow the wind, and reap the whirlwind'), paralleling Jeremiah's assertion that the people's ways have brought these calamities on them.
- Proverbs 1:31 (thematic): Speaks of reaping the fruit of one’s own way ('they shall eat the fruit of their way'), reflecting Jeremiah’s idea that the people's conduct has directly brought about their suffering.
- Deuteronomy 28:45–46 (structural): Part of the covenant curses where disobedient ways bring dire punishments; structurally parallels Jeremiah’s cause-and-effect language linking Israel’s behavior to ensuing disaster.
- Proverbs 5:22 (thematic): Describes how a person’s iniquities entangle and reach him, similar to Jeremiah’s language that the evil is bitter and has reached the heart—sin producing inward and outward harm.
Alternative generated candidates
- Your way and your deeds have done this to you; this is your disgrace—bitter, for it has reached to your very heart.
- Your way and your deeds have brought this upon you—this is your doom. Because you were obstinate, harm has reached to your heart.
Jer.4.19 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- מעי: NOUN,m,sg,abs,1cs
- מעי: NOUN,m,sg,abs,1cs
- אוחילה: VERB,qal,impf,1,sg
- קירות: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- לבי: NOUN,m,sg,abs,1cs
- המה: PRON,3,m,pl
- לי: PREP+PRON,1,sg
- לבי: NOUN,m,sg,abs,1cs
- לא: PART_NEG
- אחריש: VERB,qal,impf,1,?,sg
- כי: CONJ
- קול: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- שופר: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- שמעת: VERB,qal,perf,2,m,sg
- נפשי: NOUN,f,sg,abs+1cs
- תרועת: NOUN,f,sg,cs
- מלחמה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
Parallels
- Lamentations 2:11 (verbal): Uses the same bodily/inner-parts imagery (bowels, inward pain) to express intense sorrow over Jerusalem's destruction, paralleling Jeremiah's 'my bowels… my heart' lament.
- Joel 2:1 (verbal): Commands to 'Blow the trumpet in Zion' to warn of the coming day of the LORD — parallels Jeremiah's 'sound of the trumpet, the alarm of war' as a herald of catastrophe.
- Ezekiel 33:3 (thematic): Describes blowing the trumpet as a warning of approaching disaster; resonates with Jeremiah's motif of the trumpet-sound as an alarm and summons to awareness.
- Zephaniah 1:16 (thematic): Speaks of 'the trumpet and alarm' and the impending day of the LORD — thematically close to Jeremiah's depiction of trumpet-signal and the terror of war.
Alternative generated candidates
- My entrails—my entrails! I writhe! The walls of my heart—my heart is pounding within me; I cannot be silent, for I hear the sound of the trumpet, the alarm of war.
- My inward parts—my inward parts! I writhe in anguish; the very walls of my heart. My heart cries out; I cannot be silent, for I hear the sound of the trumpet, the alarm of war.
Jer.4.20 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- שבר: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- על: PREP
- שבר: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- נקרא: VERB,niphal,perf,3,m,sg
- כי: CONJ
- שדדה: VERB,qal,perf,3,f,sg
- כל: DET
- הארץ: NOUN,f,sg,def
- פתאם: ADV
- שדדו: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
- אהלי: NOUN,m,pl,cons
- רגע: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- יריעתי: NOUN,f,sg,poss1
Parallels
- Jer.4:23-26 (structural): Immediate context/parallel scene: same chapter expands the vision of a devastated land—language of the earth as void and desolate continues and explains the cosmic and social collapse behind the image of plundered tents.
- Ezek.7:26 (thematic): Foretells successive calamities—'disaster upon disaster'—comparable to Jeremiah's terse 'break upon break' formula and the sense of abrupt, compounding ruin.
- Isa.24:1-3 (thematic): Portrait of widespread desolation—'the LORD will empty the earth... it shall be utterly laid waste'—paralleling Jeremiah's depiction of the land laid waste and sudden plunder.
- Lam.2:6-7 (thematic): Lamenting the overthrow of God's dwelling and the city's desolation; images of ruined sanctuaries and deprived inhabitants echo the language of tents and sudden plunder in Jer 4:20.
