Ἱερεμίας 6
1 ἐνισχύσατε υἱοὶ Βενιαμιν ἐκ μέσου τῆς Ιερουσαλημ καὶ ἐν Θεκουε σημάνατε σάλπιγγι καὶ ὑπὲρ Βαιθαχαρμα ἄρατε σημεῖον ὅτι κακὰ ἐκκέκυφεν ἀπὸ βορρᾶ καὶ συντριβὴ μεγάλη γίνεται
“O sons of Benjamin, be strengthened in the midst of Jerusalem, and sound the trumpet in Tekoa, and lift up a banner over the house of Haccherem. For an evil has been seen from the north, with great destruction.
2 καὶ ἀφαιρεθήσεται τὸ ὕψος σου θύγατερ Σιων
I have compared the daughter of Zion to a beautiful and delicate woman.
3 εἰς αὐτὴν ἥξουσιν ποιμένες καὶ τὰ ποίμνια αὐτῶν καὶ πήξουσιν ἐπ’ αὐτὴν σκηνὰς κύκλῳ καὶ ποιμανοῦσιν ἕκαστος τῇ χειρὶ αὐτοῦ
The pastors will come to her with their flocks. They have pitched their tents against her all around. Each one will feed those who are under his hand.
4 παρασκευάσασθε ἐπ’ αὐτὴν εἰς πόλεμον ἀνάστητε καὶ ἀναβῶμεν ἐπ’ αὐτὴν μεσημβρίας οὐαὶ ἡμῖν ὅτι κέκλικεν ἡ ἡμέρα ὅτι ἐκλείπουσιν αἱ σκιαὶ τῆς ἑσπέρας
‘Sanctify a war against her! Rise up together, and let us ascend at midday.’ ‘Woe to us! For the day has declined; for the shadows of the evening have grown longer.’
5 ἀνάστητε καὶ ἀναβῶμεν ἐν τῇ νυκτὶ καὶ διαφθείρωμεν τὰ θεμέλια αὐτῆς
‘Rise up, and let us ascend in the night, and let us destroy her houses.’”
6 ὅτι τάδε λέγει κύριος ἔκκοψον τὰ ξύλα αὐτῆς ἔκχεον ἐπὶ Ιερουσαλημ δύναμιν ὦ πόλις ψευδής ὅλη καταδυναστεία ἐν αὐτῇ
For thus says the Lord of hosts: “Cut down her trees, and build a rampart around Jerusalem. This is the city of visitation! Every kind of false claim is in her midst.
7 ὡς ψύχει λάκκος ὕδωρ οὕτως ψύχει κακία αὐτῆς ἀσέβεια καὶ ταλαιπωρία ἀκουσθήσεται ἐν αὐτῇ ἐπὶ πρόσωπον αὐτῆς διὰ παντός πόνῳ καὶ μάστιγι
Just as a cistern makes its water cold, so has she made her wickedness cold. Iniquity and devastation will be heard in her; sickness and wounds will be ever before me.
8 παιδευθήσῃ Ιερουσαλημ μὴ ἀποστῇ ἡ ψυχή μου ἀπὸ σοῦ μὴ ποιήσω σε ἄβατον γῆν ἥτις οὐ κατοικηθήσεται
O Jerusalem, accept instruction, lest perhaps my soul may withdraw from you; lest perhaps I may set you in a desert, in an uninhabitable land.”
9 ὅτι τάδε λέγει κύριος καλαμᾶσθε καλαμᾶσθε ὡς ἄμπελον τὰ κατάλοιπα τοῦ Ισραηλ ἐπιστρέψατε ὡς ὁ τρυγῶν ἐπὶ τὸν κάρταλλον αὐτοῦ
Thus says the Lord of hosts: “They will gather the remnant of Israel, even as a single cluster of grapes is gathered from a vine. Direct your hand, as a grape-gatherer directs his hand to the basket.
10 πρὸς τίνα λαλήσω καὶ διαμαρτύρωμαι καὶ ἀκούσεται ἰδοὺ ἀπερίτμητα τὰ ὦτα αὐτῶν καὶ οὐ δύνανται ἀκούειν ἰδοὺ τὸ ῥῆμα κυρίου ἐγένετο αὐτοῖς εἰς ὀνειδισμόν οὐ μὴ βουληθῶσιν αὐτὸ ἀκοῦσαι
To whom should I speak, and to whom should I testify, so as to be heard? Behold, their ears are uncircumcised, and so they are unable to hear. Behold, for them, the word of the Lord has become a disgrace. And so they will not accept it.
