Jeremiah 6

1 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.

"Flee for safety, you people of Benjamin, out of the midst of Jerusalem, and blow the trumpet in Tekoa, and raise up a signal on Beth Haccherem; for evil looks forth from the north, and a great destruction.

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

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

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

Shepherds with their flocks shall come to her; they shall pitch their tents against her all around; they shall feed everyone in his place."

4 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,

"Prepare war against her; arise, and let us go up at noon. Woe to us. For the day declines, for the shadows of the evening are stretched out.

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

Arise, and let us go up by night, and let us destroy her palaces."

6 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.

For the LORD of hosts said, "Cut down trees, and cast up a mound against Jerusalem. She is the city to be punished; she is full of oppression in the midst of her.

7 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.

As a well casts forth its waters, so she casts forth her wickedness: violence and destruction is heard in her; before me continually is sickness and wounds.

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

Be instructed, Jerusalem, lest my soul be alienated from you; lest I make you a desolation, a land not inhabited."

9 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.

Thus says the LORD of hosts, "They shall thoroughly glean the remnant of Israel like a vine. Pass your hand again as a grape gatherer into the baskets."

10 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.

To whom shall I speak and testify, that they may hear? Look, their ear is uncircumcised, and they can't listen. Look, the word of the LORD has become a reproach to them. They have no delight in it.

11 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,

Therefore I am full of the wrath of the LORD. I am weary with holding in. "Pour it out on the children in the street, and on the assembly of young men together; for even the husband with the wife shall be taken, the aged with him who is 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, An affirmation of Jehovah.

Their houses shall be turned to others, their fields and their wives together; for I will stretch out my hand on the inhabitants of the land," says the LORD.

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

"For from their least even to their greatest, everyone is given to covetousness; and from the prophet even to the priest, everyone deals falsely.

14 And they heal the breach of the daughter of my people slightly, Saying, 'Peace, peace!' and there is no peace.

They have healed also the hurt of my people superficially, saying, 'Peace, peace.' when there is no peace.

15 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.

Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? No, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush. Therefore they shall fall among those who fall; at the time that I visit them, they shall be cast down," says the LORD.

16 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.'

Thus says the LORD, "Stand in the ways and see, and ask for the old paths, 'Where is the good way?' and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls." But they said, "We will not walk in it."

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

"I set watchmen over you, saying, 'Listen to the sound of the trumpet.'" But they said, "We will not listen."

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

"Therefore hear, you nations, and know, congregation, what will happen to them.

19 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.

Hear, earth. 'Look, I will bring disaster on this people, even the fruit of their thoughts, because they have not listened to my words; and as for my law, they have rejected it.

20 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.

To what purpose comes there to me frankincense from Sheba, and the sweet cane from a far country? Your burnt offerings are not acceptable, nor your sacrifices pleasing to me.'

21 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.

Therefore thus says the LORD, 'Look, I will lay stumbling blocks before this people. The fathers and the sons together shall stumble against them. The neighbor and his friend shall perish.'

22 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.

"Thus says the LORD, 'Look, a people comes from the north country. A great nation shall be stirred up from the uttermost parts of the earth.

23 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.

They take hold of bow and spear. They are cruel, and have no mercy. Their voice roars like the sea, and they ride on horses, everyone set in array, as a man to the battle, against you, daughter of Zion.'"

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

"We have heard its report; our hands become feeble: anguish has taken hold of us, and pains as of a woman in labor.

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

Do not go forth into the field, nor walk by the way; for the sword of the enemy and terror, are on every side."

26 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.

"Daughter of my people, clothe yourself with sackcloth, and wallow in ashes. Mourn, as for an only son, most bitter lamentation; for the destroyer shall suddenly come on us."

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

"I have made you a tester of metals and a fortress among my people; that you may know and try their way."

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

"They are all grievous rebels, going about with slanders; they are bronze and iron: they all of them deal corruptly.

29 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.

The bellows blow fiercely; the lead is consumed of the fire: in vain do they go on refining; for the wicked are not plucked away.

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

Men will call them 'rejected silver,' because the LORD has rejected them."