Jeremiah 6

1 O ye children of Beniamin, prepare to flee out of the middes of Ierusalem, and blowe the trumpet in Tekoa: set vp a standart vpon Beth-haccerem: for a plague appeareth out of the North and great destruction.

Go in flight out of Jerusalem, so that you may be safe, you children of Benjamin, and let the horn be sounded in Tekoa, and the flag be lifted up on Beth-haccherem: for evil is looking out from the north, and a great destruction.

2 I haue compared the daughter of Zion to a beautifull and daintie woman.

The fair and delicate one, the daughter of Zion, will be cut off by my hand.

3 The pastors with their flockes shall come vnto her: they shall pitche their tentes rounde about by her, and euery one shall feede in his place.

Keepers of sheep with their flocks will come to her; they will put up their tents round her; everyone will get food in his place.

4 Prepare warre against her: arise, and let vs goe vp toward the South: wo vnto vs: for the day declineth, and the shadowes of the euening are stretched out.

Make war ready against her; up! let us go up when the sun is high. Sorrow is ours! for the day is turned and the shades of evening are stretched out.

5 Arise, and let vs goe vp by night, and destroy her palaces.

Up! let us go up by night, and send destruction on her great houses.

6 For thus hath the Lord of hostes said, Hewe downe wood, and cast a mounte against Ierusalem: this citie must be visited: all oppression is in the middes of it.

For this is what the Lord of armies has said: Let trees be cut down and an earthwork be placed against Jerusalem: sorrow on the false town! inside her there is nothing but cruel ways.

7 As the fountaine casteth out her waters, so she casteth out her malice: crueltie and spoyle is continually heard in her before me with sorowe and strokes.

As the spring keeps its waters cold, so she keeps her evil in her: the sound of cruel and violent behaviour is in her; before me at all times are disease and wounds.

8 Be thou instructed, O Ierusalem, lest my soule depart from thee, lest I make thee desolate as a land, that none inhabiteth.

Undergo teaching, O Jerusalem, or my soul will be turned away from you, and I will make you a waste, an unpeopled land.

9 Thus sayeth the Lord of hostes, They shall gather as a vine, the residue of Israel: turne backe thine hande as the grape gatherer into the baskets.

This is what the Lord of armies has said: Everything will be taken from the rest of Israel as the last grapes are taken from the vine; let your hand be turned to the small branches, like one pulling off grapes.

10 Vnto whome shall I speake, and admonish that they may heare? beholde, their eares are vncircumcised, and they cannot hearken: beholde, the worde of the Lord is vnto them as a reproche: they haue no delite in it.

To whom am I to give word, witnessing so that they may take note? see, their ears are stopped, and they are not able to give attention: see, the word of the Lord has been a cause of shame to them, they have no delight in it.

11 Therefore I am full of the wrath of the Lord: I am weary with holding it: I will powre it out vpon the children in the streete, and likewise vpon the assembly of the yong men: for the husband shall euen be taken with the wife, and the aged with him that is full of daies.

For this reason I am full of the wrath of the Lord, I am tired of keeping it in: may it be let loose on the children in the street, and on the band of the young men together: for even the husband with his wife will be taken, the old man with him who is full of days.

12 And their houses with their landes, and wiues also shalbe turned vnto strangers: for I will stretch out mine hande vpon the inhabitants of the land, sayeth the Lord.

And their houses will be handed over to others, their fields and their wives together: for my hand will be stretched out against the people of the land, says the Lord.

13 For from the least of them, euen vnto the greatest of them, euery one is giuen vnto couetousnesse, and from the Prophet euen vnto the Priest, they all deale falsely.

For from the least of them even to the greatest, everyone is given up to getting money; from the prophet even to the priest, everyone is working deceit.

14 They haue healed also ye hurt of the daughter of my people with sweete woordes, saying, Peace, peace, when there is no peace.

And they have made little of the wounds of my people, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace.

15 Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? nay, they were not ashamed, no neither coulde they haue any shame: therefore they shall fall among the slaine: when I shall visite them, they shall be cast downe, sayth the Lord.

