6 You descendants of Benjamin,
you must run away to be safe!
Escape from Jerusalem!
Make a noise with a trumpet in Tekoa!
Light a fire to warn people in Beth-Hakkerem!
A great army is coming from the north.
It will come to destroy everything!
2 Jerusalem is a beautiful city,
like a daughter that I love.
She cannot protect herself,
and I will destroy her.
3 Kings will come to attack the city.
They will bring their armies,
like shepherds with their sheep.
They will make their camps all around the city.
Each of them will take their own piece of land.
4 They will say to their soldiers,
‘Get ready to attack the city!
We will attack at noon!’
But if the day is almost finished, they will say,
‘It is already evening and it will soon be dark.
5 So we should attack them in the night.
We will destroy all their strong buildings!’
6 This will happen because Lord Almighty has said,
‘Cut down the trees around Jerusalem.
Use them to build towers to the top of the city's walls.
I must punish Jerusalem.
It is full of cruel people.
7 They never stop doing wicked things,
like water that pours out from a spring.
It is full of the noise of violence and fights.
Everywhere I see people who have disease and wounds.
8 Listen to me as I warn you, Jerusalem.
If not, I will turn away from you.
I will destroy you completely.
Nobody will live on your land any more.’
9 The Lord Almighty said this:
‘I will let the enemy take all the people from Israel,
like a farmer who picks all the grapes from his vine.
So check the vines carefully,
to see if there are some grapes that you can save.’
10 I replied,
‘If I speak to people and I warn them,
nobody will listen to me.
They have shut their ears so that they cannot hear.
They hate the Lord 's message.
They do not want to hear it.
11 I am as angry with them as you are, Lord .
I can no longer control my anger.’
The Lord replied,
‘Tell everyone how angry you are!
Tell the children who play in the streets,
Tell the young men who meet together.
Include all the men and their wives,
as well as the old people, and those who are near to death.
12 I will give their houses to other people to live in.
Other people will take their fields and their wives.
Yes, I will punish the people who live in this land.’
That is what the Lord says.
13 ‘They all cheat other people to get what they want.
Important people and ordinary people do that.
Prophets and priests do that.
They love to deceive people.
14 They tell my people that their wounds are not bad.
They say to them,
“No problem! You will have peace!”
But there will be no peace for my people.
15 They are not ashamed of the disgusting things that they do.
They do not even know what shame is.
They have forgotten how to be ashamed.
So they will fall to the ground,
as other people have fallen.
When I decide to punish them,
that will be the end of them.’
That is what the Lord says.
16 The Lord said to his people,
‘Stand at the place where the roads cross,
and look carefully.
Ask where the ways of your ancestors are. [ a ]
Find the good way, and go along that way.
Then you will live in peace.’
But the people said, ‘No, we will not go that way. ’
17 The Lord said,
‘I sent my prophets to warn you of danger.
They said, “Listen for the noise of the trumpet!
That will tell you when danger is near.”
But you said, “We do not want to listen.”
18 So listen to me, all you nations.
Look carefully!
See what will happen to my people.
19 Hear me, all people on the earth.
I will cause great trouble for my people.
I will punish them as a result of their wrong thoughts.
They have not listened to my messages.
They have turned against my law.
20 They may offer to me sweet incense that comes from Sheba.
But that does not please me.
The spices that they bring from lands far away
do not please me either.
I will not accept the burnt offerings or other sacrifices
that they offer to me.’
21 So this is what the Lord says:
‘I will send troubles to make these people fall down.
Fathers and their children will all fall to the ground.
Their friends and their neighbours will die.’
22 This is what the Lord says:
‘Look! An army is coming from the north.
A great nation is preparing to attack you
from a place that is far away.
23 Its soldiers carry bows and spears as their weapons.
They are always cruel and they are never kind.
They ride into the battle on their horses,
and it sounds like the noise of the sea.
They are ready to attack you,
people of Jerusalem.’
24 The people say,
‘We have heard news about them,
and we are very frightened.
We feel too weak to fight.
We are afraid and in pain,
like a woman who is giving birth.
25 Do not go out into the fields.
Do not travel on the roads.
Our enemies are everywhere.
They have their swords ready to attack us.
Danger is all around us.’
26 So I say, ‘My dear people, show that you are sorry.
Wear sackcloth and sit in ashes.
Weep and cry aloud,
as if your only child had died.
Realize that the enemy's army will soon be here
and they are ready to destroy us.’
27 The Lord said to me,
‘I have sent you to test my people.
Test them like someone tests metal.
Watch them carefully,
to see how they live.
