Jeremiah 6
1 Assemble, O ye children of Benjamin, to flee out of the midst of Jerusalem, and in Tekoa, blow the cornet, and on Beth-hakkerem set up a fire signal; for evil is seen [coming] out of the north, and great havoc.
Find safety, people of Benjamin, by leaving Jerusalem. Blow a trumpet in Tekoa. Raise up over Beth Hakkerem a signal, since wickedness is appearing from the north; a great crushing is coming.
2 The comely and the delicate, the daughter of Zion do I destroy.
The daughter of Zion, the beautiful and delicate woman, will be destroyed.
3 Unto her shall come shepherds with their flocks; they shall pitch their tents against her round about; they shall feed off every one his own place.
The shepherds and their flocks will go to them; they will set up tents against her all around; each man will shepherd with his own hand.
4 Prepare ye war against her! “Arise, and let us go up at noon. Woe unto us! for the day waneth, for the shadows of the evening are stretched out.
“Dedicate yourselves to the gods for the battle. Arise, let us attack at noon. It is too bad that the daylight is fading away, that the evening shadows are falling.
5 Arise, and let us go up by night, and let us destroy her palaces.”
But let us attack at night and destroy her fortresses.”
6 For thus hath said the Lord of hosts, Cut ye down trees, and cast up a mound against Jerusalem: this is the city whose time of punishment is come; she is full of oppression in her midst.
For Yahweh of hosts says this: Cut her trees, and heap up siegeworks against Jerusalem. This is the right city to attack, because it is filled with oppression.
7 As a well sendeth forth its waters, so doth she cause her wickedness to spring forth: violence and robbery are heard in her; in my presence there are continually disease and wounds.
As a well pours out fresh water, so this city keeps producing wickedness. Violence and disorder are heard within her; sickness and wounds are continually before my face.
8 Be thou instructed, O Jerusalem, that my soul tear itself not away from thee; that I render thee not desolate, a land which is not inhabited.
Accept discipline, Jerusalem, or I will turn away from you and make you into a ruin, an uninhabited land.'”
9 Thus hath said the Lord of hosts, They shall thoroughly glean like a vine the remnant of Israel: carry back thy hand as a grape-gatherer frequently to the baskets.
Yahweh of hosts says this, “They will certainly glean those who are left in Israel like a vineyard. Reach out again with your hand to pick grapes from the vines.
10 To whom shall I speak, and give warning, that they may hear? behold, their ear is uncircumcised, and they cannot be attentive: behold, the word of the Lord is become unto them a reproach; they have no delight in it.
To whom should I declare and warn so they will listen? Look! Their ears are uncircumcised; they are not able to pay attention! Look! The word of Yahweh has come to them to correct them, but they do not want it.”
11 And I am full of the fury of the Lord; I am weary with sustaining it: [I must] pour it out over the child in the street, and over the assembly of young men together; for even the husband with the wife shall be seized, the aged with him that is full of days.
But I am filled with Yahweh's fury. I am tired of holding it in. He said, to me, “Pour it out on the children in the streets and on the groups of young men. For every man will be taken away with his wife; and every old person heavy with years.
12 And their houses shall be transferred unto others, fields and wives together; for I will stretch out my hand over the inhabitants of the land, saith the Lord.
Their houses will be turned over to others, both their fields and their wives together. For I will attack the inhabitants of the land with my hand—this is Yahweh's declaration.
13 For from their least even unto their greatest, every one is given to covetousness; and from the prophet even unto the priest every one practiseth falsehood.
Yahweh declares that from the least to the greatest, all of them are greedy for dishonest gain. From the prophet to the priest, all of them practice deceit.
14 And they heal the breach of the daughter of my people very lightly, saying, Peace, peace: when there is no peace.
They have healed the wounds of my people lightly, saying, 'Peace, Peace,' when there is no peace.
15 They should have been ashamed, because they had committed an abomination; but they neither felt the least shame, nor did they know how to blush: therefore shall they fall among those that fall; at the time that I punish their sin shall they stumble, saith the Lord.