- Ps.79:1-2 (thematic): Complaint about nations entering God's inheritance and laying Jerusalem in ruins; the motif of violent invasion and despoiling parallels the sudden plundering of tents in Jeremiah.
Alternative generated candidates
- Destruction upon destruction is called out— for the whole land is laid waste; suddenly are my tents plundered, my curtains in an instant.
- Destruction upon destruction is called, for the whole land is laid waste. Suddenly my tents are plundered, and in a moment my curtains.
Jer.4.21 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- עד: PREP
- מתי: ADV,int
- אראה: VERB,qal,impf,1,_,sg
- נס: VERB,niphal,perf,3,m,sg
- אשמעה: VERB,qal,impf,1,_,sg
- קול: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- שופר: NOUN,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Jeremiah 4:19 (verbal): Same chapter and imagery — the prophet hears the sound of the trumpet and expresses terror; echoes the motif of trumpet/alarm announcing calamity.
- Joel 2:1 (verbal): Explicit command to 'blow the trumpet' and 'sound an alarm' before the day of the LORD; closely parallels Jeremiah's use of the trumpet as a signal of impending judgment.
- Habakkuk 1:2 (thematic): A plaintive 'how long' complaint to God about ongoing violence and suffering; parallels Jeremiah's rhetorical question expressing anguish over continuing disaster.
- Amos 3:6 (thematic): Uses the trumpet as a public signal of alarm and catastrophe ('If a trumpet is blown in a city...'), linking trumpet-sound imagery to warning and divine judgment as in Jeremiah 4:21.
Alternative generated candidates
- How long will I see the standard and hear the sound of the trumpet?
- How long shall I see the banner? How long shall I hear the sound of the trumpet?
Jer.4.22 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- כי: CONJ
- אויל: ADJ,m,sg
- עמי: NOUN,m,sg,abs+1s
- אותי: PRON,1,sg,acc
- לא: PART_NEG
- ידעו: VERB,qal,perf,3,pl
- בנים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- סכלים: ADJ,m,pl
- המה: PRON,3,m,pl
- ולא: CONJ
- נבונים: ADJ,m,pl
- המה: PRON,3,m,pl
- חכמים: ADJ,m,pl,abs
- המה: PRON,3,m,pl
- להרע: VERB,qal,inf
- ולהיטיב: CONJ+PREP+VERB,qal,inf
- לא: PART_NEG
- ידעו: VERB,qal,perf,3,pl
Parallels
- Hosea 4:6 (verbal): 'My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge' closely parallels Jeremiah's charge that the people do not know the LORD — both link ignorance of God with ruin.
- Isaiah 5:20-21 (thematic): Condemns moral inversion and self‑deceptive wisdom ('woe to those who call evil good' / 'wise in their own eyes'), echoing Jeremiah's observation that the people are 'wise to do evil' but do not know how to do good.
- Proverbs 1:7 (thematic): Proclaims that 'the fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge' and that fools despise wisdom, paralleling Jeremiah's depiction of the people as foolish and lacking true knowledge of God.
- Romans 1:21 (thematic): Speaks of people who 'knew God' yet became futile in their thinking and 'became fools,' reflecting the New Testament parallel to Israel's failure to know and honor God described in Jeremiah.
Alternative generated candidates
- For my people are foolish; they have not known me. They are senseless children, they are unwise—they are skilled to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge.
- For my people are foolish; they have not known me. They are senseless children—wise to do evil but without knowledge to do good.
Jer.4.23 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ראיתי: VERB,qal,perf,1,_,sg
- את: PRT,acc
- הארץ: NOUN,f,sg,def
- והנה: ADV
- תהו: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ובהו: CONJ+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ואל: CONJ+PREP
- השמים: NOUN,m,pl,def
- ואין: CONJ+PART,exist
- אורם: NOUN,m,sg,abs+3,m,pl
Parallels
- Genesis 1:2 (verbal): Uses the same key phrase 'tohu vavohu' (formless and void) and primordial imagery — Jeremiah intentionally echoes the language of creation to portray a reversal/de-creation.
- Isaiah 45:18 (allusion): Directly engages the concept of 'tohu' (emptiness): Isaiah insists God did not create the earth to be void, providing an antithetical theological counterpoint to Jeremiah’s depiction of desolation.
