Jeremiah 6

1 “Run for cover, O sons of Benjamin; flee from Jerusalem! Sound the ram’s horn in Tekoa; send up a signal over Beth-haccherem, for disaster looms from the north, even great destruction.

2 Though she is beautiful and delicate, I will destroy the Daughter of Zion.

3 Shepherds and their flocks will come against her; they will pitch their tents all around her, each tending his own portion:

4 ‘Prepare for battle against her; rise up, let us attack at noon. Woe to us, for the daylight is fading; the evening shadows grow long.

5 Rise up, let us attack by night and destroy her fortresses!’”

6 For this is what the LORD of Hosts says: “Cut down the trees and raise a siege ramp against Jerusalem. This city must be punished; there is nothing but oppression in her midst.

7 As a well gushes its water, so she pours out her evil. Violence and destruction resound in her; sickness and wounds are ever before Me.

8 Be forewarned, O Jerusalem, or I will turn away from you; I will make you a desolation, a land without inhabitant.”

9 This is what the LORD of Hosts says: “Glean the remnant of Israel as thoroughly as a vine. Pass your hand once more like a grape gatherer over the branches.”

10 To whom can I give this warning? Who will listen to me? Look, their ears are closed, so they cannot hear. See, the word of the LORD has become offensive to them; they find no pleasure in it.

11 But I am full of the LORD’s wrath; I am tired of holding it back. “Pour it out on the children in the street, and on the young men gathered together. For both husband and wife will be captured, the old and the very old alike.

12 Their houses will be turned over to others, their fields and wives as well, for I will stretch out My hand against the inhabitants of the land,” declares the LORD.

13 “For from the least of them to the greatest, all are greedy for gain; from prophet to priest, all practice deceit.

14 They dress the wound of My people with very little care, saying, ‘Peace, peace,’ when there is no peace at all.

15 Are they ashamed of the abomination they have committed? No, they have no shame at all; they do not even know how to blush. So they will fall among the fallen; when I punish them, they will collapse,” says the LORD.

16 This is what the LORD says: “Stand at the crossroads and look. Ask for the ancient paths: ‘Where is the good way?’ Then walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls. But they said, ‘We will not walk in it!’

17 I appointed watchmen over you and said, ‘Listen for the sound of the ram’s horn.’ But they answered, ‘We will not listen!’

18 Therefore hear, O nations, and learn, O congregations, what will happen to them.

19 Hear, O earth! I am bringing disaster on this people, the fruit of their own schemes, because they have paid no attention to My word and have rejected My instruction.

20 What use to Me is frankincense from Sheba or sweet cane from a distant land? Your burnt offerings are not acceptable; your sacrifices do not please Me.”

21 Therefore this is what the LORD says: “I will lay stumbling blocks before this people; fathers and sons alike will be staggered; friends and neighbors will perish.”

22 This is what the LORD says: “Behold, an army is coming from the land of the north; a great nation is stirred up from the ends of the earth.

23 They grasp the bow and spear; they are cruel and merciless. Their voice roars like the sea, and they ride upon horses, lined up like men in formation against you, O Daughter of Zion.”

24 We have heard the report; our hands hang limp. Anguish has gripped us, pain like that of a woman in labor.

25 Do not go out to the fields; do not walk the road. For the enemy has a sword; terror is on every side.

26 O daughter of my people, dress yourselves in sackcloth and roll in ashes. Mourn with bitter wailing, as you would for an only son, for suddenly the destroyer will come upon us.

27 “I have appointed you to examine My people like ore, so you may know and try their ways.

28 All are hardened rebels, walking around as slanderers. They are bronze and iron; all of them are corrupt.

29 The bellows blow fiercely, blasting away the lead with fire. The refining proceeds in vain, for the wicked are not purged.

30 They are called rejected silver, because the LORD has rejected them.”

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.

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

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.

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.

5 Arise, and let us go by night, and let us 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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

14 They have healed also the hurt [of the daughter] of my people slightly, 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.

