Jeremiah 6
1 “Run for cover, O sons of Benjamin; flee from Jerusalem! Sound the ram’s horn in Tekoa; send up a signal over Beth-haccherem, for disaster looms from the north, even great destruction.
Flee for safety, ye sons of Benjamin, out of the midst of Jerusalem. And blow the trumpet in Tekoa, and raise up a signal on Beth-haccherem. For evil looks forth from the north, and a great destruction.
2 Though she is beautiful and delicate, I will destroy the Daughter of Zion.
The comely and delicate one, the daughter of Zion, I will cut off.
3 Shepherds and their flocks will come against her; they will pitch their tents all around her, each tending his own portion:
Shepherds with their flocks shall come to her. They shall pitch their tents against her round about. They shall feed every one in his place.
4 ‘Prepare for battle against her; rise up, let us attack at noon. Woe to us, for the daylight is fading; the evening shadows grow long.
Prepare ye war against her. Arise, and let us go up at noon. Woe to us! For the day declines; for the shadows of the evening are stretched out.
5 Rise up, let us attack by night and destroy her fortresses!’”
Arise, and let us go up by night, and let us destroy her palaces.
6 For this is what the LORD of Hosts says: “Cut down the trees and raise a siege ramp against Jerusalem. This city must be punished; there is nothing but oppression in her midst.
For thus has Jehovah of hosts said: Hew ye down trees, and cast up a mound against Jerusalem. This is the city to be visited. She has oppression completely in the midst of her.
7 As a well gushes its water, so she pours out her evil. Violence and destruction resound in her; sickness and wounds are ever before Me.
As a well casts forth its waters, so she casts forth her wickedness. Violence and destruction is heard in her. Continually before me is sickness and wounds.
8 Be forewarned, O Jerusalem, or I will turn away from you; I will make you a desolation, a land without inhabitant.”
Be thou instructed, O Jerusalem, lest my soul be alienated from thee, lest I make thee a desolation, a land not inhabited.
9 This is what the LORD of Hosts says: “Glean the remnant of Israel as thoroughly as a vine. Pass your hand once more like a grape gatherer over the branches.”
Thus says Jehovah of hosts: They shall thoroughly glean the remnant of Israel as a vine. Turn again thy hand as a grape gatherer into the baskets.
10 To whom can I give this warning? Who will listen to me? Look, their ears are closed, so they cannot hear. See, the word of the LORD has become offensive to them; they find no pleasure in it.
To whom shall I speak and testify, that they may hear? Behold, their ear is uncircumcised, and they cannot hearken. Behold, the word of Jehovah has become to them a reproach; they have no delight in it.
11 But I am full of the LORD’s wrath; I am tired of holding it back. “Pour it out on the children in the street, and on the young men gathered together. For both husband and wife will be captured, the old and the very old alike.
Therefore I am full of the wrath of Jehovah. I am weary with holding in. Pour it out upon the sons in the street, and upon the assembly of young men together. For even the husband with the wife shall be taken, the aged with him who is full of days.
12 Their houses will be turned over to others, their fields and wives as well, for I will stretch out My hand against the inhabitants of the land,”
And their houses shall be turned to others, their fields and their wives together. For I will stretch out my hand upon the inhabitants of the land, says Jehovah.
13 “For from the least of them to the greatest, all are greedy for gain; from prophet to priest, all practice deceit.
For from the least of them even to the greatest of them everyone is given to covetousness. And from the prophet even to the priest everyone deals falsely.
14 They dress the wound of My people with very little care, saying, ‘Peace, peace,’ when there is no peace at all.
They have also lightly healed the hurt of my people, saying, Peace, peace, when there is no peace.
15 Are they ashamed of the abomination they have committed? No, they have no shame at all; they do not even know how to blush. So they will fall among the fallen; when I punish them, they will collapse,”
Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? No, they were not at all ashamed, nor could they blush. Therefore they shall fall among those who fall. At the time that I visit them they shall be cast down, says Jehovah.
16 This is what the LORD says: “Stand at the crossroads and look. Ask for the ancient paths: ‘Where is the good way?’ Then walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls. But they said, ‘We will not walk in it!’
Thus says Jehovah, Stand ye in the ways and see. And ask for the old paths where is the good way. And walk in it, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk.
17 I appointed watchmen over you and said, ‘Listen for the sound of the ram’s horn.’ But they answered, ‘We will not listen!’
And I set watchmen over you, saying, Hearken to the sound of the trumpet. But they said, We will not hearken.
18 Therefore hear, O nations, and learn, O congregations, what will happen to them.
Therefore hear, ye nations, and know, O congregation, what is among them.
19 Hear, O earth! I am bringing disaster on this people, the fruit of their own schemes, because they have paid no attention to My word and have rejected My instruction.
Hear, O earth: Behold, I will bring evil upon this people, even the fruit of their thoughts, because they have not hearkened to my words. And as for my law, they have rejected it.
20 What use to Me is frankincense from Sheba or sweet cane from a distant land? Your burnt offerings are not acceptable; your sacrifices do not please Me.”
To what purpose does there come to me frankincense from Sheba, and the sweet cane from a far country? Your burnt offerings are not acceptable, nor your sacrifices pleasing to me.
21 Therefore this is what the LORD says: “I will lay stumbling blocks before this people; fathers and sons alike will be staggered; friends and neighbors will perish.”
Therefore thus says Jehovah: Behold, I will lay stumbling-blocks before this people, and the fathers and the sons together shall stumble against them. The neighbor and his friend shall perish.
22 This is what the LORD says: “Behold, an army is coming from the land of the north; a great nation is stirred up from the ends of the earth.
Thus says Jehovah, Behold, a people comes from the north country, and a great nation shall be stirred up from the outermost parts of the earth.
23 They grasp the bow and spear; they are cruel and merciless. Their voice roars like the sea, and they ride upon horses, lined up like men in formation against you, O Daughter of Zion.”
They lay hold on bow and spear. They are cruel, and have no mercy. Their voice roars like the sea, and they ride upon horses. Each one set in array, as a man to the battle, against thee, O daughter of Zion.
24 We have heard the report; our hands hang limp. Anguish has gripped us, pain like that of a woman in labor.
We have heard the report of it. Our hands grow feeble. Anguish has taken hold of us, and pangs as of a woman in travail.
25 Do not go out to the fields; do not walk the road. For the enemy has a sword; terror is on every side.
Go not forth into the field, nor walk by the way, for the sword of the enemy, and terror, are on every side.
26 O daughter of my people, dress yourselves in sackcloth and roll in ashes. Mourn with bitter wailing, as you would for an only son, for suddenly the destroyer will come upon us.
O daughter of my people, gird thee with sackcloth, and wallow thyself in ashes. Make thee mourning, as for an only son, a most bitter lamentation. For the destroyer shall suddenly come upon us.
27 “I have appointed you to examine My people like ore, so you may know and try their ways.
I have made thee a prover and a fortress among my people, that thou may know and try their way.
28 All are hardened rebels, walking around as slanderers. They are bronze and iron; all of them are corrupt.
They are all grievous revolters, going about with slanders. They are brass and iron. They all of them deal corruptly.
29 The bellows blow fiercely, blasting away the lead with fire. The refining proceeds in vain, for the wicked are not purged.
The bellows blow fiercely, the lead is consumed of the fire. In vain do they go on refining, for the wicked are not plucked away.
30 They are called rejected silver, because the LORD has rejected them.”
Waste silver, men shall call them, because Jehovah has rejected them.