11 καὶ τὸν θυμόν μου ἔπλησα καὶ ἐπέσχον καὶ οὐ συνετέλεσα αὐτούς ἐκχεῶ ἐπὶ νήπια ἔξωθεν καὶ ἐπὶ συναγωγὴν νεανίσκων ἅμα ὅτι ἀνὴρ καὶ γυνὴ συλλημφθήσονται πρεσβύτερος μετὰ πλήρους ἡμερῶν
For this reason, I have been filled with the fury of the Lord. I labor to bear it. Let it be poured out upon the child outside, or upon a group of young men meeting together. For a man will be taken captive with a woman, an elder will be taken captive with one who is full of days.
12 καὶ μεταστραφήσονται αἱ οἰκίαι αὐτῶν εἰς ἑτέρους ἀγροὶ καὶ αἱ γυναῖκες αὐτῶν ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτό ὅτι ἐκτενῶ τὴν χεῖρά μου ἐπὶ τοὺς κατοικοῦντας τὴν γῆν ταύτην λέγει κύριος
And their houses will be given over to others, with both their lands and their wives. For I will extend my hand over the inhabitants of the earth, says the Lord.
13 ὅτι ἀπὸ μικροῦ αὐτῶν καὶ ἕως μεγάλου πάντες συνετελέσαντο ἄνομα ἀπὸ ἱερέως καὶ ἕως ψευδοπροφήτου πάντες ἐποίησαν ψευδῆ
Certainly, from the least of them even to the greatest, all of them practice greed. And from the prophet even to the priest, all of them act with deceit.
14 καὶ ἰῶντο τὸ σύντριμμα τοῦ λαοῦ μου ἐξουθενοῦντες καὶ λέγοντες εἰρήνη εἰρήνη καὶ ποῦ ἐστιν εἰρήνη
And they healed the destruction of the daughter of my people with disgrace, by saying: ‘Peace, peace.’ And there was no peace.
15 κατῃσχύνθησαν ὅτι ἐξελίποσαν καὶ οὐδ’ ὧς καταισχυνόμενοι κατῃσχύνθησαν καὶ τὴν ἀτιμίαν αὐτῶν οὐκ ἔγνωσαν διὰ τοῦτο πεσοῦνται ἐν τῇ πτώσει αὐτῶν καὶ ἐν καιρῷ ἐπισκοπῆς αὐτῶν ἀπολοῦνται εἶπεν κύριος
They were confounded, because they committed an abomination. Or rather, they were not confounded with shame, because they did not know how to blush. For this reason, they will fall among those who are being destroyed. In the time of their visitation, they will fall, says the Lord.”
16 τάδε λέγει κύριος στῆτε ἐπὶ ταῖς ὁδοῖς καὶ ἴδετε καὶ ἐρωτήσατε τρίβους κυρίου αἰωνίους καὶ ἴδετε ποία ἐστὶν ἡ ὁδὸς ἡ ἀγαθή καὶ βαδίζετε ἐν αὐτῇ καὶ εὑρήσετε ἁγνισμὸν ταῖς ψυχαῖς ὑμῶν καὶ εἶπαν οὐ πορευσόμεθα
Thus says the Lord: “Stand above the ways, and see and ask, about the ancient paths, as to which is the good way, and then walk in it. And you will find refreshment for your souls. But they said: ‘We will not walk.’
17 κατέστακα ἐφ’ ὑμᾶς σκοπούς ἀκούσατε τῆς φωνῆς τῆς σάλπιγγος καὶ εἶπαν οὐκ ἀκουσόμεθα
And I appointed watchers over you, saying: ‘Listen for the sound of the trumpet.’ And they said: ‘We will not listen.’
18 διὰ τοῦτο ἤκουσαν τὰ ἔθνη καὶ οἱ ποιμαίνοντες τὰ ποίμνια αὐτῶν
For this reason, hear, O Gentiles, and know, O congregation, how much I will do to them.
19 ἄκουε γῆ ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ ἐπάγω ἐπὶ τὸν λαὸν τοῦτον κακά τὸν καρπὸν ἀποστροφῆς αὐτῶν ὅτι τῶν λόγων μου οὐ προσέσχον καὶ τὸν νόμον μου ἀπώσαντο
Hear, O earth! Behold, I will lead evils over this people, as the fruits of their own thoughts. For they have not listened to my words, and they have cast aside my law.