- Isaiah 34:4 (thematic): Cosmic upheaval/judgment language — the heavens and heavenly host are undone, paralleling Jeremiah’s image of a dark, unlit sky as part of divine devastation.
- Amos 5:20 (thematic): Speaks of the day of the LORD as darkness rather than light; resonates with Jeremiah’s motif of the heavens lacking light as an omen of judgment.
Alternative generated candidates
- I looked at the earth, and behold, it was formless and void; and to the heavens, and their light was gone.
- I looked upon the earth, and behold, it was formless and void; and to the heavens, and there was no light.
Jer.4.24 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ראיתי: VERB,qal,perf,1,_,sg
- ההרים: NOUN,m,pl,def
- והנה: ADV
- רעשים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- וכל: CONJ+PRON,indef
- הגבעות: NOUN,f,pl,def
- התקלקלו: VERB,hitpael,perf,3,m,pl
Parallels
- Nahum 1:5 (verbal): Same motif of mountains trembling and hills melting at the Lord’s presence; close verbal echo of landscape convulsions.
- Habakkuk 3:6 (verbal): Describes mountains shaken and everlasting hills bowed/shattered—very similar language of cosmic upheaval.
- Joel 2:10 (verbal): Speaks of mountains trembling and hills quaking before the Lord’s army—parallel depiction of earth’s trembling.
- Psalm 46:3 (thematic): Imagery of mountains shaking and waters roaring—theme of natural world convulsed in crisis or divine action.
- Isaiah 24:19-20 (thematic): Cosmic/apocalyptic language of the earth and mountains reeling and being removed—comparable portrayal of widespread devastation.
Alternative generated candidates
- I looked at the mountains, and behold, they trembled; all the hills were shaken.
- I looked upon the mountains, and behold, they trembled; all the hills were shaken.
Jer.4.25 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ראיתי: VERB,qal,perf,1,_,sg
- והנה: ADV
- אין: PART,neg
- האדם: NOUN,m,sg,def
- וכל: CONJ+PRON,indef
- עוף: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- השמים: NOUN,m,pl,def
- נדדו: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
Parallels
- Isaiah 13:20-21 (thematic): Depicts cities left uninhabited after judgment—'no man'—and populated by wild creatures and birds, echoing Jeremiah's image of depopulation and avian activity.
- Isaiah 34:11-15 (thematic): Describes a devastated land inhabited by owls and desert creatures; similar prophetic motif of divine judgment leaving human absence and animal/avian presence.
- Zephaniah 1:3 (thematic): God announces removal of both 'man and beast' as part of judgment, paralleling Jeremiah's observation that no people remain and the birds are gone/adrift.
- Jeremiah 9:11 (structural): Within the same prophetic book, Jerusalem is said to become a heap and a den of wild animals—an internal parallel portraying cities turned over to animals after judgment.
- Psalm 102:6 (verbal): Uses bird imagery (pelican, owl) to convey desolation and loneliness; thematically parallels Jeremiah's use of avian motifs to signal abandonment and ruin.
Alternative generated candidates
- I looked, and behold, there was no man; and all the birds of the heavens had fled.
- I looked, and behold, there was no man; and all the birds of the heavens had fled.
Jer.4.26 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ראיתי: VERB,qal,perf,1,_,sg
- והנה: ADV
- הכרמל: NOUN,m,sg,def
- המדבר: VERB,qal,ptc,3,m,sg
- וכל: CONJ+PRON,indef
- עריו: NOUN,f,pl,cs+3ms
- נתצו: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
- מפני: PREP
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- מפני: PREP
- חרון: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אפו: NOUN,m,sg,abs,suff3ms
Parallels
- Amos 1:2 (verbal): Uses the same Carmel imagery—'the top of Carmel withereth'—and links desolation to the voice/roar of the LORD, paralleling Jeremiah's view of Carmel laid waste by God's anger.
- Isaiah 33:9 (verbal): Speaks of the land mourning and of Carmel (and Lebanon/Sharon) withering or losing fruit—similar language of regional desolation as the effect of divine judgment.