28 They have completely turned against God.
They refuse to change their minds.
They tell lies against people,
and they cheat them.
29 A very hot fire can remove the dirt from silver
and make it pure.
I punish my people to make them pure,
but it is useless.
There are too many wicked people,
so I cannot make them pure.
30 I, the Lord , cannot accept them,
so they are like useless silver.’
6 “Run for your lives, people of Benjamin!
Run away from the city of Jerusalem!
Blow the war trumpet in the city of Tekoa!
Put up the warning flag in the city of Beth Hakkerem!
Do these things because disaster is coming from the north. [ a ]
Terrible destruction is coming to you.
2 Jerusalem, [ b ] you are like a beautiful meadow. [ c ]
But I will destroy you!
3 Enemy shepherds will surround you
with all their flocks.
They will set up their tents all around you,
and each one will let his sheep eat the grass.
4 “Get ready to fight against Jerusalem.
Get up! We will attack the city at noon.
But it is already getting late.
The evening shadows are growing long.
5 So get up! We will attack the city at night!
Let’s destroy the strong walls that are around Jerusalem.”
6 This is what the Lord All-Powerful says:
“Cut down the trees around Jerusalem,
and build a siege mound [ d ] against it.
This city should be punished
because inside there is no justice—only slavery.
7 As a well keeps its water fresh,
so Jerusalem keeps its wickedness fresh.
I hear about the robbing and violence in this city all the time.
I see nothing but pain and sickness there all the time.
8 Listen to this warning, Jerusalem,
or I will turn my back on you.
I will make your land an empty desert.
No one will be able to live there.”
9 This is what the Lord All-Powerful says:
“Gather [ e ] the people of Israel who were left on their land.
Gather them the way you would gather the last grapes on a grapevine.
Check each vine,
like the workers check each vine when they pick the grapes.”
10 Who can I speak to?
Who can I warn?
Who will listen to me?
The people of Israel have closed their ears,
so they cannot hear my warnings.
They don’t like the Lord ’s teachings.
They don’t want to hear his message.
11 But I am full of the Lord ’s anger,
and I am tired of holding it in!
“Pour out my anger on the children playing in the streets
and on the young soldiers gathered there as well.
A man and his wife will both be captured
as well as all the old people.
12 Their houses will be given to others.
Their fields and their wives will be given to other people.
I will raise my hand and punish the people of Judah.”
This message is from the Lord .
13 “All the people of Israel want more and more money.
All of them, from the least important to the most important, are like that.
Even the prophets and priests tell lies.
14 They should bandage the wounds my people have suffered,
but they treat their wounds like small scratches.
They say, ‘It’s all right, everything is all right.’
But it is not all right!
15 They should be ashamed of the evil things they do,
but they are not ashamed at all.
They don’t know enough to be embarrassed by their sins.
So they will be punished with everyone else.
They will be thrown to the ground when I punish the people.”
This is what the Lord said.
16 This is what the Lord says:
“Stand at the crossroads and look.
Ask where the old road is.
Ask where the good road is,
and walk on that road.
If you do, you will find rest for yourselves.
But you people have said, ‘We will not walk on the good road.’
17 I chose watchmen to watch over you.
I told them, ‘Listen for the sound of the war trumpet.’
But they said, ‘We will not listen!’
18 So listen, all you nations,
and pay attention, you people in those countries. [ f ]
19 Hear this, people of the earth:
I am going to bring disaster to the people of Judah
because of all the evil they planned,
and because they ignored my messages.
They refused to obey my law.
20 “Why do you bring me incense from the country of Sheba [ g ] ?
Why do you bring me sweet-smelling cane from a faraway country?
Your burnt offerings don’t make me happy.
Your sacrifices don’t please me.”
21 So this is what the Lord says:
“I will give the people of Judah problems.
They will be like stones that make people fall.
Fathers and sons will stumble over them.
Friends and neighbors will die.”
22 This is what the Lord says:
“An army is coming from the north. [ h ]
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. [ i ] ”
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. [ j ]
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.
29 They are like a worker who tried to make silver pure.
The bellows [ k ] blew strongly, and the fire became hotter,
but only lead came from the fire. [ l ]
The worker wasted his time
trying to make that silver pure.
In the same way the evil was not removed from my people.
30 My people will be called ‘Rejected Silver.’
They will be given that name because the Lord did not accept them.”
6 O ye children of Benjamin, gather yourselves to flee out of the midst of Jerusalem, and blow the trumpet in Tekoa, and set up a sign of fire in Bethhaccerem: for evil appeareth out of the north, and great destruction.
