Jeremiæ 4

1 Si reverteris, Israël, ait Dominus, ad me convertere: si abstuleris offendicula tua a facie mea, non commoveberis.

If thou wilt return, O Israel, saith the LORD, yea, return unto Me; and if thou wilt put away thy detestable things out of My sight, and wilt not waver;

2 Et jurabis: Vivit Dominus in veritate, et in judicio, et in justitia: et benedicent eum gentes, ipsumque laudabunt.

And wilt swear: 'As the LORD liveth' in truth, in justice, and in righteousness; then shall the nations bless themselves by Him, and in Him shall they glory.

3 Hæc enim dicit Dominus viro Juda et Jerusalem: Novate vobis novale, et nolite serere super spinas.

For thus saith the LORD to the men of Judah and to Jerusalem: Break up for you a fallow ground, and sow not among thorns.

4 Circumcidimini Domino, et auferte præputia cordium vestrorum, viri Juda, et habitatores Jerusalem: ne forte egrediatur ut ignis indignatio mea, et succendatur, et non sit qui extinguat, propter malitiam cogitationum vestrarum.

Circumcise yourselves to the LORD, and take away the foreskins of your heart, ye men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem; lest My fury go forth like fire, and burn that none can quench it, because of the evil of your doings.

5 Annuntiate in Juda, et in Jerusalem auditum facite: loquimini, et canite tuba in terra, clamate fortiter, et dicite: Congregamini, et ingrediamur civitates munitas.

Declare ye in Judah, and publish in Jerusalem, and say: 'Blow ye the horn in the land'; cry aloud and say: 'Assemble yourselves, and let us go into the fortified cities.'

6 Levate signum in Sion; confortamini, nolite stare: quia malum ego adduco ab aquilone, et contritionem magnam.

Set up a standard toward Zion; put yourselves under covert, stay not; for I will bring evil from the north, and a great destruction.

7 Ascendit leo de cubili suo, et prædo gentium se levavit: egressus est de loco suo ut ponat terram tuam in solitudinem: civitates tuæ vastabuntur, remanentes absque habitatore.

A lion is gone up from his thicket, and a destroyer of nations is set out, gone forth from his place; to make thy land desolate, that thy cities be laid waste, without inhabitant.

8 Super hoc accingite vos ciliciis; plangite, et ululate: quia non est aversa ira furoris Domini a nobis.

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

9 Et erit in die illa, dicit Dominus: peribit cor regis, et cor principum, et obstupescent sacerdotes, et prophetæ consternabuntur.

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

10 Et dixi: Heu! heu! heu! Domine Deus, ergone decepisti populum istum et Jerusalem, dicens: Pax erit vobis: et ecce pervenit gladius usque ad animam?

Then 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.'

11 In tempore illo dicetur populo huic et Jerusalem: Ventus urens in viis quæ sunt in deserto viæ filiæ populi mei, non ad ventilandum et ad purgandum.

At that time shall it be said of this people and of Jerusalem; A hot wind of the high hills in the wilderness toward the daughter of My people, not to fan, nor to cleanse;

12 Spiritus plenus ex his veniet mihi, et nunc ego loquar judicia mea cum eis.

A wind too strong for this shall come for Me; now will I also utter judgments against them.

13 Ecce quasi nubes ascendet, et quasi tempestas currus ejus: velociores aquilis equi illius. Væ nobis, quoniam vastati sumus.

Behold, he cometh up as clouds, and his chariots are as the whirlwind; his horses are swifter than eagles. — 'Woe unto us! for we are undone.' —

14 Lava a malitia cor tuum, Jerusalem, ut salva fias: usquequo morabuntur in te cogitationes noxiæ?

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

15 Vox enim annuntiantis a Dan, et notum facientis idolum de monte Ephraim.

For hark! one declareth from Dan, and announceth calamity from the hills of Ephraim:

16 Dicite gentibus: Ecce auditum est in Jerusalem custodes venire de terra longinqua, et dare super civitates Juda vocem suam:

'Make ye mention to the nations: Behold — publish concerning Jerusalem — watchers come from a far country, and give out their voice against the cities of Judah.'

