4 Give yourselves to the service of the Lord,and decide to obey him,people of Judah and people of Jerusalem.If you don’t, my anger will spread among you like a fire,and no one will be able to put it out,because of the evil you have done.
5 “Announce this message in Judah and say it in Jerusalem:‘Blow the trumpet throughout the country!’Shout out loud and say,‘Come together!Let’s all escape to the strong, walled cities!’
6 Raise the signal flag toward Jerusalem!Run for your lives, and don’t wait,because I am bringing disaster from the northThere will be terrible destruction.”
7 A lion has come out of his den;a destroyer of nations has begun to march.He has left his hometo destroy your land.Your towns will be destroyedwith no one left to live in them.
8 So put on rough cloth,show how sad you are, and cry loudly.The terrible anger of the Lordhas not turned away from us.
9 “When this happens,” says the Lord,“the king and officers will lose their courage.The priests will be terribly afraid,and the prophets will be shocked!”
10 Then I said, “Lord God, you have tricked the people of Judah and Jerusalem. You said, ‘You will have peace,’ but now the sword is pointing at our throats!”