2 I have likened the daughter of Zion to a comely and delicate woman.
3 The shepherds with their flocks shall come unto her; they shall pitch their tents against her round about; they shall feed every one in his place.
4 Prepare ye war against her; arise, and let us go up at noon. Woe unto us! for the day goeth away, for the shadows of the evening are stretched out.
5 Arise, and let us go by night, and let us destroy her palaces.
6 For thus hath the Lord of hosts said, Hew ye down trees, and cast a mount against Jerusalem: this is the city to be visited; she is wholly oppression in the midst of her.
7 As a fountain casteth out her waters, so she casteth out her wickedness: violence and spoil is heard in her; before me continually is grief and wounds.
8 Be thou instructed, O Jerusalem, lest my soul depart from thee; lest I make thee desolate, a land not inhabited.
9 Thus saith the Lord of hosts, They shall throughly glean the remnant of Israel as a vine: turn back thine hand as a grapegatherer into the baskets.
10 To whom shall I speak, and give warning, that they may hear? behold, their ear is uncircumcised, and they cannot hearken: behold, the word of the Lord is unto them a reproach; they have no delight in it.
11 Therefore I am full of the fury of the Lord ; I am weary with holding in: I will pour it out upon the children abroad, and upon the assembly of young men together: for even the husband with the wife shall be taken, the aged with him that is full of days.
12 And their houses shall be turned unto others, with their fields and wives together: for I will stretch out my hand upon the inhabitants of the land, saith the Lord .
13 For from the least of them even unto the greatest of them every one is given to covetousness; and from the prophet even unto the priest every one dealeth falsely.
14 They have healed also the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace.
15 Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? nay, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush: therefore they shall fall among them that fall: at the time that I visit them they shall be cast down, saith the Lord .
16 Thus saith the Lord , Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein.
17 Also I set watchmen over you, saying, Hearken to the sound of the trumpet. But they said, We will not hearken.
18 Therefore hear, ye nations, and know, O congregation, what is among them.
19 Hear, O earth: behold, I will bring evil upon this people, even the fruit of their thoughts, because they have not hearkened unto my words, nor to my law, but rejected it.
20 To what purpose cometh there to me incense from Sheba, and the sweet cane from a far country? your burnt offerings are not acceptable, nor your sacrifices sweet unto me.
21 Therefore thus saith the Lord , Behold, I will lay stumblingblocks before this people, and the fathers and the sons together shall fall upon them; the neighbour and his friend shall perish.
22 Thus saith the Lord , Behold, a people cometh from the north country, and a great nation shall be raised from the sides of the earth.
23 They shall lay hold on bow and spear; they are cruel, and have no mercy; their voice roareth like the sea; and they ride upon horses, set in array as men for war against thee, O daughter of Zion.
24 We have heard the fame thereof: our hands wax feeble: anguish hath taken hold of us, and pain, as of a woman in travail.
25 Go not forth into the field, nor walk by the way; for the sword of the enemy and fear is on every side.
26 O daughter of my people, gird thee with sackcloth, and wallow thyself in ashes: make thee mourning, as for an only son, most bitter lamentation: for the spoiler shall suddenly come upon us.
27 I have set thee for a tower and a fortress among my people, that thou mayest know and try their way.
28 They are all grievous revolters, walking with slanders: they are brass and iron; they are all corrupters.
29 The bellows are burned, the lead is consumed of the fire; the founder melteth in vain: for the wicked are not plucked away.
30 Reprobate silver shall men call them, because the Lord hath rejected them.
6 “Flee to safety, you sons of ( A ) Benjamin,
From the midst of Jerusalem!
Blow a trumpet in Tekoa
And raise a warning signal over [ a ] ( B ) Beth-haccerem;
For evil looks down from the ( C ) north,
Along with a great destruction.
2 The beautiful and ( D ) delicate one, ( E ) the daughter of Zion, I will destroy.
3 ( F ) Shepherds and their flocks will come to her,
They will ( G ) pitch their tents [ b ] around her,
They will pasture, each in his [ c ] place.
4 ‘ [ d ] ( H ) Prepare for war against her;
Arise, and let’s [ e ] attack at ( I ) noon.
Woe to us, for the day declines,
For the shadows of the evening lengthen!
5 Arise, and let’s [ f ] attack by night
And ( J ) destroy her [ g ] palaces!’”
6 For this is what the Lord of armies says:
“ ( K ) Cut down her trees
And pile up an ( L ) assault ramp against Jerusalem.
This is the city to be punished,
In whose midst there is only ( M ) oppression.