17 quasi custodes agrorum facti sunt super eam in gyro, quia me ad iracundiam provocavit, dicit Dominus.

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

18 Viæ tuæ et cogitationes tuæ fecerunt hæc tibi: ista malitia tua, quia amara, quia tetigit cor tuum.

Thy way and thy doings have procured these things unto thee; this is thy wickedness; yea, it is bitter, yea, it reacheth unto thy heart.

19 Ventrem meum, ventrem meum doleo; sensus cordis mei turbati sunt in me. Non tacebo, quoniam vocem buccinæ audivit anima mea, clamorem prælii.

My bowels, my bowels! I writhe in pain! The chambers of my heart! My heart moaneth within me! I cannot hold my peace! because thou hast heard, O my soul, the sound of the horn, the alarm of war.

20 Contritio super contritionem vocata est, et vastata est omnis terra: repente vastata sunt tabernacula mea; subito pelles meæ.

Destruction followeth upon destruction, for the whole land is spoiled; suddenly are my tents spoiled, my curtains in a moment.

21 Usquequo videbo fugientem; audiam vocem buccinæ?

How long shall I see the standard, shall I hear the sound of the horn?

22 Quia stultus populus meus me non cognovit: filii insipientes sunt et vecordes: sapientes sunt ut faciant mala, bene autem facere nescierunt.

For My people is foolish, they know Me not; they are sottish children, and they have no understanding; they are wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge.

23 Aspexi terram, et ecce vacua erat et nihili; et cælos, et non erat lux in eis.

I beheld the earth, and, lo, it was waste and void; and the heavens, and they had no light.

24 Vidi montes, et ecce movebantur: et omnes colles conturbati sunt.

I beheld the mountains, and, lo, they trembled, and all the hills moved to and fro.

25 Intuitus sum, et non erat homo: et omne volatile cæli recessit.

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

26 Aspexi, et ecce Carmelus desertus, et omnes urbes ejus destructæ sunt a facie Domini, et a facie iræ furoris ejus.

I beheld, and, lo, the fruitful field was a wilderness, and all the cities thereof were broken down at the presence of the LORD, and before His fierce anger.

27 Hæc enim dicit Dominus: Deserta erit omnis terra, sed tamen consummationem non faciam.

For thus saith the LORD: The whole land shall be desolate; yet will I not make a full end.

28 Lugebit terra, et mœrebunt cæli desuper, eo quod locutus sum. Cogitavi, et non pœnituit me, nec aversus sum ab eo.

For this shall the earth mourn, and the heavens above be black; because I have spoken it, I have purposed it, and I have not repented, neither will I turn back from it.

29 A voce equitis et mittentis sagittam fugit omnis civitas: ingressi sunt ardua, et ascenderunt rupes: universæ urbes derelictæ sunt, et non habitat in eis homo.

For the noise of the horsemen and bowmen the whole city fleeth; they go into the thickets, and climb up upon the rocks; every city is forsaken, and not a man dwelleth therein.

30 Tu autem vastata, quid facies? cum vestieris te coccino, cum ornata fueris monili aureo, et pinxeris stibio oculos tuos, frustra componeris: contempserunt te amatores tui; animam tuam quærent.

And thou, that art spoiled, what doest thou, that thou clothest thyself with scarlet, that thou deckest thee with ornaments of gold, that thou enlargest thine eyes with paint? In vain dost thou make thyself fair; thy lovers despise thee, they seek thy life.

31 Vocem enim quasi parturientis audivi, angustias ut puerperæ: vox filiæ Sion intermorientis, expandentisque manus suas: Væ mihi, quia defecit anima mea propter interfectos!

For I have heard a voice as of a woman in travail, the anguish as of her that bringeth forth her first child, the voice of the daughter of Zion, that gaspeth for breath, that spreadeth her hands: 'Woe is me, now! for my soul fainteth before the murderers.'