Jeremiah, 6

1. Flee in a body, Benjaminites, right away from Jerusalem! Sound the trumpet in Tekoa! Light the beacon on Beth-ha-Cherem! For disaster lowers from the north, an immense calamity.

1. Flee for safety, O people of Benjamin, from the midst of Jerusalem! Blow the trumpet in Teko'a, and raise a signal on Beth-hacche'rem; for evil looms out of the north, and great destruction.

2. Beautiful, delicate as she is, I shall destroy the daughter of Zion!

2. The comely and delicately bred I will destroy, the daughter of Zion.

3. Shepherds are advancing on her with their flocks. They have pitched their tents all round her, each grazes his part.

3. Shepherds with their flocks shall come against her; they shall pitch their tents around her, they shall pasture, each in his place.

4. Prepare for holy war against her! To arms! We shall attack at noon! Disaster for us! The light is fading, the evening shadows lengthen.

4. "Prepare war against her; up, and let us attack at noon!" "Woe to us, for the day declines, for the shadows of evening lengthen!"

5. To arms! We shall attack at night and destroy her palaces.

5. "Up, and let us attack by night, and destroy her palaces!"

6. For Yahweh Sabaoth says this, 'Cut down trees, throw up an earthwork outside Jerusalem: this is the city to be punished, with nothing but oppression in her.

6. For thus says the LORD of hosts: "Hew down her trees; cast up a siege mound against Jerusalem. This is the city which must be punished; there is nothing but oppression within her.

7. As a well keeps its water fresh so she keeps her wickedness fresh. Violence and ruin are what you hear in her, wounds and blows always forced on my attention.

7. As a well keeps its water fresh, so she keeps fresh her wickedness; violence and destruction are heard within her; sickness and wounds are ever before me.

8. Reform, Jerusalem, or I shall turn my attention away from you and reduce you to a desert, a land without people.'

8. Be warned, O Jerusalem, lest I be alienated from you; lest I make you a desolation, an uninhabited land."

9. Yahweh Sabaoth says this, 'They will glean, glean what is left of Israel like a vine. Like a grape-picker, pass your hand again over the branches!'

9. Thus says the LORD of hosts: "Glean thoroughly as a vine the remnant of Israel; like a grape-gatherer pass your hand again over its branches."

10. To whom should I speak, whom warn, for them to hear? Look, their ears are uncircumcised, they cannot listen. Look, for them Yahweh's word is something to sneer at, they have no taste for it.

10. To whom shall I speak and give warning, that they may hear? Behold, their ears are closed, they cannot listen; behold, the word of the LORD is to them an object of scorn, they take no pleasure in it.

11. So I am full of Yahweh's wrath, I am weary of holding it in. Then pour it on the children in the streets, and on the bands of youths as well, for husband and wife will both be taken, the greybeard and the man weighed down with years.

11. Therefore I am full of the wrath of the LORD; I am weary of holding it in. "Pour it out upon the children in the street, and upon the gatherings of young men, also; both husband and wife shall be taken, the old folk and the very aged.

12. Their houses will pass to other men, so will their fields and wives. Yes, I shall stretch my hand over those living in this country, Yahweh declares.

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

13. For, from the least to greatest, they are all greedy for gain; prophet no less than priest, all of them practise fraud.

13. "For from the least to the greatest of them, every one is greedy for unjust gain; and from prophet to priest, every one deals falsely.

14. Without concern they dress my people's wound, saying, 'Peace! Peace!' whereas there is no peace.

14. They have healed the wound of my people lightly, saying, `Peace, peace,' when there is no peace.

15. They should be ashamed of their loathsome deeds. Not they! They feel no shame, they do not even know how to blush. And so as others fall, they too will fall, will be thrown down when I come and punish them, Yahweh says.

15. Were they ashamed when they committed abomination? No, they were not at all ashamed; they did not know how to blush. Therefore they shall fall among those who fall; at the time that I punish them, they shall be overthrown," says the LORD.

16. Yahweh says this, 'Stand at the crossroads and look, ask for the ancient paths: which was the good way? Take it and you will find rest for yourselves. But they have said, "We will not take it."

16. Thus says the LORD: "Stand by the roads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is; and walk in it, and find rest for your souls. But they said, `We will not walk in it.'

17. I posted look-outs on your behalf: Listen to the sound of the trumpet! But they said, "We will not listen."

17. I set watchmen over you, saying, `Give heed to the sound of the trumpet!' But they said, `We will not give heed.'

18. Then hear, you nations, and know, assembly, what is going to happen to them!

18. Therefore hear, O nations, and know, O congregation, what will happen to them.

19. Listen, earth! Watch, I shall bring disaster on this people: it is the fruit of the way they think, since they have not listened to my words nor to my law, but have rejected it.

19. Hear, O earth; behold, I am bringing evil upon this people, the fruit of their devices, because they have not given heed to my words; and as for my law, they have rejected it.

20. What do I care about incense imported from Sheba, or fragrant cane from a distant country? Your burnt offerings are not acceptable, your sacrifices do not please me.'

20. To what purpose does frankincense come to me from Sheba, or sweet cane from a distant land? Your burnt offerings are not acceptable, nor your sacrifices pleasing to me.

21. And so, Yahweh says this, 'In front of this people I shall now lay obstacles for them to stumble over; father and son alike, neighbour and friend will perish.'

21. Therefore thus says the LORD: `Behold, I will lay before this people stumbling blocks against which they shall stumble; fathers and sons together, neighbor and friend shall perish.'"

22. Yahweh says this, 'Look, a people is coming from the land of the north, from the far ends of the earth a great nation is rising;

22. Thus says the LORD: "Behold, a people is coming from the north country, a great nation is stirring from the farthest parts of the earth.

23. they are armed with bow and spear, they are cruel and pitiless; their noise is like the roaring of the sea; they are riding horses, they are ready to fight against you as one man, against you, daughter of Zion.

23. They lay hold on bow and spear, they are cruel and have no mercy, the sound of them is like the roaring sea; they ride upon horses, set in array as a man for battle, against you, O daughter of Zion!"

24. We have heard the news, our hands fall limp, anguish has gripped us, pain like that of a woman in labour.

24. We have heard the report of it, our hands fall helpless; anguish has taken hold of us, pain as of a woman in travail.

25. Do not go out into the countryside, do not venture onto the roads, for the enemy's sword is there, terror on every side.

25. Go not forth into the field, nor walk on the road; for the enemy has a sword, terror is on every side.

26. Put on sackcloth, daughter of my people, roll in ashes; mourn as for an only son, a very bitter dirge. For on us suddenly the destroyer is coming.

26. O daughter of my people, gird on sackcloth, and roll in ashes; make mourning as for an only son, most bitter lamentation; for suddenly the destroyer will come upon us.

27. 'I have appointed you as tester of my people, to learn and to test how they behave.

27. "I have made you an assayer and tester among my people, that you may know and assay their ways.

28. All of them are total rebels peddlers of slander, hard as bronze and iron, all agents of corruption.

28. They are all stubbornly rebellious, going about with slanders; they are bronze and iron, all of them act corruptly.

29. The bellows blast away to make the fire burn away the lead. In vain the smelter does his work, for the dross is not purged out.

29. The bellows blow fiercely, the lead is consumed by the fire; in vain the refining goes on, for the wicked are not removed.

30. "Silver-reject", men call them, and indeed Yahweh has rejected them!'

30. Refuse silver they are called, for the LORD has rejected them."