Jeremiah 6
1 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.
Run and hide, descendants of Benjamin, get out of Jerusalem! Blow the trumpet in Tekoa; light a signal fire in Beth-haccherem, for disaster and terrible destruction is arriving from the north.
2 The daughter of Zion, the beautiful and delicate woman, will be destroyed.
Even though she is pretty and delightful, I will destroy the Daughter of Zion.
3 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.
“Shepherds” and their “flocks” will come to attack her; they will set up their tents all around her, each one looking after his own.
4 “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.
They get ready for battle against her, saying, “Come on, we'll attack at noon! Oh no, the day is almost over, the evening shadows are growing long.
5 But let us attack at night and destroy her fortresses.”
Come on, we'll attack at night instead and destroy her fortresses!”
6 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.
This is what the Lord Almighty says: Cut down the trees and make a siege ramp to use against Jerusalem. This city needs to be punished because it's full of people mistreating one another.
7 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.
Like a spring gushing out water, so she pours out her evil. The sounds of violence and abuse echo inside her. I see people sick and wounded everywhere.
8 Accept discipline, Jerusalem, or I will turn away from you and make you into a ruin, an uninhabited land.'”
I'm warning you, people of Jerusalem, I'm going to give up on you in disgust. I will destroy you and leave your country uninhabited.
9 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.
This is what the Lord Almighty says: Even those left in Israel will be taken, just as grapes left on a vine are taken by the one harvesting the grapes who checks the branches again.
10 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.”
Who can I give this warning to? Who's going to listen to me? Can't you see that they refuse to listen? They can't hear what I'm saying. See how offensive the Lord's message is to them. They don't like it at all.
11 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.
But as for me, I'm full of the Lord's anger; I have a hard time keeping it in. The Lord replies, Pour it out on children in the street, and on groups of young people, because both husband and wife are going to be captured—it's everyone, and it doesn't matter how old they are.
12 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.
Their houses will be given to others, their fields and wives too, because I'm going to punish everyone living in this country, declares the Lord.
13 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.
Everyone cheats because they're greedy, poor and rich alike. Even prophets and priests—they are all dishonest liars!
14 They have healed the wounds of my people lightly, saying, 'Peace, Peace,' when there is no peace.
They give my wounded people first aid, but they don't really care about them. They tell them, “Don't worry! We have peace!” even as war approaches.
15 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.
Were they ashamed of the disgusting things they did? No, they weren't ashamed at all, they couldn't even blush. So they will fall just like the others, when I punish them; they will drop down dead, says the Lord.
16 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.'
This is what the Lord says: Go and stand where the roads divide, and look. Find out which are the old paths. Ask, “What's the right way?” Then follow it and you'll be content. But you refused, saying, “We won't go that way!”
17 I appointed for you watchmen to listen for the trumpet. But they said, 'We will not listen.'
I put watchmen in charge of you and told you, make sure you listen for the trumpet call warning you of danger. But you answered, “We won't listen!”
18 Therefore, nations, listen! See, you witnesses, what will happen to them.
So now you other nations can listen and find out what's going to happen to them.
19 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.”
Earth, you listen too! I am bringing disaster down on this people, the end result of what they themselves planned. It's because they paid no attention to what I said, and rejected my instructions.
20 “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.
What's the point of offering me frankincense from Sheba or sweet calamus from a far-away land? I don't accept your burnt offerings; I'm not pleased with your sacrifices.
21 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.'
So this is what the Lord says: I'm going to put blocks in front of these people to trip them up. Fathers and sons will fall down dead, friends and neighbors too.
22 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.
This is what the Lord says: Look! An army is invading from the north; a powerful nation is getting ready to attack all the way from the ends of the earth.
23 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.'”
They pick up their bows and spears. They are cruel and show no mercy. Their war-cries are like the sea roaring, and they ride horses lined up ready to attack you, Daughter of Zion.
24 We have heard the reports about them and our hands fall limp in distress. Anguish seizes us as a woman giving birth.
The people reply, “We've heard the news, and our hands are limp with shock! We're overcome with agony, suffering pain like a woman in labor.
25 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.
Don't go to the field! Don't walk down the road! The enemy is armed with swords! Terror is everywhere!”
26 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.
Oh my people, put on sackcloth and roll around in ashes. Mourn and cry bitterly like you would for an only son, because the destroyer will come down on you suddenly.
27 “I have made you, Jeremiah, one who tests my people like one would test metal, so you will inspect and test their ways.
Jeremiah, I have made you a tester of metals so you can test my people as if they were metal, so you can know what they're made of and how they act.
28 They are all the most stubborn of people, who go about slandering others. All of them are bronze and iron, acting corruptly.
They're all stubborn rebels going around talking slander. They are hard as bronze and iron; they are all corrupt.
29 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.
The bellows in the refiner's furnace blow powerfully, burning away the lead. But this refining is pointless, because the wicked are not purified.
30 They will be called rejected silver, for Yahweh has rejected them.”
They are identified as impure silver to be rejected, because the Lord has rejected them.
