Jeremiah, 6

1. O ye children of Benjamin, gather yourselves to flee out of the midst of Jerusalem, and blow the trumpet in Tekoa, and set up a sign of fire in Bethhaccerem: for evil appeareth out of the north, and great destruction.

1. People of Benjamin! Seek safety beyond Jerusalem. Sound the trumpet in Tekoa, raise a signal in Beth-hacherem, for misfortune pours out from the north: it will be a huge disaster.

2. I have likened the daughter of Zion to a comely and delicate [woman].

2. Shall I not compare you, daughter of Zion, to a beautiful pasture?

3. The shepherds with their flocks shall come unto her; they shall pitch [their] tents against her round about; they shall feed every one in his place.

3. Shepherds with their flocks are coming to her, they pitch their tents and feed their flocks all over her.

4. Prepare ye war against her; arise, and let us go up at noon. Woe unto us! for the day goeth away, for the shadows of the evening are stretched out.

4. Declare a holy war against her, attack her at noontime. Woe to us! For the day declines; the evening shadows lengthen!

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

5. Rise up! We shall attack by night and destroy her palaces!

6. For thus hath the LORD of hosts said, Hew ye down trees, and cast a mount against Jerusalem: this [is] the city to be visited; she [is] wholly oppression in the midst of her.

6. For Yahweh of hosts has spoken: "Cut down trees and build a siege-ramp against Jerusalem. This city must be punished for all in her is oppression.

7. As a fountain casteth out her waters, so she casteth out her wickedness: violence and spoil is heard in her; before me continually [is] grief and wounds.

7. Evil springs from her as water from a well. Violence and opression are heard in the city, suffering and cruelty are always before me.

8. Be thou instructed, O Jerusalem, lest my soul depart from thee; lest I make thee desolate, a land not inhabited.

8. Take warning, Jerusalem, lest I turn away from you and make you a desolation, a no-man's land."

9. Thus saith the LORD of hosts, They shall throughly glean the remnant of Israel as a vine: turn back thine hand as a grapegatherer into the baskets.

9. Yahweh of hosts further said, "You shall glean thoroughly as a vine, what is left of Israel. You shall do what the grape-gatherer does when his hand goes over the branches again."

10. To whom shall I speak, and give warning, that they may hear? behold, their ear [is] uncircumcised, and they cannot hearken: behold, the word of the LORD is unto them a reproach; they have no delight in it.

10. To whom shall I speak, whom shall I warn? No one of them wants to listen, that they may understand. Their ears are stuffed and they pay no attention. They scorn what Yahweh says and refuse to listen.

11. Therefore I am full of the fury of the LORD; I am weary with holding in: I will pour it out upon the children abroad, and upon the assembly of young men together: for even the husband with the wife shall be taken, the aged with [him that is] full of days.

11. The anger of Yahweh has filled me and I can bear it no longer! "Then pour it out on the children in the street and on the gathering of young men; both husband and wife will be caught, both the elderly and those who are not of age.

12. And their houses shall be turned unto others, [with their] fields and wives together: for I will stretch out my hand upon the inhabitants of the land, saith the LORD.

12. Their houses will be passed to others, together with their fields and their wives, when I stretch out my hand and strike the people of the land - it is Yahweh who speaks.

13. For from the least of them even unto the greatest of them every one [is] given to covetousness; and from the prophet even unto the priest every one dealeth falsely.

13. All of them - from the least to the greatest - are greedy for gain; prophet and priest alike are deceitful.

14. They have healed also the hurt [of the daughter] of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when [there is] no peace.

14. They treat lightly the disaster of my people saying, "Peace, peace," when there is no peace.

15. Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? nay, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush: therefore they shall fall among them that fall: at the time [that] I visit them they shall be cast down, saith the LORD.

15. They should be ashamed of their abominable deeds. But they have no shame and don't even know how to blush. Surely they shall fall with those who will fall; when I ask them to account they will stumble - it is Yahweh who speaks.

16. Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where [is] the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk [therein].

16. This is what Yahweh says, "Stand in the roads and look. Ask for the ancient paths and know where the good way is. Walk on it and experience peace for yourselves." But you said, "We will not take it."

17. Also I set watchmen over you, [saying], Hearken to the sound of the trumpet. But they said, We will not hearken.

17. Then Yahweh set watchmen over you: "Pay attention to the sound of the horn!" But you said, "We will not listen."

18. Therefore hear, ye nations, and know, O congregation, what [is] among them.

18. Listen nations; know what will befall them!

19. Hear, O earth: behold, I will bring evil upon this people, [even] the fruit of their thoughts, because they have not hearkened unto my words, nor to my law, but rejected it.

19. Listen earth! I am bringing disaster on this people! It is the fruit of their rebellion, because they ignored my words and despised my Law.

20. To what purpose cometh there to me incense from Sheba, and the sweet cane from a far country? your burnt offerings [are] not acceptable, nor your sacrifices sweet unto me.

20. The incense from Sheba is useless for me, don't bring me the fragrant cane from a distant land. Your burnt offerings are not acceptable to me nor do I find your sacrifices pleasing."

21. Therefore thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will lay stumblingblocks before this people, and the fathers and the sons together shall fall upon them; the neighbour and his friend shall perish.

21. This is what Yahweh says, "I will place stumbling blocks before this people to make them stumble, parents and children, neighbors and friends together."

22. Thus saith the LORD, Behold, a people cometh from the north country, and a great nation shall be raised from the sides of the earth.

22. It is Yahweh who speaks, "See, a people comes from the north, a powerful nation from the ends of the earth.

23. They shall lay hold on bow and spear; they [are] cruel, and have no mercy; their voice roareth like the sea; and they ride upon horses, set in array as men for war against thee, O daughter of Zion.

23. Armed with bow and spear they are cruel and merciless. Their voice roars like the roaring sea. Mounted on horses, in battle formation they come as a fire, against you, daughter of Zion."

24. We have heard the fame thereof: our hands wax feeble: anguish hath taken hold of us, [and] pain, as of a woman in travail.

24. When we heard this our hands went limp, anguish seized us like the birthpangs of a woman.

25. Go not forth into the field, nor walk by the way; for the sword of the enemy [and] fear [is] on every side.

25. "Let us not go to the fields or onto the roads, for the enemy's sword brings terror on every side."

26. O daughter of my people, gird [thee] with sackcloth, and wallow thyself in ashes: make thee mourning, [as for] an only son, most bitter lamentation: for the spoiler shall suddenly come upon us.

26. O my people! Wrap yourself in sackcloth and roll in ashes; mourn with bitter lament as for an only child, for the destroyer is coming against us.

27. I have set thee [for] a tower [and] a fortress among my people, that thou mayest know and try their way.

27. "I have appointed you as an examiner among my people, that you may see and appreciate their ways."

28. They [are] all grievous revolters, walking with slanders: [they are] brass and iron; they [are] all corrupters.

28. They are all rebels and slanderers. They are like bronze and iron and all are corrupt.

29. The bellows are burned, the lead is consumed of the fire; the founder melteth in vain: for the wicked are not plucked away.

29. The bellows blow to burn away the lead with fire, but the smelter works in vain for the evil elements remain.

30. Reprobate silver shall [men] call them, because the LORD hath rejected them.

30. They will be called 'worthless silver' for Yahweh has rejected them.