14. People of Jerusalem, clean the evil from your hearts and be saved.Don’t continue making evil plans.
15. A voice from Dan makes an announcement.From the mountains of Ephraim someone brings bad news.
16. “Report this to the nations.Spread this news in Jerusalem:‘Enemies are coming from a faraway country.They are shouting words of war against the cities of Judah.
17. The enemy has surrounded Jerusalem as men guard a field.This is because Judah turned against me,’” says the Lord.
18. “The way you have lived and actedhas brought this trouble to you.This is your punishment.How terrible it is!The pain stabs your heart!”
19. Oh, how I hurt! How I hurt!I am bent over in pain.Oh, the torture in my heart!My heart is pounding inside me.I cannot keep quiet.This is because I have heard the sound of the trumpet.I have heard the words of war.
20. Disaster follows disaster.The whole country has been destroyed.My tents are destroyed in only a moment.My curtains are torn down quickly.
21. How long must I look at the war flag?How long must I listen to the war trumpets?
22. The Lord says, “My people are foolish.They do not know me.They are stupid children.They don’t understand.They are skillful at doing evil.They don’t know how to do good.”
23. I looked at the earth.It was empty and had no shape!I looked at the sky.And its light was gone.
24. I looked at the mountains,and they were shaking!All the hills were trembling.
25. I looked, and there were no people!Every bird in the sky had flown away.
26. I looked, and the good, rich land had become a desert!All its towns had been destroyed.The Lord and his great anger has caused this.
27. This is what the Lord says:“All the land will be ruined.But I will not completely destroy it.
28. So the people in the land will cry loudly.And the sky will grow dark.This is because I have spoken and will not change my mind.I have made a decision, and I will not change it.”
29. The towns will hear the sound of the horsemen and soldiers with bows.All the people will run away.Some of them will hide in the thick bushes.Some will climb up into the rocks.All of the cities of Judah are empty.No one lives in them.
30. Judah, you destroyed nation, what are you doing?Why do you put on your finest dress?Why do you put on your gold jewelry?Why do you put on your eye shadow?You make yourself beautiful, but it is all useless.Your lovers hate you.They want to kill you.
31. I hear a cry like a woman having a baby.It is a cry like a woman having her first child.It is the voice of Jerusalem gasping for breath.She lifts her hands in prayer and says,“Oh! I am about to faint.They are about to murder me!”