Let them be put to shame because they have done disgusting things. They had no shame, they were not able to become red with shame: so they will come down with those who are falling: when my punishment comes on them, they will be made low, says the Lord.

16 Thus sayeth the Lord, Stande in the waies and beholde, and aske for the olde way, which is the good way and walke therein, and yee shall finde rest for your soules: but they saide, We will not walke therein.

This is what the Lord has said: Take your place looking out on the ways; make search for the old roads, saying, Where is the good way? and go in it that you may have rest for your souls. But they said, We will not go in it.

17 Also I set watchmen ouer you, which said, Take heede to the sound of the trumpet: but they said, We will not take heede.

And I put watchmen over you, saying, Give attention to the sound of the horn; but they said, We will not give attention.

18 Heare therefore, yee Gentiles, and thou Congregation knowe, what is among them.

So then, give ear, you nations, and ...

19 Heare, O earth, beholde, I will cause a plague to come vpon this people, euen the fruite of their owne imaginations: because they haue not taken heede vnto my woordes, nor to my Lawe, but cast it off.

Give ear, O earth: see, I will make evil come on this people, even the fruit of their thoughts, because they have not given attention to my words, and they would have nothing to do with my law.

20 To what purpose bringest thou mee incense from Sheba, and sweete calamus from a farre countrey? Your burnt offerings are not pleasant, nor your sacrifices sweete vnto me.

To what purpose does sweet perfume come to me from Sheba, and spices from a far country? your burned offerings give me no pleasure, your offerings of beasts are not pleasing to me.

21 Therefore thus sayeth the Lord, Beholde, I will laie stumbling blockes before this people, and the fathers and the sonnes together shall fall vpon them: the neighbour and his friende shall perish.

For this reason the Lord has said, See, I will put stones in the way of this people: and the fathers and the sons together will go falling over them; the neighbour and his friend will come to destruction.

22 Thus sayeth the Lord, Beholde, a people commeth from the North countrey, and a great nation shall arise from the sides of the earth.

The Lord has said, See, a people is coming from the north country, a great nation will be put in motion from the inmost parts of the earth.

23 With bowe and shield shall they be weaponed: they are cruell and will haue no compassion: their voyce roareth like the sea, and they ride vpon horses, well appointed, like men of warre against thee, O daughter Zion.

Bows and spears are in their hands; they are cruel and have no mercy; their voice is like the thunder of the sea, and they go on horses; everyone in his place like men going to the fight, against you, O daughter of Zion.

24 We haue heard their fame, and our handes waxe feeble sorrowe is come vpon vs, as the sorrowe of a woman in trauaile.

The news of it has come to our ears; our hands have become feeble: trouble has come on us and pain, like the pain of a woman in childbirth.

25 Goe not foorth into the fielde, nor walke by the way: for the sword of the enemie and feare is on euery side.

Go not out into the field or by the way; for there is the sword of the attacker, and fear on every side.

26 O daughter of my people, girde thee with sackecloth, and wallowe thy selfe in the ashes: make lamentation, and bitter mourning as for thine onely sonne: for the destroier shall suddenly come vpon vs.

O daughter of my people, put on haircloth, rolling yourself in the dust: give yourself to sorrow, as for an only son, with most bitter cries of grief; for he who makes waste will come on us suddenly.

27 I haue set thee for a defence and fortresse among my people, that thou maiest knowe and trie their waies.

I have made you a tester among my people, so that you may have knowledge of their way and put it to the test.

28 They are all rebellious traitours, walking craftily: they are brasse, and yron, they all are destroyers.

All of them are turned away, going about with false stories; they are brass and iron: they are all workers of deceit.

29 The bellowes are burnt: the lead is consumed in the fire: the founder melteth in vaine: for the wicked are not taken away.

The blower is blowing strongly, the lead is burned away in the fire: they go on heating the metal to no purpose, for the evil-doers are not taken away.

30 They shall call them reprobate siluer, because the Lord hath reiected them.

They will be named waste silver, because the Lord has given them up.