אִם־תָּשׁוּב יִשְׂרָאֵל נְאֻם־ה' אֵלַי תָּשׁוּב וְאִם־תָּסִיר שִׁקּוּצֶיךָ מִפָּנַי – וְלֹא תָנוּד

The people of Israel might nod their heads, contemplate God, and make certain changes but not actually return to Him. Therefore, God once again calls upon Israel in an attempt to draw them near: If you return, Israel, when the opportunity arises – the utterance of the Lord – you will return to Me, and if you remove your repugnant items, idols, from before Me, and not have to wander in exile or in spiritual searches,

וְנִשְׁבַּעְתָּ חַי־ה' – בֶּאֱמֶת בְּמִשְׁפָּט וּבִצְדָקָה וְהִתְבָּרְכוּ בוֹ גּוֹיִם וּבוֹ יִתְהַלָּלוּ

and you take an oath: As the Lord lives, not desecrating His name by taking the oath falsely or in vain but rather taking the oath in truth, in justice, and in righteousness, then, when Israel returns to God, abandons idolatry, and observes justice and righteousness, the nations will bless themselves by him, that is, Israel will be the object of the nations’ blessings, and will praise themselves by him.

כִּי־כֹה אָמַר ה' לְאִישׁ יְהוּדָה וְלִירוּשָׁלִַם נִירוּ לָכֶם נִיר וְאַל־תִּזְרְעוּ אֶל־קֹצִים

For so said the Lord to the men of Judah and to Jerusalem: Plow for you a furrow, and do not sow among thorns. Among other purposes, plowing a field serves to remove any thorns. If one sows without plowing first, the crop might sprout, but thorns will ultimately occupy most of the surface of the ground and inhibit the crop’s growth. Likewise, in order to repent, one must first uproot evil in order to allow the good to develop; otherwise, any effort invested will be wasted.

הִמֹּלוּ לַה' וְהָסִרוּ עָרְלוֹת לְבַבְכֶם אִישׁ יְהוּדָה וְיֹשְׁבֵי יְרוּשָׁלִָם פֶּן־תֵּצֵא כָאֵשׁ חֲמָתִי וּבָעֲרָה וְאֵין מְכַבֶּה מִפְּנֵי רֹעַ מַעַלְלֵיכֶם

The prophet reiterates the same idea by means of a different analogy: In order to implement a change, spiritually circumcise yourselves for the Lord and remove the obstructions of your hearts, men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem. This is similar to plowing before planting. If you do not remove the evil first, there will be no firm base for further improvement. Do this lest My fury emerge like fire and burn with none to extinguish it because of the evil of your actions.

הַגִּידוּ בִיהוּדָה וּבִירוּשָׁלִַם הַשְׁמִיעוּ וְאִמְרוּ תִּקְעוּ שׁוֹפָר בָּאָרֶץ קִרְאוּ מַלְאוּ וְאִמְרוּ הֵאָסְפוּ וְנָבוֹאָה אֶל־עָרֵי הַמִּבְצָר

The prophet issues a warning: Tell it in Judah, proclaim it in Jerusalem, and say: Sound the shofar in the land as an alarm. Call, gather, and say: Assemble, and we will go from the open towns to the fortified cities to defend ourselves from the approaching enemy.

שְׂאוּ נֵס צִיּוֹנָה הָעִיזוּ אַל־תַּעֲמֹדוּ כִּי רָעָה אָנֹכִי מֵבִיא מִצָּפוֹן וְשֶׁבֶר גָּדוֹל

Raise the standard to Zion; rally, do not stay and delay, for I am bringing evil from the north and great ruin.

עָלָה אַרְיֵה מִסֻּבְּכוֹ וּמַשְׁחִית גּוֹיִם נָסַע יָצָא מִמְּקֹמוֹ לָשׂוּם אַרְצֵךְ לְשַׁמָּה עָרַיִךְ תִּצֶּינָה מֵאֵין יוֹשֵׁב

A lion, Nebuchadnezzar, has risen from its thicket where it was hidden. The dreaded enemy has begun to move, and a destroyer of nations has traveled, emerged from its place, in order to render your land desolation; your cities will be laid waste, without inhabitants.

עַל־זֹאת חִגְרוּ שַׂקִּים סִפְדוּ וְהֵילִילוּ כִּי לֹא־שָׁב חֲרוֹן אַף־ה' מִמֶּנּוּ

Because of this, gird yourselves with sackcloth, lament, and wail, for even after all the troubles have already been visited upon Israel, the enflamed wrath of the Lord has not turned back from us.

וְהָיָה בַיּוֹם־הַהוּא נְאֻם־ה' יֹאבַד לֵב־הַמֶּלֶךְ וְלֵב הַשָּׂרִים וְנָשַׁמּוּ הַכֹּהֲנִים וְהַנְּבִאִים יִתְמָהוּ

It shall be on that day – the utterance of the Lord – that the heart of the king and the hearts of the princes will fail, as they will be confused and bewildered, and the priests, also leaders of the people, will be astonished, and the prophets will be confounded. No answers will be found for their questions.

