Jeremiah 6
1 O ye children of Beniamin, prepare to flee out of the middes of Ierusalem, and blowe the trumpet in Tekoa: set vp a standart vpon Beth-haccerem: for a plague appeareth out of the North and great destruction.
Flee, O ye sons of Benjamin, from Jerusalem, And blow ye the trumpet in Tekoa, And lift up the banner in Beth-haccerem! For evil threateneth from the North; Yea, great destruction.
2 I haue compared the daughter of Zion to a beautifull and daintie woman.
O daughter of Zion, the comely and delicate, Thee have I doomed to destruction!
3 The pastors with their flockes shall come vnto her: they shall pitche their tentes rounde about by her, and euery one shall feede in his place.
The shepherds with their flocks shall come to her; They shall pitch their tents against her round about; They shall feed each one in his place.
4 Prepare warre against her: arise, and let vs goe vp toward the South: wo vnto vs: for the day declineth, and the shadowes of the euening are stretched out.
“Prepare ye war against her, [[shall they say; ]] Arise, and let us go up at noonday; Alas for us! for the day goeth away, For the shadows of evening are lengthened.
5 Arise, and let vs goe vp by night, and destroy her palaces.
Arise, and let us go up by night, And let us destroy her palaces!”
6 For thus hath the Lord of hostes said, Hewe downe wood, and cast a mounte against Ierusalem: this citie must be visited: all oppression is in the middes of it.
For thus saith Jehovah of hosts: Hew ye down trees, And raise a mound against Jerusalem! She is a city to be punished; She is full of oppression.
7 As the fountaine casteth out her waters, so she casteth out her malice: crueltie and spoyle is continually heard in her before me with sorowe and strokes.
As a fountain sendeth forth its waters, So she sendeth forth her wickedness. Violence and rapine are heard within her; Before me continually are bruises and wounds.
8 Be thou instructed, O Ierusalem, lest my soule depart from thee, lest I make thee desolate as a land, that none inhabiteth.
Receive correction, O Jerusalem, Lest my soul be alienated from thee, Lest I make thee a desolation, A land not inhabited!
9 Thus sayeth the Lord of hostes, They shall gather as a vine, the residue of Israel: turne backe thine hande as the grape gatherer into the baskets.
Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: They shall thoroughly glean the remnant of Israel as a vine; Turn thy hand like a grape-gatherer again to the baskets!
10 Vnto whome shall I speake, and admonish that they may heare? beholde, their eares are vncircumcised, and they cannot hearken: beholde, the worde of the Lord is vnto them as a reproche: they haue no delite in it.
To whom shall I speak? To whom give warning, so that they shall hear? Behold, their ear is uncircumcised, so that they cannot hearken; Behold, the word of Jehovah is to them a derision; They have no delight in it.
11 Therefore I am full of the wrath of the Lord: I am weary with holding it: I will powre it out vpon the children in the streete, and likewise vpon the assembly of the yong men: for the husband shall euen be taken with the wife, and the aged with him that is full of daies.
Therefore I am full of the fury of Jehovah; I am weary of holding it; I will pour it out alike upon the children in the street, And upon the assembly of the young men. Yea, also the husband with the wife shall be taken, The old man, and he that is full of days.
12 And their houses with their landes, and wiues also shalbe turned vnto strangers: for I will stretch out mine hande vpon the inhabitants of the land, sayeth the Lord.
Their houses also shall be transferred to others, Their fields and their wives together, For I will stretch out my hand over the inhabitants of the land, saith Jehovah.
13 For from the least of them, euen vnto the greatest of them, euery one is giuen vnto couetousnesse, and from the Prophet euen vnto the Priest, they all deale falsely.
For from the least of them even to the greatest, Every one is greedy of gain; Prophet and priest alike, Every one of them practiseth deceit.
14 They haue healed also ye hurt of the daughter of my people with sweete woordes, saying, Peace, peace, when there is no peace.
They heal the wound 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 ashamed, no neither coulde they haue any shame: therefore they shall fall among the slaine: when I shall visite them, they shall be cast downe, sayth the Lord.
