1. If you return, O Israel,” declares Yahweh, “you return to me. And if you remove your abominations from my presence, and you do not wander,
2. and you swear, ‘As Yahweh lives,’ in truth, in justice, and in righteousness, then nations will be blessed by him, and in him they will boast.”
3. For thus says Yahweh to the men of Judah and to Jerusalem, “Break up for yourselves prepared virgin soil, and you must not sow among thornbushes.
4. Circumcise yourselves to Yahweh, and remove the foreskins of your hearts, men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem, lest my wrath goes forth like the fire and burns, and there is no one who extinguishes it, because of the evil of your deeds.”
5. Declare in Judah and proclaim in Jerusalem and say, “Blow a horn through the land, call with a loud voice and say, ‘Be gathered and let us go into the fortified cities.’
6. Lift up a signal toward Zion, bring yourselves to safety; you must not remain standing, for I am bringing evil from the north, and a great destruction.
7. A lion has gone up from his thicket, and a destroyer of nations has set out. He has gone out from his place to make your land as a horror, your cities will go to ruin without inhabitant.
8. Because of this gird yourselves with sackcloth, lament and wail, for the burning anger of Yahweh has not turned back from us.
9. And then on that day,” declares Yahweh, “the heart of the king and the heart of the officials will be destroyed, and the priests will be appalled, and the prophets will be astonished.”
10. Then I said, “Ah, Lord Yahweh, surely you have utterly deceived this people and Jerusalem, saying, ‘It will be peace for you,’ while the sword reaches up to the throat.”
11. At that time it will be said to this people and to Jerusalem, “A hot wind from the barren heights in the desert, in the direction of the daughter of my people, not to winnow and not to cleanse,