Jeremiah — Chapter 4

📖 Jeremiah — Chapter 4 (KJV)

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Scripture source: Project Gutenberg KJV, ebook 10.

Jeremiah 4:1 If thou ^Rwilt 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.

Jeremiah 4:2 And thou ^Rshalt 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.

Jeremiah 4:3 For thus saith the LORD to the men of Judah and Jerusalem, ^RBreak up your fallow ground, and sow not among thorns.

Jeremiah 4:4 Circumcise yourselves to the LORD, and ^Rtake 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.

Jeremiah 4:5 ^RDeclare 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.

Jeremiah 4:6 Set up ^Rthe standard toward Zion: ^Tretire, stay not: for I will bring evil from the north, and a great ^Tdestruction.

Jeremiah 4:7 The ^Rlion 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.

Jeremiah 4:8 For this ^Rgird you with sackcloth, lament and howl: for the fierce anger of the LORD is not turned back from us.

Jeremiah 4:9 And it shall come to pass at that day, saith the LORD, ^Rthat the heart of the king shall perish, and the heart of the princes; and the priests shall be astonished, and the prophets shall wonder.

Jeremiah 4:10 Then said I, Ah, Lord GOD! ^Rsurely thou hast greatly deceived this people and Jerusalem, saying, Ye shall have peace; whereas the sword reacheth unto the soul.

Jeremiah 4:11 At that time shall it be said to this people and to Jerusalem, A dry wind of the high places in the wilderness toward the ^Rdaughter of my people, not to fan, nor to cleanse,

Jeremiah 4:12 Even ^RTa full wind from those places shall come unto me: now also will I ^Tgive sentence against them.

Jeremiah 4:13 ^RBehold, 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.

Jeremiah 4:14 O Jerusalem, ^Rwash thine heart from wickedness, that thou mayest be saved. How long shall thy vain thoughts lodge within thee?

Jeremiah 4:15 For ^Ra voice declareth from Dan, and publisheth affliction from mount Ephraim.

Jeremiah 4:16 Make ye mention to the nations; behold, publish against Jerusalem, that ^Rwatchers come from a far country, and give out their voice against the cities of Judah.

Jeremiah 4:17 As ^Rkeepers of a field, are they against her round about; because she hath been rebellious against me, saith the LORD.

Jeremiah 4:18 ^RThy way and thy doings have procured these things unto thee; this is thy wickedness, because it is bitter, because it reacheth unto thine heart.

Jeremiah 4:19 My bowels, my bowels! I am pained at ^Tmy very heart; my heart maketh a noise in me; I cannot hold my peace, because thou hast heard, O my soul, the ^Rsound of the trumpet, the alarm of war.

Jeremiah 4:20 Destruction ^Rupon destruction is cried; for the whole land is spoiled: suddenly are my tents spoiled, and my curtains in a moment.

Jeremiah 4:21 How long ^Rshall I see the standard, and hear the sound of the trumpet?

Jeremiah 4:22 ^RFor 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.

Jeremiah 4:23 I beheld ^Rthe earth, and, lo, it was without form, and void; and the heavens, and they had no light.

Jeremiah 4:24 I beheld the ^Rmountains, and, lo, they trembled, and all the hills moved lightly.

Jeremiah 4:25 I beheld, and, lo, ^Rthere was no man, and all the birds of the heavens were fled.

Jeremiah 4:26 I beheld, and, lo, ^Rthe fruitful place was a wilderness, and all the cities thereof were broken down at the presence of the LORD, and by his fierce anger.

Jeremiah 4:27 For thus hath the LORD said, The whole land shall be desolate; ^Ryet will I not make a full end.

Jeremiah 4:28 For this shall ^Rthe 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.

Jeremiah 4:29 The whole city ^Rshall 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.

Jeremiah 4:30 ^RAnd 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 ^Tface with painting, in vain shalt thou make thyself fair; thy lovers will despise thee, they will seek thy life.

Jeremiah 4:31 For ^RI 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.

📚 Study This Chapter

📖 What We’re Reading

Jeremiah 4:1–11 — Return before the approaching disaster

🌱 What These Verses Teach Us

The call to remove abominations and cleanse the heart is followed by warnings of northern destruction. Trumpets, flight, and a drying wind expose the urgency of Judah’s danger.

Key Truth: Turn to God before hardening in resistance.

Check What You Remember

📖 What We’re Reading

Jeremiah 4:12–21 — The prophet feels the anguish of war

🌱 What These Verses Teach Us

The coming siege is described with clouds, chariots, and hostile watchers. Jerusalem is called to wash wickedness from her heart while Jeremiah expresses deep distress at the trumpet and destruction.

Key Truth: Take warning and suffering seriously.

Check What You Remember

📖 What We’re Reading

Jeremiah 4:22–31 — A desolated land and a grieving city

🌱 What These Verses Teach Us

A people skilled in evil lack understanding of good. The prophet sees unformed earth, trembling mountains, and ruined cities, while Zion cries like a woman in labor under murderous attack.

Key Truth: Seek knowledge of good rather than skill in evil.

Check What You Remember

Related Scripture (KJV)

Isaiah 1:16 — The earlier call to wash is joined to ceasing evil.

Isaiah 1:16 (KJV) Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil;

This related passage is selected for its connection with this chapter. It is separate from the chapter text.

Reflect and Apply

What inner change should accompany your outward response to warning?

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