Are they ashamed that they have done abominable things? Nay, they are not at all ashamed; They know not how to blush; Therefore shall they fall with them that fall; At the time when I punish them, They shall be cast down, saith Jehovah.
16 Thus sayeth the Lord, Stande in the waies and beholde, and aske for the olde way, which is the good way and walke therein, and yee shall finde rest for your soules: but they saide, We will not walke therein.
Thus saith Jehovah: Stand ye upon the ways and look; And ask for the old paths, “Where is the good way?” Walk ye in it, and ye shall find for yourselves rest. But they say, We will not walk in it.
17 Also I set watchmen ouer you, which said, Take heede to the sound of the trumpet: but they said, We will not take heede.
I have also set watchmen over you, [[saying, ]] Hearken to the sound of the trumpet! But they say, We will not hearken.
18 Heare therefore, yee Gentiles, and thou Congregation knowe, what is among them.
Therefore hear, O ye nations, And know, ye assembled multitude, What shall come upon them!
19 Heare, O earth, beholde, I will cause a plague to come vpon this people, euen the fruite of their owne imaginations: because they haue not taken heede vnto my woordes, nor to my Lawe, but cast it off.
Hear thou, O earth! Behold, I bring evil upon this people, The fruit of their devices; Because they have not hearkened to my words, And have even rejected my law.
20 To what purpose bringest thou mee incense from Sheba, and sweete calamus from a farre countrey? Your burnt offerings are not pleasant, nor your sacrifices sweete vnto me.
To what purpose is incense brought to me from Sheba, And the sweet-smelling reed from a far country? Your burnt-offerings are not acceptable, Nor are your sacrifices sweet to me.
21 Therefore thus sayeth the Lord, Beholde, I will laie stumbling blockes before this people, and the fathers and the sonnes together shall fall vpon them: the neighbour and his friende shall perish.
Therefore thus saith Jehovah: Behold, I lay stumbling-blocks before this people, Upon which fathers and sons shall stumble together, The neighbor and his friend, and shall perish.
22 Thus sayeth the Lord, Beholde, a people commeth from the North countrey, and a great nation shall arise from the sides of the earth.
Thus saith Jehovah: Behold, a people cometh from the land of the North; A great nation riseth up from the extremities of the earth.
23 With bowe and shield shall they be weaponed: they are cruell and will haue no compassion: their voyce roareth like the sea, and they ride vpon horses, well appointed, like men of warre against thee, O daughter Zion.
They bear the bow and the spear; They are cruel and show no mercy; Their voice roareth like the sea; And upon horses do they ride, Arrayed as a warrior against thee, O daughter of Zion.
24 We haue heard their fame, and our handes waxe feeble sorrowe is come vpon vs, as the sorrowe of a woman in trauaile.
We have heard the report thereof; Our hands lose their strength; Anguish hath taken hold of us, Pain, as of a woman in travail.
25 Goe not foorth into the fielde, nor walke by the way: for the sword of the enemie and feare is on euery side.
Go not forth into the field, Nor walk ye in the highway! For the sword of the enemy And terror are on every side.
26 O daughter of my people, girde thee with sackecloth, and wallowe thy selfe in the ashes: make lamentation, and bitter mourning as for thine onely sonne: for the destroier shall suddenly come vpon vs.
O daughter of my people, gird thee with sackcloth, And roll thyself in ashes! Make thee mourning as for an only son, Most bitter lamentation! For suddenly shall the spoiler come upon us.
27 I haue set thee for a defence and fortresse among my people, that thou maiest knowe and trie their waies.
I have set thee, like a tower, for an assayer among my people, That thou mayst know and try their way.
28 They are all rebellious traitours, walking craftily: they are brasse, and yron, they all are destroyers.
They are all stubborn revolters, Slanderers are they, brass and iron; They are all corrupt.
29 The bellowes are burnt: the lead is consumed in the fire: the founder melteth in vaine: for the wicked are not taken away.
The bellows burn; The lead is consumed by the fire; The refiner hath melted in vain, For the bad are not separated.
30 They shall call them reprobate siluer, because the Lord hath reiected them.
Rejected silver shall men call them, Because Jehovah hath rejected them.