7 ( N ) As a well [ h ] keeps its waters fresh,
So she [ i ] keeps fresh her wickedness.
( O ) Violence and destruction are heard in her;
( P ) Sickness and wounds are constantly before Me.
8 ( Q ) Be warned, Jerusalem,
Or [ j ] ( R ) I shall be alienated from you,
And make you a desolation,
An uninhabited land.”
9 This is what the Lord of armies says:
“They will ( S ) thoroughly glean the ( T ) remnant of Israel like the vine;
Pass your hand over the branches again
Like a grape gatherer.”
10 To whom shall I speak and give warning,
That they may hear?
Behold, their ( U ) ears are [ k ] closed
And they cannot listen.
Behold, ( V ) the word of the Lord has become for them a rebuke;
They take no delight in it.
11 But I am ( W ) full of the wrath of the Lord ;
I am ( X ) weary of holding it in.
“ ( Y ) Pour it out on the children in the street
And on the [ l ] gathering of young men together;
For both husband and wife shall be taken,
The old [ m ] and the very old.
12 Their ( Z ) houses shall be turned over to others,
Their fields and their wives together;
For I will ( AA ) stretch out My hand
Against the inhabitants of the land,” declares the Lord .
13 “For ( AB ) from the least of them to the greatest of them,
Everyone is ( AC ) greedy for gain,
And from the prophet to the priest
Everyone deals falsely.
14 They have ( AD ) healed the brokenness of My people superficially,
Saying, ‘Peace, peace,’
But there is no peace.
15 Were they ( AE ) ashamed because of the abomination they had done?
They were not ashamed at all,
Nor did they know even how to be ashamed.
Therefore they will fall among those who fall;
At the time that I punish them,
They will collapse,” says the Lord .
16 This is what the Lord says:
“Stand by the ways and see and ask for the ( AF ) ancient paths,
Where the good way is, and walk in it;
Then ( AG ) you will find a resting place for your souls.
But they said, ‘We will not walk in it .’
17 And I set ( AH ) watchmen over you, saying ,
‘Listen to the sound of the trumpet!’
But they said, ‘We will not listen.’
18 Therefore hear, you nations,
And know, you congregation, what is among them.
19 ( AI ) Hear, earth: behold, I am bringing disaster on this people,
The ( AJ ) fruit of their [ n ] plans,
Because they have not listened to My words,
And as for My Law, they have ( AK ) rejected it also.
20 ( AL ) For what purpose does ( AM ) frankincense come to Me from Sheba,
And the [ o ] ( AN ) sweet cane from a distant land?
( AO ) Your burnt offerings are not acceptable
And your sacrifices are not pleasing to Me.”
21 Therefore, this is what the Lord says:
“Behold, ( AP ) I am [ p ] placing stumbling blocks before this people.
And they will stumble against them,
( AQ ) Fathers and sons together;
Neighbor and [ q ] friend will perish.”
22 This is what the Lord says:
“Behold, there is ( AR ) a people coming from the north land,
And a great nation will be stirred up from the ( AS ) remote parts of the earth.
23 They seize ( AT ) bow and spear;
They are ( AU ) cruel and have no mercy;
Their voice ( AV ) roars like the sea,
And they ride on horses,
Lined up as a man for the battle
Against you, daughter of Zion!”
24 We have ( AW ) heard the report of it;
Our hands are limp.
( AX ) Anguish has seized us,
Pain like that of a woman in childbirth.
25 ( AY ) Do not go out into the field,
And ( AZ ) do not walk on the road;
For the enemy has a sword,
( BA ) Terror is on every side.
26 Daughter of my people, ( BB ) put on sackcloth
And ( BC ) roll in ashes;
[ r ] ( BD ) Mourn as for an only son,
A most bitter mourning.
For suddenly the destroyer
Will come against us.
27 “I have ( BE ) made you an assayer and an examiner among My people,
So that you may know and put their way to the test.”
28 All of them are stubbornly rebellious,
( BF ) Going about as a slanderer;
They are ( BG ) bronze and iron.
They are, all of them, corrupt.
29 The bellows blow fiercely,
The lead is consumed by the fire;
In vain the refining goes on,
But the ( BH ) wicked are not [ s ] separated.
30 ( BI ) They call them rejected silver,
Because the ( BJ ) Lord has rejected them.
6 “Flee for safety, people of Benjamin!
Flee from Jerusalem!
Sound the trumpet ( A ) in Tekoa! ( B )
Raise the signal over Beth Hakkerem! ( C )
For disaster looms out of the north, ( D )
even terrible destruction.
