22 This is what the Lord says: “An army is coming from the north. A great nation is coming from faraway places on earth.
23 The soldiers carry bows and spears. They are cruel; they have no mercy. They are so powerful. They sound like the roaring ocean as they ride their horses. That army is coming, ready for battle. It is coming to attack you, Jerusalem.”
24 We have heard the news about that army, and we are paralyzed with fear. We feel trapped by our troubles, in pain like a woman giving birth.
25 Don’t go out into the fields. Don’t go on the roads because the enemy has swords, and there is danger everywhere.
26 My people, put on sackcloth and roll in the ashes. Cry loudly for the dead. Cry as if you lost an only son. Do this because the destroyer will come against us very quickly.
27 “Jeremiah, I want you to be like a worker who tests metals. You will test my people and watch how they live.
28 My people have turned against me, and they are very stubborn. They say bad things about people. They are like bronze and iron that are covered with rust and tarnish.