Jeremiah 6
1 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 Beth-haccerem: for evil appeareth out of the north, and 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 I have likened the daughter of Zion to a comely and delicate [woman].
I have cut off the lovely and delicate one, The daughter of Zion.
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.
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 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.
“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 by night, and let us destroy her palaces.
Rise, and we go up by night, And we 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.
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 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.
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, O Jerusalem, lest my soul depart from thee; lest I make thee desolate, 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 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.
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 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.
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 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.
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, [with their] fields and wives together: for I will stretch out my hand upon the inhabitants of the land, saith the LORD.
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 They have healed also the hurt [ of the daughter] of my people slightly, 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 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.
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 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].
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 set watchmen over you, [saying], Hearken 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 congregation, 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, [even] the fruit of their thoughts, because they have not hearkened unto my words, nor to my law, but 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 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.
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 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.
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 the LORD, Behold, a people cometh from the north country, and a great nation shall be raised from the sides 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 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.
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 fame thereof: our hands wax feeble: anguish hath taken hold of us, [and] pain, as of a woman in travail.
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 the sword of the enemy [and] fear [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 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.
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 [for] a tower [and] a fortress among my people, 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 grievous revolters, walking with slanders: [they are] brass 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 of the fire; the founder melteth in vain: for the wicked 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 [men] call them, because the LORD hath rejected them.
They have called them rejected silver, For YHWH has kicked against them!”
