Jeremiah 6

1 “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.

Strengthen yourselves, sons of Benjamin, From the midst of Jerusalem, And in Tekoa blow ye a trumpet, And over Beth-Haccerem lift ye up a flame, For evil hath been seen from the north, And great destruction.

2 I have cut off the lovely and delicate one, The daughter of Zion.

The comely and the delicate one I have cut off, The daughter of Zion.

3 Shepherds and their droves come to her, They have struck tents by her all around, They have each fed [in] his own station.”

Unto her come do shepherds and their droves, They have stricken tents by her round about, They have fed each [in] his own station.

4 “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,

Sanctify ye against her the battle, Rise, and we go up at noon. Woe to us, for turned hath the day, For stretched out are the shades of evening,

5 Rise, and we go up by night, And we destroy her palaces.”

'Rise, and we go up by night, And we destroy her palaces.'

6 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.

For thus said Jehovah of Hosts: Cut down her wood, And pour out against Jerusalem a mount, She [is] the city to be inspected, Wholly — she is oppression in her midst.

7 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.

As the digging of a well, is [for] its waters, So she hath digged [for] her wickedness, Violence and spoil is heard in her, Before My face continually [are] sickness and smiting.

8 Be instructed, O Jerusalem, Lest My soul be alienated from you, Lest I make you a desolation, A land [that is] not inhabited.”

Be instructed, O Jerusalem, Lest My soul be alienated from thee, Lest I make thee a desolation, a land not inhabited.

9 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.”

Thus said Jehovah of Hosts: They surely glean, as a vine, the remnant of Israel, Put back thy hand, as a gatherer to the baskets.

10 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.

To whom do I speak, and testify, and they hear? Lo, their ear [is] uncircumcised, And they are not able to attend. Lo, a word of Jehovah hath been to them for a reproach, They delight not in it.

11 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,

And with the fury of Jehovah I have been filled, (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, An elder with one full of days,

12 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.

And their houses have been turned to others, Fields and wives together, For I stretch out My hand against the inhabitants of the land, An affirmation of Jehovah.

13 “For from their least to their greatest, Everyone is gaining dishonest gain, And from prophet even to priest, Everyone is dealing falsely,

For from their least unto their greatest, Every one is gaining dishonest gain, And from prophet even unto priest, Every one is dealing falsely,

14 And they heal the breach of the daughter of My people slightly, Saying, Peace, peace! And 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 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.

They were ashamed when they did abomination! Yea, they are not at all ashamed, Yea, blushing they have not known, Therefore they do fall among those falling, In the time I have inspected them, They stumble, said Jehovah.

16 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.

Thus said Jehovah: Stand ye by the ways and see, and ask for paths of old, Where [is] this — the good way? and go ye in it, And find rest for yourselves. And they say, 'We do not go.'

17 And I have raised up watchmen for you, Attend to the voice of the horn. And they say, We do not attend.

And I have raised up for you watchmen, Attend ye to the voice of the trumpet. And they say, 'We do not attend.'

18 Therefore hear, O nations, and know, O congregation, That which [is] on them.

Therefore hear, O nations, and know, O company, That which [is] upon them.

19 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.

Hear, O earth, lo, I am bringing evil on this people, The fruit of their devices, For to My words they gave no attention, And My law — they kick against it.

20 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.”

Why [is] this to Me? frankincense from Sheba cometh, And the sweet cane from a land afar off, Your burnt-offerings [are] not for acceptance, And your sacrifices have not been sweet to Me.

21 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.”

Therefore thus said Jehovah: Lo, I do give to this people stumbling blocks, And stumbled against them have fathers and sons together, The neighbour and his friend do perish.

22 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.

Thus said Jehovah: Lo, a people hath come from a north country, And a great nation is stirred up from the sides of the earth.

23 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.”

Bow and javelin they take hold of, Fierce it [is], and they have no mercy, Their voice as a sea doth sound, And on horses they ride, set in array as a man of war, Against thee, O daughter of Zion.

24 We have heard its sound, our hands have been feeble, Distress has seized us, pain as of a travailing woman.

'We have heard its sound, feeble have been our hands, Distress hath seized us, pain as of a travailing woman.

25 Do not go forth to the field, And do not walk in the way, For the enemy has a sword, Fear [is] all around.

Go not forth to the field, And in the way walk not, For a sword hath the enemy, fear [is] round about.

26 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.

O daughter of My people, Gird on sackcloth, and roll thyself in ashes, The mourning of an only one make for thee, A lamentation most bitter, For suddenly come doth the spoiler against us.

27 “I have given you a watchtower, A fortress among My people, And you know, and have tried their way.

A watch-tower I have given thee, Among My people a fortress, And thou knowest, and hast tried their way.

28 All of them are turned aside by apostates, Walking slanderously—bronze and iron, All of them are corrupters.

All of them are turned aside by apostates, Walking slanderously — brass and iron, All of them are corrupters.

29 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.

The bellows have been burnt, By fire hath the lead been consumed, In vain hath a refiner refined, And the wicked have not been drawn away.

30 They have called them rejected silver, For YHWH has kicked against them!”

'Silver rejected,' they have called to them, For Jehovah hath kicked against them!