וָאֹמַר אֲהָהּ ה' אֱלוֹהִים! אָכֵן הַשֵּׁא הִשֵּׁאתָ לָעָם הַזֶּה וְלִירוּשָׁלִַם לֵאמֹר שָׁלוֹם יִהְיֶה לָכֶם וְנָגְעָה חֶרֶב עַד־הַנָּפֶשׁ

I said: Alas, my Lord God, indeed, You have enticed this people and Jerusalem, as You allowed them to err by letting the false prophets go unpunished when they deceived them, saying: Peace will be for you; but the enemy’s sword has ultimately reached to the soul.

בָּעֵת הַהִיא יֵאָמֵר לָעָם־הַזֶּה וְלִירוּשָׁלִַם רוּחַ צַח שְׁפָיִם בַּמִּדְבָּר דֶּרֶךְ בַּת־עַמִּי לוֹא לִזְרוֹת וְלוֹא לְהָבַר

God declares: At that time it will be said of this people and of Jerusalem: Just as a clear, hot, dry wind of the bare hills in the wilderness blows without bringing rain, so too is the way of the enemy that shall come to exile the daughter of My people. The desert wind is solely harmful, helping neither to winnow the grain nor to cleanse it.

רוּחַ מָלֵא מֵאֵלֶּה יָבוֹא לִי עַתָּה גַּם אֲנִי אֲדַבֵּר מִשְׁפָּטִים אוֹתָם

A wind stronger than these desert winds, or stronger than the winds that facilitate winnowing and sifting, will come for Me, to serve Me; now I too will speak judgments against them. The harsh wind will bring punishment upon the people.

הִנֵּה כַּעֲנָנִים יַעֲלֶה וְכַסּוּפָה מַרְכְּבוֹתָיו קַלּוּ מִנְּשָׁרִים סוּסָיו אוֹי לָנוּ כִּי שֻׁדָּדְנוּ

Behold, like clouds, it, the enemy, will ascend, and like a storm, its chariots will charge; its horses are swifter than eagles. The enemy will attack us with such speed that there will be insufficient time to mount a defense. Woe to us, for we have been plundered.

כַּבְּסִי מֵרָעָה לִבֵּךְ יְרוּשָׁלִַם לְמַעַן תִּוָּשֵׁעִי עַד־מָתַי תָּלִין בְּקִרְבֵּךְ מַחְשְׁבוֹת אוֹנֵךְ

Jerusalem, launder your heart from evildoing so that you will be saved. Until when will your designs of evil lie within you? Although these are only thoughts, not actions, they still require cleansing.

כִּי קוֹל מַגִּיד מִדָּן וּמַשְׁמִיעַ אָוֶן מֵהַר אֶפְרָיִם

The enemy is approaching, and your terror is increasing, for the voice of the herald is heard delivering news from Dan, in the far north of Israel, and the proclaimer of evil approaches from the highlands of Ephraim.

הַזְכִּירוּ לַגּוֹיִם הִנֵּה הַשְׁמִיעוּ עַל־יְרוּשָׁלִַם נֹצְרִים בָּאִים מֵאֶרֶץ הַמֶּרְחָק וַיִּתְּנוּ עַל־עָרֵי יְהוּדָה קוֹלָם

Mention to the nations, so they internalize this lesson as well, or so they can come to Judah’s assistance. Behold, proclaim concerning Jerusalem and inform its inhabitants: Besiegers, or destroyers, are coming from a distant land, and they have raised their voice against the cities of Judah.

כְּשֹׁמְרֵי שָׂדַי הָיוּ עָלֶיהָ מִסָּבִיב כִּי־אֹתִי מָרָתָה נְאֻם ה'

Like guards of a field they surround it, Jerusalem, because it has defied Me by ignoring My voice – the utterance of the Lord.

דַּרְכֵּךְ וּמַעֲלָלַיִךְ עָשׂוֹ אֵלֶּה לָךְ זֹאת רָעָתֵךְ כִּי מָר כִּי נָגַע עַד־לִבֵּךְ

Your way and your actions have done these things to you. These punishments are the unforeseen consequences of your evil choices. This is what your evildoing has done, for it is bitter and I cannot remedy it, for it has touched until your heart.

מֵעַי מֵעַי אוֹחִילָה קִירוֹת לִבִּי הֹמֶה לִּי לִבִּי לֹא אַחֲרִשׁ כִּי קוֹל שׁוֹפָר שָׁמַעַתְּ נַפְשִׁי תְּרוּעַת מִלְחָמָה

The prophet wails: My innards, my innards, I am trembling. I cry out in pain from the walls of my heart; my heart sighs to me. Therefore, I will not be silent, as the sound of a shofar, you heard, my soul, the sound of an alarm of war.

שֶׁבֶר עַל־שֶׁבֶר נִקְרָא כִּי־שֻׁדְּדָה כָּל־הָאָרֶץ פִּתְאֹם שֻׁדְּדוּ אֹהָלַי רֶגַע יְרִיעֹתָי

Disaster upon disaster is called, for the whole land has been plundered; suddenly my tents were plundered, and my hangings were ripped in a moment.