- Nahum 1:2 (thematic): Emphasizes God's jealous, vengeful fury and reserved wrath against enemies; thematically parallels Jeremiah's attribution of the destruction to the 'blast of his anger.'
- Lamentations 2:1 (thematic): Describes the LORD pouring out fierce anger and bringing ruin on Zion and its cities; parallels Jeremiah's depiction of cities broken down before the LORD's wrath.
Alternative generated candidates
- I looked, and behold, the fruitful land was a desert, and all its cities were broken down at the presence of the LORD, before his burning anger.
- I looked, and behold, the fruitful land was a wilderness, and all its cities were laid waste before the LORD, before his burning anger.
Jer.4.27 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- כי: CONJ
- כה: ADV
- אמר: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- שממה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- תהיה: VERB,qal,imperfect,3,f,sg
- כל: DET
- הארץ: NOUN,f,sg,def
- וכלה: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- לא: PART_NEG
- אעשה: VERB,qal,impf,1,_,sg
Parallels
- Amos 9:8 (verbal): Uses similar language of God refusing to make an utter/endless destruction of Israel—parallels Jeremiah’s 'yet I will not make a full end.'
- Isaiah 6:13 (thematic): Both portray nationwide devastation but preservation of a remnant (the 'stump'/'tenth'), stressing judgment accompanied by survival.
- Lamentations 3:31-33 (thematic): Affirms that though God afflicts for judgment, he does not cast off forever or willingly destroy—echoes divine restraint in Jeremiah 4:27.
- Jeremiah 18:7-10 (thematic): Declares that God may relent from spoken disaster if a nation changes, reflecting the motif that announced destruction need not be made complete.
- 2 Chronicles 36:21 (structural): Describes the land left desolate during exile to fulfill judgment yet within the larger narrative eventual restoration occurs—parallels 'the whole land shall be a desolation' without absolute annihilation.
Alternative generated candidates
- For thus says the LORD: All the land shall be a desolation; yet I will not utterly make an end of it.
- For thus says the LORD: 'All the land shall be a desolation; yet I will not utterly destroy it.'
Jer.4.28 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- על: PREP
- זאת: DEM,f,sg
- תאבל: VERB,qal,impf,3,f,sg
- הארץ: NOUN,f,sg,def
- וקדרו: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
- השמים: NOUN,m,pl,def
- ממעל: ADV
- על: PREP
- כי: CONJ
- דברתי: VERB,qal,perf,1,c,sg
- זמתי: NOUN,m,sg,abs+1cs
- ולא: CONJ
- נחמתי: VERB,qal,perf,1,c,sg
- ולא: CONJ
- אשוב: VERB,qal,impf,1,?,sg
- ממנה: PREP+PRON,3,f,sg
Parallels
- Isaiah 34:4 (thematic): Cosmic signs of judgment: the heavens are darkened and heavenly bodies dissolve — parallels Jeremiah's image of the heavens being dark above in divine judgment.
- Ezekiel 32:7 (verbal): God darkens the sky and extinguishes stars when executing judgment on a nation, echoing Jeremiah’s language of the heavens being made dark.
- Amos 5:20 (thematic): The day of the LORD described as darkness rather than light—shares the theme of unexpected cosmic darkness as fallout of divine judgment.
- 1 Samuel 15:29 (verbal): Affirms that the LORD does not 'repent' like a human and will not turn back from His purpose, paralleling Jeremiah’s declaration that God has spoken and will not relent.
Alternative generated candidates
- Therefore the land shall mourn, and the heavens above grow dark; for I have spoken, I have planned—and I will not relent nor turn back from it.
- Therefore the earth mourns and the heavens above grow dark; for I have spoken and I have purposed—I will not relent, nor will I turn back.
Jer.4.29 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- מקול: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- פרש: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- ורמה: CONJ+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- קשת: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- ברחת: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- כל: DET
- העיר: NOUN,f,sg,def
- באו: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
- בעבים: PREP+NOUN,m,pl,abs
- ובכפים: CONJ+PREP+NOUN,m,pl,abs
- עלו: PREP+3ms_suff
- כל: DET
- העיר: NOUN,f,sg,def
- עזובה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- ואין: CONJ+PART,exist
- יושב: VERB,qal,ptcp,1,m,sg
- בהן: PREP+PRON,3,f,pl
- איש: NOUN,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Jeremiah 4:5 (structural): Immediate context: a call to gather and flee into fortified places—prepares the flight and abandonment that v.29 describes.