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].

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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

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

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

1 Gather yourselves together, ye children of Benjamin, out of Jerusalem, and sound the trumpets in the tabernacle of Thekoa, and cast upon a banner in the tabernacle of Beth-cherem: for there goeth a calamity from the north, and a great distress.

2 the daughter of Zion is like a beautiful and merry meadow.

3 But shepherds shall come upon them with their flocks, and shall pitch tents round about them, and feed every man in his place:

4 Prepare yourselves for war against them. Come, let us go up, for it is still high day. The evening is about to come, and the shadows are growing large.

5 Come, let us be up, and let us go up by night, and destroy their palaces.

6 For thus saith the LORD of hosts, Cut down trees, and make a vail against Jerusalem: for she is a city to be visited. For she is a city to be visited. For there is iniquity in it.

7 For as a brook quencheth its waters, so quencheth their wickedness. Their iniquities and their violence cry out against them; And their murders and their smitings do they daily before me.

8 Amend thee, O Jerusalem, before my heart turn from thee, and I make thee a desolate land, wherein no man dwelleth.

9 Thus saith the LORD of hosts; What is left of Israel shall be gathered afterward, as from the vine. The grape harvester shall cast one by one into the vats.

10 Ah, to whom shall I speak and testify? I wish someone would listen. But their ears are uncircumcised; they will not hear. Behold, they hold the word of the LORD in derision, and will not hear it.

11 Therefore I am so full of the LORD'S wrath, that I cannot forbear it. Pour out, both of you, upon the children of the streets, and upon the company of the council together: for both man and woman, both old and old, shall be taken.

12 Their houses shall be for the strangers, and their fields, and their wives: for I will stretch out mine hand, saith the LORD, upon the inhabitants of the land.

13 For they are all covetous, both small and great; and both prophets and priests teach false worship.

14 And comfort my people in their affliction, that ye should esteem them little, saying, Peace, peace; and yet is not peace.

15 Therefore shall they be ashamed, because they have committed such abominations, though they will be undefiled, and will not be ashamed. Therefore they shall fall upon a heap: and when I shall visit them, they shall fall, saith the LORD.

16 Thus saith the LORD; Stand ye in the ways, and look, and enquire of the former paths which is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they say: We will not do it.

17 I have set watchmen over you. Heed the voice of the trumpets. But they speak: We will not do it.

18 Hear therefore, ye Gentiles, and take heed with your people.

19 O earth, listen! Behold, I will bring a calamity upon this people, their deserved reward, that they will not heed my words, and will reject my law.

20 Why ask I for the incense that cometh out of the kingdom of Arabia, and for the good cinnamon bark that cometh from a far country? Your burnt offerings are not acceptable to me, and your sacrifices are not pleasing to me.

21 Therefore thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will set a stumblingblock before this people, and both fathers and children shall stumble together, and one neighbour shall perish with another.

22 Thus saith the LORD; Behold, a people shall come from the north, and a great nation shall rise up hard against our land,

23 Who bear bows and shields. They are cruel and without mercy; they roar like a raging sea; they ride on horses, armed like men of war, against you, O daughter of Zion.

24 When we shall hear of them, our fists shall fall out: we shall be afraid and sore as one that travaileth in childbirth.

25 Let no man go out into the field, neither let any man pass over the ground: for in every place there is no safety from the sword of the enemy.

26 O daughter of my people, wear sackcloth, and lay thee in ashes: mourn as for an only son, and lament as they that are highly afflicted: for the destroyer cometh upon us suddenly.

27 I have set thee to be a smelter among my people, which are so hard, that thou shalt know and try their nature.

28 They are all apostates, and walk deceitfully: they are vain corruptors of brass and iron.

29 The bellows are burned up, the lead disappeareth: the melting is vain, for the evil is not separated therefrom.

30 Wherefore they are called rejected silver: for the LORD hath rejected them.