1 “If you, Israel, want to come back,” says the Lord,“if you want to come back to meyou must get those disgusting idols out of my sightand must no longer go astray.
2 You must be truthful, honest and uprightwhen you take an oath saying, ‘As surely as the Lord lives!’If you do, the nations will pray to be as blessed by him as you areand will make him the object of their boasting.”
3 Yes, the Lord has this to say to the people of Judah and Jerusalem: “Like a farmer breaking up hard unplowed ground,you must break your rebellious will and make a new beginning;just as a farmer must clear away thorns lest the seed is wasted,you must get rid of the sin that is ruining your lives.
4 Just as ritual circumcision cuts away the foreskinas an external symbol of dedicated covenant commitment, you must genuinely dedicate yourselves to the Lordand get rid of everything that hinders your commitment to me,people of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem.If you do not, my anger will blaze up like a flaming fire against youthat no one will be able to extinguish.That will happen because of the evil you have done.”
5 The Lord said,“Announce this in Judah and proclaim it in Jerusalem:‘Sound the trumpet throughout the land!’Shout out loudly,‘Gather together! Let us flee into the fortified cities!’
6 Raise a signal flag that tells people to go to Zion.Run for safety! Do not delay!For I am about to bring disaster out of the north.It will bring great destruction.