2 I will destroy Daughter Zion, ( E )
so beautiful and delicate. ( F )
3 Shepherds ( G ) with their flocks will come against her;
they will pitch their tents around ( H ) her,
each tending his own portion.”
4 “Prepare for battle against her!
Arise, let us attack at noon! ( I )
But, alas, the daylight is fading,
and the shadows of evening grow long.
5 So arise, let us attack at night
and destroy her fortresses!”
6 This is what the Lord Almighty says:
“Cut down the trees ( J )
and build siege ramps ( K ) against Jerusalem.
This city must be punished;
it is filled with oppression. ( L )
7 As a well pours out its water,
so she pours out her wickedness.
Violence ( M ) and destruction ( N ) resound in her;
her sickness and wounds are ever before me.
8 Take warning, Jerusalem,
or I will turn away ( O ) from you
and make your land desolate
so no one can live in it.”
9 This is what the Lord Almighty says:
“Let them glean the remnant ( P ) of Israel
as thoroughly as a vine;
pass your hand over the branches again,
like one gathering grapes.”
10 To whom can I speak and give warning?
Who will listen ( Q ) to me?
Their ears are closed [ a ] ( R )
so they cannot hear. ( S )
The word ( T ) of the Lord is offensive to them;
they find no pleasure in it.
11 But I am full of the wrath ( U ) of the Lord ,
and I cannot hold it in. ( V )
“Pour it out on the children in the street
and on the young men ( W ) gathered together;
both husband and wife will be caught in it,
and the old, those weighed down with years. ( X )
12 Their houses will be turned over to others, ( Y )
together with their fields and their wives, ( Z )
when I stretch out my hand ( AA )
against those who live in the land,”
declares the Lord .
13 “From the least to the greatest,
all ( AB ) are greedy for gain; ( AC )
prophets and priests alike,
all practice deceit. ( AD )
14 They dress the wound of my people
as though it were not serious.
‘Peace, peace,’ they say,
when there is no peace. ( AE )
15 Are they ashamed of their detestable conduct?
No, they have no shame at all;
they do not even know how to blush. ( AF )
So they will fall among the fallen;
they will be brought down when I punish ( AG ) them,”
says the Lord .
16 This is what the Lord says:
“Stand at the crossroads and look;
ask for the ancient paths, ( AH )
ask where the good way ( AI ) is, and walk in it,
and you will find rest ( AJ ) for your souls.
But you said, ‘We will not walk in it.’
17 I appointed watchmen ( AK ) over you and said,
‘Listen to the sound of the trumpet!’ ( AL )
But you said, ‘We will not listen.’ ( AM )
18 Therefore hear, you nations;
you who are witnesses,
observe what will happen to them.
19 Hear, you earth: ( AN )
I am bringing disaster ( AO ) on this people,
the fruit of their schemes, ( AP )
because they have not listened to my words ( AQ )
and have rejected my law. ( AR )
20 What do I care about incense from Sheba ( AS )
or sweet calamus ( AT ) from a distant land?
Your burnt offerings are not acceptable; ( AU )
your sacrifices ( AV ) do not please me.” ( AW )
21 Therefore this is what the Lord says:
“I will put obstacles before this people.
Parents and children alike will stumble ( AX ) over them;
neighbors and friends will perish.”
22 This is what the Lord says:
“Look, an army is coming
from the land of the north; ( AY )
a great nation is being stirred up
from the ends of the earth. ( AZ )
23 They are armed with bow and spear;
they are cruel and show no mercy. ( BA )
They sound like the roaring sea ( BB )
as they ride on their horses; ( BC )
they come like men in battle formation
to attack you, Daughter Zion. ( BD ) ”
24 We have heard reports about them,
and our hands hang limp. ( BE )
Anguish ( BF ) has gripped us,
pain like that of a woman in labor. ( BG )
25 Do not go out to the fields
or walk on the roads,
for the enemy has a sword,
and there is terror on every side. ( BH )
26 Put on sackcloth, ( BI ) my people,
and roll in ashes; ( BJ )
mourn with bitter wailing ( BK )
as for an only son, ( BL )
for suddenly the destroyer ( BM )
will come upon us.
27 “I have made you a tester ( BN ) of metals
and my people the ore,
that you may observe
and test their ways.
28 They are all hardened rebels, ( BO )
going about to slander. ( BP )
They are bronze and iron; ( BQ )
they all act corruptly.
29 The bellows blow fiercely
to burn away the lead with fire,
but the refining ( BR ) goes on in vain;
the wicked are not purged out.
30 They are called rejected silver, ( BS )
because the Lord has rejected them.” ( BT )
