American King James Version - AKJV - 1999
Jeremiah 4
1
If you will return, O Israel, said the LORD, return to me: and if you will put away your abominations out of my sight, then shall you not remove.
Reference
Parallel theme
Genesis 35:2
Ezekiel 43:9
References Lord
Joel 2:12
Jeremiah 3:22
Jeremiah 3:12
Jeremiah 25:5
Jeremiah 3:1
2
And you shall swear, The LORD lives, in truth, in judgment, and in righteousness; and the nations shall bless themselves in him, and in him shall they glory.
Reference
Blessing
Genesis 22:18
Psalm 72:17
Glory
1 Corinthians 1:31
2 Corinthians 10:17
References Lord
Deuteronomy 10:20
Jeremiah 12:16
Righteousness
Jeremiah 9:24
Isaiah 45:25
Galatians 3:8
Truth
Isaiah 65:16
3
For thus said the LORD to the men of Judah and Jerusalem, Break up your fallow ground, and sow not among thorns.
Reference
Parallel theme
Luke 8:14
Luke 8:7
Matthew 13:7
Mark 4:7
Matthew 13:22
Genesis 3:18
References Lord
Hosea 10:12
4
Circumcise yourselves to the LORD, and take away the foreskins of your heart, you 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.
Reference
Evil
Jeremiah 21:12
Parallel theme
Deuteronomy 10:16
Colossians 2:11
Jeremiah 9:26
Ezekiel 24:13
References Lord
Deuteronomy 30:6
Amos 5:6
Ezekiel 20:33
Zephaniah 2:2
Lamentations 4:11
5
Declare you in Judah, and publish in Jerusalem; and say, Blow you the trumpet in the land: cry, gather together, and say, Assemble yourselves, and let us go into the defended cities.
Reference
6
Set up the standard toward Zion: retire, stay not: for I will bring evil from the north, and a great destruction.
Reference
Evil
Jeremiah 6:1
Parallel theme
Jeremiah 50:2
Jeremiah 51:27
Isaiah 62:10
Jeremiah 4:21
Jeremiah 51:12
Jeremiah 25:9
Jeremiah 6:22
7
The lion 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 your land desolate; and your cities shall be laid waste, without an inhabitant.
Reference
8
For this gird you with sackcloth, lament and howl: for the fierce anger of the LORD is not turned back from us.
Reference
9
And it shall come to pass at that day, said the LORD, that the heart of the king shall perish, and the heart of the princes; and the priests shall be astonished, and the prophets shall wonder.
10
Then said I, Ah, Lord GOD! surely you have greatly deceived this people and Jerusalem, saying, You shall have peace; whereas the sword reaches to the soul.
Reference
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 daughter of my people, not to fan, nor to cleanse,
Reference
12
Even a full wind from those places shall come to me: now also will I give sentence against them.
Reference
Parallel theme
Jeremiah 1:16
13
Behold, he shall come up as clouds, and his chariots shall be as a whirlwind: his horses are swifter than eagles. Woe to us! for we are spoiled.
Reference
14
O Jerusalem, wash your heart from wickedness, that you may be saved. How long shall your vain thoughts lodge within you?
Reference
Evil
Isaiah 55:7
Acts 8:22
Luke 11:39
Parallel theme
James 4:8
1 Corinthians 3:20
Proverbs 1:22
Romans 1:21
Psalm 119:113
Psalm 66:18
References Jerusalem
Jeremiah 13:27
15
For a voice declares from Dan, and publishes affliction from mount Ephraim.
Reference
📍 Mount Ephraim
Parallel theme
Jeremiah 8:16
16
Make you mention to the nations; behold, publish against Jerusalem, that watchers come from a far country, and give out their voice against the cities of Judah.
Reference
17
As keepers of a field, are they against her round about; because she has been rebellious against me, said the LORD.
Reference
Parallel theme
Jeremiah 5:23
18
Your way and your doings have procured these things to you; this is your wickedness, because it is bitter, because it reaches to your heart.
Reference
Evil
Jeremiah 2:19
Jeremiah 6:19
Parallel theme
Psalm 107:17
Isaiah 50:1
Proverbs 1:31
Jeremiah 2:17
19
My bowels, my bowels! I am pained at my very heart; my heart makes a noise in me; I cannot hold my peace, because you have heard, O my soul, the sound of the trumpet, the alarm of war.
Reference
20
Destruction on destruction is cried; for the whole land is spoiled: suddenly are my tents spoiled, and my curtains in a moment.
Reference
21
How long shall I see the standard, and hear the sound of the trumpet?
22
For my people is foolish, they have not known me; they are silly children, and they have none understanding: they are wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge.
Reference
23
I beheld the earth, and, see, it was without form, and void; and the heavens, and they had no light.
Reference
Light
Matthew 24:29
Isaiah 13:10
Isaiah 5:30
Parallel theme
Genesis 1:2
Amos 8:9
Joel 2:10
Matthew 24:35
Revelation 20:11
Jeremiah 9:10
26
I beheld, and, see, the fruitful place was a wilderness, and all the cities thereof were broken down at the presence of the LORD, and by his fierce anger.
Reference
Parallel theme
Psalm 107:34
27
For thus has the LORD said, The whole land shall be desolate; yet will I not make a full end.
Reference
References Lord
Jeremiah 5:18
Jeremiah 5:10
Jeremiah 46:28
Jeremiah 30:11
Ezekiel 11:13
Leviticus 26:44
28
For this shall the 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.
