Jeremiah 6

1 “Strengthen yourselves, sons of Benjamin, From the midst of Jerusalem, And blow a horn in Tekoa, And lift up a flame over Beth-Haccerem, For evil has been seen from the north, And great destruction.

“Flee for safety, you children of Benjamin, out of the middle of Jerusalem! Blow the trumpet in Tekoa and raise up a signal on Beth Haccherem, for evil looks out from the north with a great destruction.

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

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

3 Shepherds and their droves come to her, They have struck tents by her all around, They have each fed [in] his own station.”

Shepherds with their flocks will come to her. They will pitch their tents against her all around. They will feed everyone in his place.”

4 “Sanctify the battle against her, Rise, and we go up at noon. Woe to us, for the day has turned, For the shades of evening are stretched out,

“Prepare war against her! Arise! Let’s 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! Let’s go up by night, and let’s destroy her palaces.”

6 For thus said YHWH of Hosts: “Cut down her wood, And pour out a mound against Jerusalem, She [is] the city to be inspected, She [is] full of oppression in her midst.

For Yahweh of Armies said, “Cut down trees, and cast up a mound against Jerusalem. This is the city to be visited. She is filled with oppression within herself.

7 As the digging of a well, is [for] its waters, So she has dug [for] her wickedness, Violence and spoil is heard in her, Sickness and striking [are] continually before My face.

As a well produces its waters, so she produces her wickedness. Violence and destruction is heard in her. Sickness and wounds are continually before me.

8 Be instructed, O Jerusalem, Lest My soul be alienated from you, Lest I make you a desolation, A land [that is] not inhabited.”

Be instructed, Jerusalem, lest my soul be alienated from you, lest I make you a desolation, an uninhabited land.”

9 Thus said YHWH of Hosts: “They surely glean, as a vine, the remnant of Israel, Put your hand back, as a gatherer to the baskets.”

Yahweh of Armies says, “They will thoroughly glean the remnant of Israel like a vine. Turn again your hand as a grape gatherer into the baskets.”

10 To whom do I speak, and testify, and they hear? Behold, their ear [is] uncircumcised, And they are not able to attend. Behold, a word of YHWH has been to them for a reproach, They do not delight in it.

To whom should I speak and testify, that they may hear? Behold, their ear is uncircumcised, and they can’t listen. Behold, Yahweh’s word has become a reproach to them. They have no delight in it.

11 And I have been filled with the fury of YHWH (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, [The] elderly with one full of days,

Therefore I am full of Yahweh’s wrath. I am weary with holding it 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 will 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,” A declaration of YHWH.

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

13 “For from their least to their greatest, Everyone is gaining dishonest gain, And from prophet even to priest, Everyone is dealing falsely,

“For from their least even to their greatest, everyone is given to covetousness. 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! Indeed, they are not at all ashamed, Indeed, they have not known blushing, Therefore they fall among those falling, In the time I have inspected them, They stumble,” said YHWH.

Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? No, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush. Therefore they will fall among those who fall. When I visit them, they will be cast down,” says Yahweh.

16 Thus said YHWH: “Stand by the ways and see, and ask for paths of old, Where [is] this—the good way? And go in it, And find rest for yourselves. And they say, We do not go.

Yahweh says, “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 watchmen for you, Attend to the voice of the horn. 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 congregation, That which [is] on them.

Therefore hear, you nations, and know, congregation, what is among them.

19 Hear, O earth, behold, I am bringing evil on this people, The fruit of their plans, For they gave no attention to My words, And My law—they kick against it.

Hear, earth! Behold, I will bring evil 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 comes from Sheba, And the sweet cane from a far-off land, Your burnt-offerings [are] not for acceptance, And your sacrifices have not been sweet to Me.”

To what purpose does frankincense from Sheba come to me, and the sweet cane from a far country? Your burnt offerings are not acceptable, and your sacrifices are not pleasing to me.”

21 Therefore, thus said YHWH: “Behold, I give stumbling blocks to this people, And fathers and sons have stumbled against them together, The neighbor and his friend perish.”

Therefore Yahweh says, “Behold, I will lay stumbling blocks before this people. The fathers and the sons together will stumble against them. The neighbor and his friend will perish.”

22 Thus said YHWH: “Behold, a people has come from a north country, And a great nation is stirred up from the sides of the earth.

Yahweh says, “Behold, a people comes from the north country. A great nation will be stirred up from the uttermost parts of the earth.

23 They take hold of bow and javelin, It [is] fierce, and they have no mercy, Their voice sounds as a sea, And they ride on horses, Set in array as a man of war, Against you, 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, our hands have been feeble, Distress has 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 Do not go forth to the field, And do not walk in the way, For the enemy has a sword, Fear [is] all around.

Don’t go out into the field or 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 yourself in ashes, Make mourning [as for] an only one, A most bitter lamentation, For the spoiler suddenly comes 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 will suddenly come on us.

27 “I have given you a watchtower, A fortress among My people, And you know, and have 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—bronze and iron, All of them are corrupters.

They are all grievous rebels, going around to slander. They are bronze and iron. All of them deal corruptly.

29 The bellows have been burned, The lead has been consumed by fire, A refiner has refined in vain, And the wicked have not been drawn away.

The bellows blow fiercely. The lead is consumed in the fire. In vain they go on refining, for the wicked are not plucked away.

30 They have called them rejected silver, For YHWH has kicked against them!”

Men will call them rejected silver, because Yahweh has rejected them.”