Were they ashamed when they practiced abominations? They were not ashamed; they did not know how to blush! So they will fall among the fallen; they will be brought down when they are punished, says Yahweh.
16 Thus hath said the Lord, Place yourselves on the ways, and see, and ask after the ancient paths, where is the way which is good, that ye may walk thereon, and find rest for your soul. But they said, We will not walk [thereon].
Yahweh says this, “Stand at the road crossing and look; ask for the ancient pathways. 'Where is this good way?' Then go on it and find a resting place for yourselves. But the people say, 'We will not go.'
17 Then did I set watchmen over you, [saying, ] Listen to the sound of the cornet. But they said, We will not listen.
I appointed for you watchmen to listen for the trumpet. But they said, 'We will not listen.'
18 Therefore hear, ye nations, and know, O assembly, what [guilt] is among them.
Therefore, nations, listen! See, you witnesses, what will happen to them.
19 Hear, O earth! behold, I will bring evil upon this people, the fruit of their thoughts; because unto my words have they not been attentive, and as regardeth my law, —that have they despised.
Hear, earth! See, I am about to bring disaster to this people—the fruit of their thoughts. They paid no attention to my word or law, but they instead rejected it.”
20 To what purpose serveth me the frankincense which cometh from Sheba, and the sweet cane from a far-off country? your burnt-offerings are not acceptable, and your sacrifices are not agreeable unto me.
“What does this frankincense going up from Sheba mean to me? Or these sweet smells from a distant land? Your burnt offerings are not acceptable to me, nor are your sacrifices.
21 Therefore thus hath said the Lord, Behold, I will place before this people stumbling-blocks, and thereon shall stumble the fathers and the sons together, the neighbor and his friend, and they shall perish.
So Yahweh says this, 'See, I am about to place a stumbling block against this people. They will stumble over it—fathers and sons together. Inhabitants and their neighbors will also perish.'
22 Thus hath said the Lord, Behold, a people is coming from the north country, and a great nation shall wake up from the farthest ends of the earth.
Yahweh says this, 'See, a people is coming from the land of the north, a great nation is being stirred up from the farthest parts of the earth.
23 Bow and spear shall they firmly grasp; cruel are they, and will have no mercy; their voice roareth like the sea; and upon horses do they ride; set in array as one man for the war, against thee, O daughter of Zion.
They will pick up bows and spears. They are cruel and have no compassion. Their sound is like the sea roar, and they are riding on horses, set out in order as men for battle, against you, daughter of Zion.'”
24 We have heard the fame of him—our hands grow feeble: anguish hath taken hold of us, pain, as of a woman in giving birth.
We have heard the reports about them and our hands fall limp in distress. Anguish seizes us as a woman giving birth.
25 Go not forth into the field, on the road must ye not walk; for [there is] the sword of the enemy, terror on every side.
Do not go out to the fields, and do not walk on the roads, for the swords of the enemy and terror are all around.
26 O daughter of my people, gird thyself with sackcloth, and roll thyself in the ashes: a mourning as for an only son prepare unto thee, a most bitter lamentation; for suddenly will the destroyer come over us.
Daughter of my people, put on sackcloth and roll in ashes; mourn with painful sobs as for an only son, for the destroyer will suddenly come upon us.
27 I have set thee for a tower and a fortress among my people, that thou mayest know and probe their way.
“I have made you, Jeremiah, one who tests my people like one would test metal, so you will inspect and test their ways.
28 They all are grievous revolters, going about as talebearers, copper and iron: they all are corrupt.
They are all the most stubborn of people, who go about slandering others. All of them are bronze and iron, acting corruptly.
29 The bellows are burnt, by the fire the lead is consumed: in vain the melter refineth; for the wicked are not separated away.
The bellows are scorched by the fire that is burning them; the lead is consumed in the flames. The refining continues among them, but it is useless, because the evil is not removed.
30 Refuse silver men call them; because the Lord hath rejected them.
They will be called rejected silver, for Yahweh has rejected them.”
