Jeremiah 6
1 Flee for safety, ye children of Benjamin, out of the midst of Jerusalem, and blow the trumpet in Tekoa, and set up a signal in Beth-haccerem; for evil appeareth out of the north, and a great destruction.
“Strengthen yourselves, sons of Benjamin, From the midst of Jerusalem, And blow a horn in Tekoa, And lift up a flame over Beth-Haccerem, For evil has been seen from the north, And great destruction.
2 The comely and delicate one do I cut off, the daughter of Zion.
I have cut off the lovely and delicate one, The daughter of Zion.
3 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.
Shepherds and their droves come to her, They have struck tents by her all around, They have each fed [in] his own station.”
4 Prepare war against her. Arise, and let us go up at noon. Woe unto us! for the day hath declined, for the shadows of the evening are lengthening.
“Sanctify the battle against her, Rise, and we go up at noon. Woe to us, for the day has turned, For the shades of evening are stretched out,
5 Arise, and let us go up by night, and let us destroy her palaces.
Rise, and we go up by night, And we destroy her palaces.”
6 For thus hath Jehovah of hosts said: Hew ye down trees, and cast a mound against Jerusalem. She is the city to be visited; she is wholly oppression in the midst of her.
For thus said YHWH of Hosts: “Cut down her wood, And pour out a mound against Jerusalem, She [is] the city to be inspected, She [is] full of oppression in her midst.
7 As a well poureth forth her waters, so she poureth forth her wickedness: violence and destruction are heard in her; before me continually are grief and wounds.
As the digging of a well, is [for] its waters, So she has dug [for] her wickedness, Violence and spoil is heard in her, Sickness and striking [are] continually before My face.
8 Be thou instructed, Jerusalem, lest my soul be alienated from thee; lest I make thee a desolation, a land not inhabited.
Be instructed, O Jerusalem, Lest My soul be alienated from you, Lest I make you a desolation, A land [that is] not inhabited.”
9 Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: They shall thoroughly glean like a vine the remnant of Israel: turn back thy hand, as a grape-gatherer unto the baskets.
Thus said YHWH of Hosts: “They surely glean, as a vine, the remnant of Israel, Put your hand back, as a gatherer to the baskets.”
10 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 is unto them a reproach; they have no delight in it.
To whom do I speak, and testify, and they hear? Behold, their ear [is] uncircumcised, And they are not able to attend. Behold, a word of YHWH has been to them for a reproach, They do not delight in it.
11 And I am full of the fury of Jehovah, I am weary with holding in. Pour it out upon the children 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 [that is] full of days.
And I have been filled with the fury of YHWH (I have been weary of containing), “To pour [it] on the suckling in the street, And on the assembly of youths together, For even husband with wife are captured, [The] elderly with one full of days,
12 And their houses shall be turned unto others, [their] fields and wives together; for I will stretch out my hand upon the inhabitants of the land, saith Jehovah.
And their houses have been turned to others, Fields and wives together, For I stretch out My hand against the inhabitants of the land,” A declaration of YHWH.
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.
“For from their least to their greatest, Everyone is gaining dishonest gain, And from prophet even to priest, Everyone is dealing falsely,
14 And they have healed the breach of the daughter of my people lightly, saying, Peace, peace! when there is no peace.
And they heal the breach of the daughter of My people slightly, Saying, Peace, peace! And there is no peace.
15 Are they ashamed that they have committed abomination? Nay, they are not at all ashamed, neither know they what it is to blush. Therefore they shall fall among them that fall; at the time that I visit them they shall stumble, saith Jehovah.
They were ashamed when they did abomination! Indeed, they are not at all ashamed, Indeed, they have not known blushing, Therefore they fall among those falling, In the time I have inspected them, They stumble,” said YHWH.
16 Thus saith Jehovah: Stand in the ways and see, and ask for the ancient paths, which is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk [therein].
Thus said YHWH: “Stand by the ways and see, and ask for paths of old, Where [is] this—the good way? And go in it, And find rest for yourselves. And they say, We do not go.
17 Also I have set watchmen over you: — Hearken ye to the sound of the trumpet. But they said, We will not hearken.
And I have raised up watchmen for you, Attend to the voice of the horn. And they say, We do not attend.
18 Therefore hear, ye nations, and know, O assembly, what is among them.
Therefore hear, O nations, and know, O congregation, That which [is] on them.
19 Hear, O earth: behold, I will bring evil upon this people, the fruit of their thoughts; for they have not hearkened unto my words, and as to my law, they have rejected it.
Hear, O earth, behold, I am bringing evil on this people, The fruit of their plans, For they gave no attention to My words, And My law—they kick against it.
20 To what purpose should there come to me incense from Sheba, and the sweet cane from a far country? Your burnt-offerings are not acceptable, nor are your sacrifices pleasing unto me.
Why [is] this to Me? Frankincense comes from Sheba, And the sweet cane from a far-off land, Your burnt-offerings [are] not for acceptance, And your sacrifices have not been sweet to Me.”
21 Therefore thus saith Jehovah: Behold, I will lay stumbling-blocks before this people, and the fathers and the sons together shall fall over them; the neighbour and his friend shall perish.
Therefore, thus said YHWH: “Behold, I give stumbling blocks to this people, And fathers and sons have stumbled against them together, The neighbor and his friend perish.”
22 Thus saith Jehovah: Behold, a people cometh from the north country, and a great nation is stirred up from the uttermost parts of the earth.
Thus said YHWH: “Behold, a people has come from a north country, And a great nation is stirred up from the sides of the earth.
23 They 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 a man for the battle, against thee, daughter of Zion.
They take hold of bow and javelin, It [is] fierce, and they have no mercy, Their voice sounds as a sea, And they ride on horses, Set in array as a man of war, Against you, O daughter of Zion.”
24 We have heard the report thereof: our hands are grown feeble; anguish hath taken hold of us, pain as of a woman that travaileth.
We have heard its sound, our hands have been feeble, Distress has seized us, pain as of a travailing woman.
25 Go not forth into the field, nor walk by the way; for [there is] the sword of the enemy, terror is on every side.
Do not go forth to the field, And do not walk in the way, For the enemy has a sword, Fear [is] all around.
26 Daughter of my people, gird thee with sackcloth, and roll thyself in ashes: make mourning, [as] for an only son — bitter lamentation; for the spoiler cometh suddenly upon us.
O daughter of my people, Gird on sackcloth, And roll yourself in ashes, Make mourning [as for] an only one, A most bitter lamentation, For the spoiler suddenly comes against us.
27 I have set thee among my people as an assayer, a fortress, that thou mayest know and try their way.
“I have given you a watchtower, A fortress among My people, And you know, and have tried their way.
28 They are all the most rebellious of rebels, going about with slander: they are bronze and iron; they are all corrupters.
All of them are turned aside by apostates, Walking slanderously—bronze and iron, All of them are corrupters.
29 The bellows are burned, the lead is consumed by the fire; they have melted, and melted in vain; and the bad are not plucked away.
The bellows have been burned, The lead has been consumed by fire, A refiner has refined in vain, And the wicked have not been drawn away.
30 Reprobate silver shall they call them, for Jehovah hath rejected them.
They have called them rejected silver, For YHWH has kicked against them!”