עַד־מָתַי אֶרְאֶה־נֵּס ! אֶשְׁמְעָה קוֹל שׁוֹפָר!

Until when will I see the standard of war and will I hear the sound of the shofar? For how much longer must we experience the threat of battle?

כִּי אֱוִיל עַמִּי אוֹתִי לֹא יָדָעוּ בָּנִים סְכָלִים הֵמָּה וְלֹא נְבוֹנִים הֵמָּה חֲכָמִים הֵמָּה לְהָרַע וּלְהֵיטִיב לֹא יָדָעוּ

God responds to the prophet’s cry of pain with additional reproof: For My people is obtuse, and they do not know Me. They are foolish children, and they are not discerning. They are wise in performing evil, but to do good they do not know.

רָאִיתִי אֶת־הָאָרֶץ – וְהִנֵּה־תֹהוּ וָבֹהוּ וְאֶל־הַשָּׁמַיִם – וְאֵין אוֹרָם

It appears as though the entire world is preparing for destruction: I have seen the land, and behold, it is emptiness and disorder; and I gazed at the heavens, and their light is not there.

רָאִיתִי הֶהָרִים – וְהִנֵּה רֹעֲשִׁים וְכָל־הַגְּבָעוֹת הִתְקַלְקָלוּ

I have seen the mountains, and behold, they are quaking; and all the hills have disintegrated.

רָאִיתִי וְהִנֵּה אֵין הָאָדָם וְכָל־עוֹף הַשָּׁמַיִם נָדָדוּ

I have seen, and behold, there is no person anywhere in the land; and all the birds of the heavens have wandered and left, as there was no food in the land.

רָאִיתִי וְהִנֵּה הַכַּרְמֶל הַמִּדְבָּר וְכָל־עָרָיו נִתְּצוּ מִפְּנֵי ה' מִפְּנֵי חֲרוֹן אַפּוֹ

I have seen, and behold, the fruitful, cultivated land is transformed into a wilderness; and all its cities have been smashed and destroyed before the Lord, before His fierce anger.

כִּי־כֹה אָמַר ה' שְׁמָמָה תִהְיֶה כָּל־הָאָרֶץ וְכָלָה לֹא אֶעֱשֶׂה

For so said the Lord: The entire land will be desolation, but nevertheless, I will not engender complete annihilation. I will not destroy the land entirely.

עַל־זֹאת תֶּאֱבַל הָאָרֶץ וְקָדְרוּ הַשָּׁמַיִם מִמָּעַל – עַל כִּי־דִּבַּרְתִּי זַמֹּתִי וְלֹא נִחַמְתִּי וְלֹא־אָשׁוּב מִמֶּנָּה

Because of this the earth will mourn, and the heavens above will darken: Because I spoke and I plotted to do harm, and I did not reconsider, nor will I retract it.

מִקּוֹל פָּרָשׁ וְרֹמֵה קֶשֶׁת בֹּרַחַת כָּל־הָעִיר בָּאוּ בֶּעָבִים וּבַכֵּפִים עָלוּ כָּל־הָעִיר עֲזוּבָה וְאֵין־יוֹשֵׁב בָּהֵן אִישׁ

From the sound of horseman and archer the entire city flees. Although the city is fortified, these sounds of war cause its inhabitants to flee. Out of fear, they came into the thickets, and went up onto the rocks in the mountains they ascended, scrambling to hide in crevices. All the cities are abandoned, and no man lives in them.

וְאַתְּ שָׁדוּד מַה־תַּעֲשִׂי! כִּי תִלְבְּשִׁי שָׁנִי כִּי־תַעְדִּי עֲדִי־זָהָב כִּי־תִקְרְעִי בַפּוּךְ עֵינַיִךְ לַשָּׁוְא תִּתְיַפִּי מָאֲסוּ־בָךְ עֹגְבִים נַפְשֵׁךְ יְבַקֵּשׁוּ

The prophet addresses the Jewish people, this time using the analogy of a woman: And you, plundered one, what will you do? If you don an expensive scarlet garment, if you ornament yourself with gold jewelry, if you enlarge your eyes with eye shadow, or if you attempt to adorn yourself in any other manner, in vain you beautify yourself. Your political maneuvers will not benefit you, as the lustful, your supposed allies, actually have spurned you. Moreover, they seek your life and wish to kill you.

כִּי קוֹל כְּחוֹלָה שָׁמַעְתִּי צָרָה כְּמַבְכִּירָה קוֹל בַּת־צִיּוֹן תִּתְיַפֵּחַ תְּפָרֵשׂ כַּפֶּיהָ אוֹי־נָא לִי כִּי־עָיְפָה נַפְשִׁי לְהֹרְגִים

For I have heard a voice like that of an ill woman, like a woman suffering while giving birth to her first child, when the pain is more intense than in subsequent births. This is the voice of the daughter of Zion. She will sob, and she will spread her hands in supplication: Woe now to me; I am unable to continue, for my soul has wearied because of the killers. I am unable to endure additional suffering after seeing so much death all around me.