- Jeremiah 6:22-23 (verbal): Uses the same storm/cloud and rapid invasion imagery (coming like clouds/whirlwind, chariots/horsemen) to portray an army causing cities to flee.
- Isaiah 13:20 (verbal): Proclaims a city made uninhabited and forever deserted—language parallel to 'every city is desolate and none dwell therein' in Jer 4:29.
- Nahum 2:3-4 (thematic): Depicts chariots and horsemen, panic and flight; thematically similar imagery of rapid military assault and communal collapse.
- Ezekiel 7:26-27 (thematic): Announces coming disaster and desolation with no refuge—parallels the theme of cities emptied and people unable to remain.
Alternative generated candidates
- The sound of the horse—hoarse; the bow is made bare. Every city flees; they come with clouds and in cavalry—every city is forsaken; no one dwells in them.
- At the noise of the horseman and the clatter of the bow, every city has fled; they went up into the cliffs and climbed among the thickets. Every city is desolate; no one dwells in them.
Jer.4.30 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ואת: CONJ
- שדוד: VERB,pual,perf,3,m,sg
- מה: PRON,int
- תעשי: VERB,qal,impf,2,f,sg
- כי: CONJ
- תלבשי: VERB,qal,impf,2,f,sg
- שני: NUM,m,pl,construct
- כי: CONJ
- תעדי: VERB,qal,impf,2,f,sg
- עדי: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- זהב: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- כי: CONJ
- תקרעי: VERB,qal,impf,2,f,sg
- בפוך: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- עיניך: NOUN,f,pl,abs+2ms
- לשוא: PREP
- תתיפי: VERB,hitpael,impf,2,f,sg
- מאסו: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
- בך: PREP+PRON,2,m,sg
- עגבים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- נפשך: NOUN,f,sg,abs,2,m
- יבקשו: VERB,qal,imf,3,m,pl
Parallels
- Isaiah 3:16-24 (verbal): Condemnation of proud, ornamented women and listing of jewelry that will be removed—language and imagery of adornment followed by humiliation echo Jeremiah’s address to a woman with gold ornaments.
- Isaiah 47:2-3 (verbal): Babylon portrayed as an adorned woman told to remove her veil and sit in the dust—close verbal/thematic parallel of a once‑adorned woman brought low and shamed.
- Ezekiel 16:12-14 (thematic): God’s earlier adornment of Jerusalem with jewelry and fine clothing and the city’s subsequent unfaithfulness; parallels the motif of decorative finery contrasted with judgment and reproach.
- Hosea 2:8-13 (thematic): Israel depicted as decked with jewels and loved by others, then stripped and punished—similar theme of adorning followed by rejection, humiliation, and loss of lovers.
Alternative generated candidates
- And as for the plundered one, what will you do? When you strip yourself—how will you make yourself beautiful? When you fasten on gold ornaments and darken your eyes with paint, in vain you lament; your lovers despise you—they seek your life.
- And as for the spoil—what will you do? Though you adorn yourself in fine garments and put on gold ornaments, though you widen your eyes with paint—vainly you beautify yourself; your lovers despise you, they seek your life.
Jer.4.31 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- כי: CONJ
- קול: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- כחולה: PREP+ADJ,f,sg,abs
- שמעתי: VERB,qal,perf,1,sg
- צרה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- כמבכירה: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- קול: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- בת: NOUN,f,sg,cs
- ציון: NOUN,prop,f,sg,abs
- תתיפח: VERB,hitp,impf,3,f,sg
- תפרש: VERB,qal,impf,3,f,sg
- כפיה: NOUN,f,pl,abs+PRON,3,f,sg
- אוי: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- נא: PART
- לי: PREP+PRON,1,sg
- כי: CONJ
- עיפה: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- נפשי: NOUN,f,sg,abs+1cs
- להרגים: VERB,qal,inf,_,_,_
Parallels
- Lamentations 2:19 (thematic): Both verses call for crying out at night and pour out sorrow for Zion; shared motif of public lamentation over the city's ruin.