20 ἵνα τί μοι λίβανον ἐκ Σαβα φέρετε καὶ κιννάμωμον ἐκ γῆς μακρόθεν τὰ ὁλοκαυτώματα ὑμῶν οὔκ εἰσιν δεκτά καὶ αἱ θυσίαι ὑμῶν οὐχ ἥδυνάν μοι
For what reason are you bringing me frankincense from Sheba, and sweet smelling reeds from a far away land? Your holocausts are not acceptable, and your sacrifices are not pleasing to me.”
21 διὰ τοῦτο τάδε λέγει κύριος ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ δίδωμι ἐπὶ τὸν λαὸν τοῦτον ἀσθένειαν καὶ ἀσθενήσουσιν ἐν αὐτῇ πατέρες καὶ υἱοὶ ἅμα γείτων καὶ ὁ πλησίον αὐτοῦ ἀπολοῦνται
Therefore, thus says the Lord: “Behold I will bring this people to utter ruin, and they will fall, with their fathers and sons; neighbor and relative will perish together.”
22 τάδε λέγει κύριος ἰδοὺ λαὸς ἔρχεται ἀπὸ βορρᾶ καὶ ἔθνη ἐξεγερθήσεται ἀπ’ ἐσχάτου τῆς γῆς
Thus says the Lord: “Behold, a people is coming from the land of the north, and a great nation will rise up from the ends of the earth.
23 τόξον καὶ ζιβύνην κρατήσουσιν ἰταμός ἐστιν καὶ οὐκ ἐλεήσει φωνὴ αὐτοῦ ὡς θάλασσα κυμαίνουσα ἐφ’ ἵπποις καὶ ἅρμασιν παρατάξεται ὡς πῦρ εἰς πόλεμον πρὸς σέ θύγατερ Σιων
They will take hold of arrow and shield. They are cruel, and they will not take pity. Their voice will roar like the ocean. And they will climb upon horses, for they have been prepared like men for battle, against you, O daughter of Zion.
24 ἠκούσαμεν τὴν ἀκοὴν αὐτῶν παρελύθησαν αἱ χεῖρες ἡμῶν θλῖψις κατέσχεν ἡμᾶς ὠδῖνες ὡς τικτούσης
‘We have heard of their fame. Our hands have become weakened. Tribulation has overtaken us, like the pains of a woman giving birth.’
25 μὴ ἐκπορεύεσθε εἰς ἀγρὸν καὶ ἐν ταῖς ὁδοῖς μὴ βαδίζετε ὅτι ῥομφαία τῶν ἐχθρῶν παροικεῖ κυκλόθεν
Do not choose to go out into the fields, and you should not walk along the roadway. For the sword and the terror of the enemy is on every side.
26 θύγατερ λαοῦ μου περίζωσαι σάκκον κατάπασαι ἐν σποδῷ πένθος ἀγαπητοῦ ποίησαι σεαυτῇ κοπετὸν οἰκτρόν ὅτι ἐξαίφνης ἥξει ταλαιπωρία ἐφ’ ὑμᾶς
Wrap yourself in haircloth, O daughter of my people. And sprinkle yourself with ashes. Make a mourning for yourself, as for an only son, a bitter lamentation: ‘for the destroyer will overwhelm us suddenly.’
27 δοκιμαστὴν δέδωκά σε ἐν λαοῖς δεδοκιμασμένοις καὶ γνώσῃ με ἐν τῷ δοκιμάσαι με τὴν ὁδὸν αὐτῶν
I have presented you as a strong tester among my people. And you will test and know their way.
28 πάντες ἀνήκοοι πορευόμενοι σκολιῶς χαλκὸς καὶ σίδηρος πάντες διεφθαρμένοι εἰσίν
All these leaders who are turning away and walking deceitfully, they are brass and iron; they have all been corrupted.
29 ἐξέλιπεν φυσητὴρ ἀπὸ πυρός ἐξέλιπεν μόλιβος εἰς κενὸν ἀργυροκόπος ἀργυροκοπεῖ πονηρία αὐτῶν οὐκ ἐτάκη
The bellows has failed; the lead has been consumed by fire; the molten metal was melted to no purpose. For their wickedness has not been consumed.
30 ἀργύριον ἀποδεδοκιμασμένον καλέσατε αὐτούς ὅτι ἀπεδοκίμασεν αὐτοὺς κύριος
Call them: ‘Rejected silver.’ For the Lord has cast them aside.”
