1 F lee for safety, ye children of Benjamin, out of the midst of Jerusalem, and blow the trumpet in Tekoa, and raise up a signal on Beth-haccherem; for evil looketh forth from the north, and a great destruction.

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

2 T he comely and delicate one, the daughter of Zion, will I cut off.

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

3 S hepherds with their flocks shall come unto her; they shall pitch their tents against her round about; they shall feed every one in his place.

Unto her come do shepherds and their droves, They have stricken tents by her round about, They have fed each his own station.

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

Sanctify ye against her the battle, Rise, and we go up at noon. Wo to us, for turned hath the day, For stretched out are the shades of evening,

5 A rise, and let us go up by night, and let us destroy her palaces.

`Rise, and we go up by night, And we destroy her palaces.'

6 F or thus hath Jehovah of hosts said, Hew ye down trees, and cast up a mound against Jerusalem: this is the city to be visited; she is wholly oppression in the midst of her.

For thus said Jehovah of Hosts: Cut down her wood, And pour out against Jerusalem a mount, She the city to be inspected, Wholly -- she is oppression in her midst.

7 A s a well casteth forth its waters, so she casteth forth her wickedness: violence and destruction is heard in her; before me continually is sickness and wounds.

As the digging of a well, is its waters, So she hath digged her wickedness, Violence and spoil is heard in her, Before My face continually sickness and smiting.

8 B e thou instructed, O Jerusalem, lest my soul be alienated from thee; lest I make thee a desolation, a land not inhabited.

Be instructed, O Jerusalem, Lest My soul be alienated from thee, Lest I make thee a desolation, a land not inhabited.

9 T hus saith Jehovah of hosts, They shall thoroughly glean the remnant of Israel as a vine: turn again thy hand as a grape-gatherer into the baskets.

Thus said Jehovah of Hosts: They surely glean, as a vine, the remnant of Israel, Put back thy hand, as a gatherer to the baskets.

10 T o whom shall I speak and testify, that they may hear? behold, their ear is uncircumcised, and they cannot hearken: behold, the word of Jehovah is become unto them a reproach; they have no delight in it.

To whom do I speak, and testify, and they hear? Lo, their ear uncircumcised, And they are not able to attend. Lo, a word of Jehovah hath been to them for a reproach, They delight not in it.

11 T herefore I am full of the wrath of Jehovah; I am weary with holding in: pour it out upon the children in the street, 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.

And with the fury of Jehovah I have been filled, (I have been weary of containing,) To pour on the suckling in the street, And on the assembly of youths together, For even husband with wife are captured, An elder with one full of days,

12 A nd their houses shall be turned unto others, their fields and their wives together; for I will stretch out my hand upon the inhabitants of the land, saith Jehovah.

And their houses have been turned to others, Fields and wives together, For I stretch out My hand against the inhabitants of the land, An affirmation of Jehovah.

13 F or 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.

For from their least unto their greatest, Every one is gaining dishonest gain, And from prophet even unto priest, Every one is dealing falsely,

14 T hey have healed also the hurt of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace.

And they heal the breach of the daughter of my people slightly, Saying, `Peace, peace!' and there is no peace.

15 W ere 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 Jehovah.

They were ashamed when they did abomination! Yea, they are not at all ashamed, Yea, blushing they have not known, Therefore they do fall among those falling, In the time I have inspected them, They stumble, said Jehovah.

16 T hus saith Jehovah, 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.

Thus said Jehovah: Stand ye by the ways and see, and ask for paths of old, Where this -- the good way? and go ye in it, And find rest for yourselves. And they say, `We do not go.'

17 A nd I set watchmen over you, saying, Hearken to the sound of the trumpet; but they said, We will not hearken.

And I have raised up for you watchmen, Attend ye to the voice of the trumpet. And they say, `We do not attend.'

18 T herefore hear, ye nations, and know, O congregation, what is among them.

Therefore hear, O nations, and know, O company, That which upon them.

19 H ear, O earth: behold, I will bring evil upon this people, even the fruit of their thoughts, because they have not hearkened unto my words; and as for my law, they have rejected it.

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

20 T o what purpose cometh there to me frankincense from Sheba, and the sweet cane from a far country? your burnt-offerings are not acceptable, nor your sacrifices pleasing unto me.

Why this to Me? frankincense from Sheba cometh, And the sweet cane from a land afar off, Your burnt-offerings not for acceptance, And your sacrifices have not been sweet to Me.

21 T herefore thus saith Jehovah, Behold, I will lay stumbling-blocks before this people; and the fathers and the sons together shall stumble against them; the neighbor and his friend shall perish.

Therefore thus said Jehovah: Lo, I do give to this people stumbling blocks, And stumbled against them have fathers and sons together, The neighbour and his friend do perish.

22 T hus saith Jehovah, Behold, a people cometh from the north country; and a great nation shall be stirred up from the uttermost parts of the earth.

Thus said Jehovah: Lo, a people hath come from a north country, And a great nation is stirred up from the sides of the earth.

23 T hey lay hold on bow and spear; they are cruel, and have no mercy; their voice roareth like the sea, and they ride upon horses, every one set in array, as a man to the battle, against thee, O daughter of Zion.

Bow and javelin they take hold of, Fierce it, and they have no mercy, Their voice as a sea doth sound, And on horses they ride, set in array as a man of war, Against thee, O daughter of Zion.

24 W e have heard the report thereof; our hands wax feeble: anguish hath taken hold of us, and pangs as of a woman in travail.

`We have heard its sound, feeble have been our hands, Distress hath seized us, pain as of a travailing woman.

25 G o not forth into the field, nor walk by the way; for the sword of the enemy, and terror, are on every side.

Go not forth to the field, And in the way walk not, For a sword hath the enemy, fear round about.

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 destroyer shall suddenly come upon us.

O daughter of My people, Gird on sackcloth, and roll thyself in ashes, The mourning of an only one make for thee, A lamentation most bitter, For suddenly come doth the spoiler against us.

27 I have made thee a trier and a fortress among my people; that thou mayest know and try their way.

A watch-tower I have given thee, Among My people a fortress, And thou knowest, and hast tried their way.

28 T hey are all grievous revolters, going about with slanders; they are brass and iron: they all of them deal corruptly.

All of them are turned aside by apostates, Walking slanderously -- brass and iron, All of them are corrupters.

29 T he bellows blow fiercely; the lead is consumed of the fire: in vain do they go on refining; for the wicked are not plucked away.

The bellows have been burnt, By fire hath the lead been consumed, In vain hath a refiner refined, And the wicked have not been drawn away.

30 R efuse silver shall men them, because Jehovah hath rejected them.

`Silver rejected,' they have called to them, For Jehovah hath kicked against them!