Reference
29
The whole city shall flee for the noise of the horsemen and bowmen; they shall go into thickets, and climb up on the rocks: every city shall be forsaken, and not a man dwell therein.
Reference
Parallel theme
Jeremiah 4:7
30
And when you are spoiled, what will you do? Though you clothe yourself with crimson, though you deck you with ornaments of gold, though you rend your face with painting, in vain shall you make yourself fair; your lovers will despise you, they will seek your life.
Reference
Love
Lamentations 1:19
Lamentations 1:2
Parallel theme
2 Kings 9:30
Isaiah 10:3
Isaiah 20:6
Jeremiah 13:21
Ezekiel 28:13
Summary of Jeremiah 4
Jeremiah 4 continues the call to genuine repentance, but the chapter increasingly turns toward a vivid description of the judgment that will come if Judah refuses to change.
God first calls Israel to return completely, remove its idols, and prepare its heart for His word.
Jeremiah compares the human heart to hard agricultural ground that must be broken up before seed can grow.
The message is that repentance cannot remain merely external.
The people must allow God to change their inner attitudes and remove the stubbornness that has produced continued rebellion.
But the chapter quickly shifts to the approaching threat.
A trumpet is sounded, a warning is raised toward Zion, and the people are told to flee to fortified cities because an enemy is coming from the north.
The invading force is compared to a lion, a destructive wind, rapidly moving clouds, whirlwinds, and eagles.
These images communicate speed, power, and inevitability.
The historical setting points toward the turbulent period when Babylon was rising to dominate the ancient Near East, eventually becoming the instrument through which Judah experienced catastrophic defeat.
Jeremiah is especially distressed because he sees the coming disaster and understands its seriousness.
He hears the warnings of war, sees the approaching armies, and experiences deep emotional pain over what will happen to his people.
The chapter also criticizes Judah's leadership.
Kings, officials, priests, and prophets will be shocked because the confidence they have placed in political and religious security will collapse.
False assurances of peace cannot prevent the judgment God has announced.
The middle of the chapter contains one of its most dramatic images: Jeremiah looks at the land and sees something resembling the reverse of creation.
There is no order, no light, no people, and no birds.
The fertile land becomes a wilderness, mountains tremble, the heavens become dark, and cities are abandoned.
This imagery communicates the enormous scale of Judah's coming catastrophe.
Yet there is an important limitation.
God says that the land will be devastated but not completely destroyed.
This leaves room for survival and eventual restoration.
The final verses return to Jerusalem itself.
The city attempts to make itself attractive and seek help from foreign allies, but those very allies will ultimately fail or turn against her.
Jerusalem ends the chapter crying like a woman in labor, reaching toward the very enemies who are bringing death.
The central message is that Judah's coming disaster is presented as the consequence of long-standing rebellion, idolatry, and refusal to listen to God, yet Jeremiah's message is not simply about destruction because God repeatedly calls His people to return, promises that a remnant will survive, and leaves open the possibility of restoration; the chapter therefore combines an urgent call to change the heart with one of the Bible's most powerful descriptions of national collapse, reminding the reader that outward religious activity and political alliances cannot protect a people who have deliberately rejected God.
God first calls Israel to return completely, remove its idols, and prepare its heart for His word.
Jeremiah compares the human heart to hard agricultural ground that must be broken up before seed can grow.
The message is that repentance cannot remain merely external.
The people must allow God to change their inner attitudes and remove the stubbornness that has produced continued rebellion.
But the chapter quickly shifts to the approaching threat.
A trumpet is sounded, a warning is raised toward Zion, and the people are told to flee to fortified cities because an enemy is coming from the north.
The invading force is compared to a lion, a destructive wind, rapidly moving clouds, whirlwinds, and eagles.
These images communicate speed, power, and inevitability.
The historical setting points toward the turbulent period when Babylon was rising to dominate the ancient Near East, eventually becoming the instrument through which Judah experienced catastrophic defeat.
Jeremiah is especially distressed because he sees the coming disaster and understands its seriousness.
He hears the warnings of war, sees the approaching armies, and experiences deep emotional pain over what will happen to his people.
The chapter also criticizes Judah's leadership.
Kings, officials, priests, and prophets will be shocked because the confidence they have placed in political and religious security will collapse.
False assurances of peace cannot prevent the judgment God has announced.
The middle of the chapter contains one of its most dramatic images: Jeremiah looks at the land and sees something resembling the reverse of creation.
There is no order, no light, no people, and no birds.
The fertile land becomes a wilderness, mountains tremble, the heavens become dark, and cities are abandoned.
This imagery communicates the enormous scale of Judah's coming catastrophe.
Yet there is an important limitation.
God says that the land will be devastated but not completely destroyed.
This leaves room for survival and eventual restoration.
The final verses return to Jerusalem itself.
The city attempts to make itself attractive and seek help from foreign allies, but those very allies will ultimately fail or turn against her.
Jerusalem ends the chapter crying like a woman in labor, reaching toward the very enemies who are bringing death.
The central message is that Judah's coming disaster is presented as the consequence of long-standing rebellion, idolatry, and refusal to listen to God, yet Jeremiah's message is not simply about destruction because God repeatedly calls His people to return, promises that a remnant will survive, and leaves open the possibility of restoration; the chapter therefore combines an urgent call to change the heart with one of the Bible's most powerful descriptions of national collapse, reminding the reader that outward religious activity and political alliances cannot protect a people who have deliberately rejected God.