Jeremiah 6
1 Strengthen yourselves, ye sons of Benjamin, in the midst of Jerusalem, and sound the trumpet in Thecua, and set up the standard over Bethacarem: for evil is seen out of the north, and a great destruction.
"Flee for safety, you people 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 I have likened the daughter of Sion to a beautiful and delicate woman.
The comely and delicate one, the daughter of Zion, will I cut off.
3 The shepherds shall come to her with their flocks: they have pitched their tents against her round about: every one shall feed them that are under his hand.
Shepherds with their flocks shall come to her; they shall pitch their tents against her all around; they shall feed everyone in his place."
4 Prepare ye war against her: arise, and let us go up at midday: woe unto us, for the day is declined, for the shadows of the evening are grown longer.
"Prepare 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 Arise, and let us go up in the night, and destroy her houses.
Arise, and let us go up by night, and let us destroy her palaces."
6 For thus saith the Lord of hosts: Hew down her trees, cast up a trench about Jerusalem: this is the city to be visited, all oppression is in the midst of her.
For Jehovah of hosts said, "Cut down trees, and cast up a mound against Jerusalem. She is the city to be punished; she is full of oppression in the midst of her.
7 As a cistern maketh its water cold, so hath she made her wickedness cold: violence and spoil shall be heard in her, infirmity and stripes are continually before me.
As a well casts forth its waters, so she casts forth her wickedness: violence and destruction is heard in her; before me continually is sickness and wounds.
8 Be thou instructed, O Jerusalem, lest my soul depart from thee, lest I make thee desolate, a land uninhabited.
Be instructed, Jerusalem, lest my soul be alienated from you; lest I make you a desolation, a land not inhabited."
9 Thus saith the Lord of hosts: They shall gather the remains of Israel, as in a vine, even to one cluster: turn back thy hand, as a grape gatherer into the basket.
Thus says Jehovah of hosts, "They shall thoroughly glean the remnant of Israel like a vine. Pass your hand again as a grape gatherer into the baskets."
10 To whom shall I speak? and to whom shall I testify, that he may hear? behold, their ears are uncircumcised, and they cannot hear: behold the word of the Lord is become unto them a reproach: and and they will not receive it.
To whom shall I speak and testify, that they may hear? Look, their ear is uncircumcised, and they can't listen. Look, the word of Jehovah has become a reproach to them. They have no delight in it.
11 Therefore am I full of the fury of the Lord, I am weary with holding in: pour it out upon the child abroad, and upon the council of the young men together: for man and woman shall be taken, the ancient and he that is full of days.
Therefore I am full of the wrath of Jehovah. I am weary with holding in. "Pour it out on the children in the street, and on 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 And their houses shall be turned over to others, with their lands and their wives together: for I will stretch for my hand upon the inhabitants of the land, saith the Lord.
Their houses shall be turned to others, their fields and their wives together; for I will stretch out my hand on the inhabitants of the land," says Jehovah.
13 For from the least of them even to the greatest, all are given to covetousness: and from the prophet even to the priest, all are guilty of deceit.
"For from their least even to their greatest, everyone is given to covetousness; and from the prophet even to the priest, everyone deals falsely.
14 And they healed the breach of the daughter of my people disgracefully, saying: Peace, peace: and there was no peace.
They have healed also the hurt of my people superficially, saying, 'Peace, peace.' when there is no peace.
15 They were confounded, because they committed abomination: yea, rather they were not confounded with confusion, and they knew not how to blush: wherefore they shall fall among them that fall: in the time of their visitation they shall fall down, saith the Lord.
Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? No, they were not at all ashamed, neither 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 Thus saith the Lord: Stand ye on the ways, and see and ask for the old paths which is the good way, and walk ye in it: and you shall find refreshment for your souls. And they said: we will not walk.
Thus says Jehovah, "Stand in the ways and see, and ask for the old paths, 'Where is the good way?' and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls." But they said, "We will not walk in it."
17 And I appointed watchmen over you, saying: Hearken ye to the sound of the trumpet. And they said: We will not hearken.
"I set watchmen over you, saying, 'Listen to the sound of the trumpet.'" But they said, "We will not listen."
18 Therefore hear, ye nations, and know, O congregation, what great things I will do to them.
"Therefore hear, you nations, and know, congregation, what will happen to them.
19 Hear, O earth: Behold I will bring evils upon this people, the fruits of their own thoughts: because they have not heard my words, and they have cast away my law.
Hear, earth. 'Look, I will bring disaster on this people, even the fruit of their thoughts, because they have not listened to my words; and as for my law, they have rejected it.
20 To what purpose do you bring me frankincense from Saba, and the sweet smelling cane from a far country? your holocausts are not acceptable, nor are your sacrifices pleasing to me.
To what purpose comes there 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 thus saith the Lord: Behold, I will bring destruction upon this people, by which fathers and sons together shall fall, neighbor and kinsman shall perish.
Therefore thus says Jehovah, 'Look, I will lay stumbling blocks before this people. The fathers and the sons together shall stumble against them. The neighbor and his friend shall perish.'
22 Thus saith the Lord: Behold a people cometh from the land of the north, and a great nation shall rise up from the ends of the earth.
"Thus says Jehovah, 'Look, a people comes from the north country. A great nation shall be stirred up from the uttermost parts of the earth.
23 They shall lay hold on arrow and shield: they are cruel, and will have no mercy. Their voice shall roar like the sea: and they shall mount upon horses, prepared as men for war, against thee, O daughter of Sion.
They take hold of bow and spear. They are cruel, and have no mercy. Their voice roars like the sea, and they ride on horses, everyone set in array, as a man to the battle, against you, daughter of Zion.'"
24 We have heard the fame thereof, our hands grow feeble: anguish hath taken hold of us, as a woman in labor.
"We have heard its report; our hands become feeble: anguish has taken hold of us, and pains as of a woman in labor.
25 Go not out into the fields, nor walk in the highway: for the sword of the enemy, and fear is on every side.
Do not go forth into the field, nor walk by the way; for the sword of the enemy and terror, are on every side."
26 Gird thee with sackcloth, O daughter of my people, and sprinkle thee with ashes: make thee mourning as for an only son, a bitter lamentation, because the destroyer shall suddenly come upon us.
"Daughter of my people, clothe yourself with sackcloth, and wallow in ashes. Mourn, as for an only son, most bitter lamentation; for the destroyer shall suddenly come on us."
27 I have set thee for a strong trier among my people: and thou shalt know and prove their way.
"I have made you a tester of metals and a fortress among my people; that you may know and try their way."
28 All of these princes go out of the way, they walk deceitfully, they are brass and iron: they are all corrupted.
"They are all grievous rebels, going about with slanders; they are bronze and iron: they all of them deal corruptly.
29 The bellows have failed, the lead is consumed in the fire, the founder hath melted in vain: for their wicked deeds are not consumed.
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 Call them reprobate silver, for the Lord hath rejected them.
Men will call them 'rejected silver,' because Jehovah has rejected them."