- Jeremiah 6:26 (verbal): Uses the address to the 'daughter of my people' and summons to sackcloth/mourning—same prophetic convention of Zion's lament and bodily gestures of grief.
- Jeremiah 8:21-22 (thematic): Expresses deep personal/collective exhaustion and grief for the 'daughter of my people' and asks plaintively for healing—parallels the weariness and woe of Jer. 4:31.
- Isaiah 26:17-18 (allusion): Uses childbirth imagery and the cry of travail to depict national suffering; echoes Jer. 4:31's simile 'like a firstborn's cry' and the metaphors of pain and exhaustion.
Alternative generated candidates
- For I hear a cry of anguish—like the cry of a woman in travail: the voice of the daughter of Zion wails, she spreads out her hands: 'Woe is me, for my soul is faint because of those who kill.'
- For I have heard the cry, like the cry of a woman in travail—the voice of the daughter of Zion: she wails and spreads her hands. 'Alas for me! My soul fainteth within me; my heart is sick.'
Proclaim in Judah and sound aloud in Jerusalem; blow the trumpet in the land; call, "Assemble!" and cry, "Let us declare a warning to the fortified cities!"
Raise a standard over Zion; flee, do not stand still— for I am bringing disaster from the north, and a great destruction.
A lion has come up from his thicket, a destroyer of nations has set out; he has gone forth from his place to lay waste your land. Your cities will be left desolate, with no one to dwell in them.
Therefore gird yourselves with sackcloth; wail and lament— for the fierce anger of the LORD will not turn back from you.
It shall come to pass in that day, declares the LORD, that the heart of the king and the heart of the princes shall be confused; the priests shall be appalled, and the prophets astonished. And I said, "Ah, Lord GOD! Truly you have deceived this people and Jerusalem, saying, 'You shall have peace'—when the sword reaches to the life."
At that time it will be said to this people and to Jerusalem: 'A scorching wind from the bare heights of the desert is coming against my people—not to winnow, and not to cleanse.'
A full wind from me now will blow; therefore I will pronounce my judgments against them.
Behold, he comes up like clouds; his chariots are like a whirlwind; his horses are swifter than eagles. Woe to us, for we are ruined.
Wash your heart from wickedness, O Jerusalem, that you may be saved. How long will your evil thoughts lodge within you?
For a voice proclaims from Dan and announces trouble from Ephraim.
Make mention to the nations: 'Look, proclaim against Jerusalem—watchmen come from a distant land; they lift up their voice against the cities of Judah.'
They shall be like watchmen all around her, because she had rebelled against me, declares the LORD.
Your way and your deeds have brought this upon you; this is your wickedness—how bitter it is; it has reached to your very heart.
My inward parts, my inward parts! I writhe in pain—my heart is troubled within me; I cannot keep silent, for I hear the sound of the trumpet, the alarm of war.
Ruin upon ruin is proclaimed; for the whole land lies desolate—suddenly my tents are plundered, and my curtains in an instant.
How long will I see the standard, and hear the sound of the trumpet?
For my people are foolish; they do not know me. They are senseless children, and have no understanding; they are skilled at doing evil, but to do good they have no knowledge.
I looked upon the land—and behold, it was formless and void; and the heavens had no light.
I looked at the mountains—and behold, they trembled; all the hills were shaken.
I looked—and behold, there was no man; and all the birds of the heavens had fled.
I looked—and behold, the fruitful land was a wilderness, and all its cities were laid waste before the LORD, before his fierce anger.
For thus says the LORD: 'The whole land shall be a desolation; yet I will not make an utter end.'
Therefore the earth shall mourn and the heavens above be darkened; for I have spoken—and I have purposed it; I will not relent, nor will I turn back.
From the sound of horsemen and archers the city has fled; they have entered the thickets and climbed the rocks. All the cities are deserted—no one dwells in them. And you, O one plundered—what will you do? If you clothe yourself in scarlet and deck yourself with gold, if you widen your eyes with paint, all is in vain; your lovers despise you—they seek your life.
For I have heard a cry like that of a woman in travail, the groaning of the daughter of Zion: she laments and spreads out her hands, 'Woe is me! my soul is faint because of the destroyers.'