1 F lee for safety, ye children of Benjamin, out of the midst of Jerusalem, and blow the trumpet in Tekoa, and set up a signal in Beth-haccerem; for evil appeareth out of the north, and a great destruction.

“Run away to be safe, O sons of Benjamin! Run from Jerusalem! Blow the horn in Tekoa, and light a fire in Beth-haccerem. For a sinful power is coming down from the north, that will destroy much.

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

I will cut off the beautiful and fine ones, the people of Zion.

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

Shepherds and their flocks will come to her. They will set up their tents around her and feed their flocks there, each in his place.

4 P repare war against her. Arise, and let us go up at noon. Woe unto us! for the day hath declined, for the shadows of the evening are lengthening.

Make war against her. Rise up, let us go and fight her at noon. It is bad for us, for the day is passing! The shadows of the evening are longer!

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

Rise up, let us go and fight in the night and destroy her strong houses!”

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

For the Lord of All says, “Cut down her trees, and build a battle-wall against Jerusalem. This is the city to be punished. There is nothing but a sinful power that makes hard times for others within her.

7 A s a well poureth forth her waters, so she poureth forth her wickedness: violence and destruction are heard in her; before me continually are grief and wounds.

As a well keeps its water good for drinking, so Jerusalem keeps going on in her sin. The sounds of those who fight and those who destroy are heard in her. Sickness and sorrow are always before Me.

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

Listen about the danger, O Jerusalem, or I will become a stranger to you. I will make you a waste, a land with no people.” Israel Will Not Listen

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

The Lord of All says, “They will gather all the people of Israel who are left like gathering from the vine. Pass your hand over the branches again like one who gathers grapes.”

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 unto them a reproach; they have no delight in it.

Whom should I tell of the danger, that they may hear? See, their ears are closed and they cannot listen. They have become ashamed of the Word of the Lord. They have no joy in it.

11 A nd I am full of the fury 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 full of days.

But I am full of the anger of the Lord. I am tired of holding it in. “Pour it out on the children in the street, and on the young men gathered together. For both husband and wife will be taken, the old and those who have lived a very long time.

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

Their houses, their fields and their wives will be given to others. I will put out My hand against the people of the land,” says the Lord.

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 the least to the greatest of them, every one is always wanting something. And from the man of God to the religious leader, every one lies to get what he wants.

14 A nd they have healed the breach of the daughter of my people lightly, saying, Peace, peace! when there is no peace.

They have healed the hurt of My people only a little, saying, ‘Peace, peace,’ when there is no peace.

15 A re they ashamed that they have committed abomination? Nay, they are not at all ashamed, neither know they what it is to blush. Therefore they shall fall among them that fall; at the time that I visit them they shall stumble, saith Jehovah.

Were they ashamed because of the sinful things they had done? No, they were not ashamed at all. They did not even know how to turn red. So they will fall among those who fall. When I punish them, they will be brought down,” says the Lord. Israel Will Not Go God’s Way

16 T hus saith Jehovah: Stand in the ways and see, and ask for the ancient paths, which is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk.

The Lord says, “Stand by where the roads cross, and look. Ask for the old paths, where the good way is, and walk in it. And you will find rest for your souls. But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.’

17 A lso I have set watchmen over you:—Hearken ye to the sound of the trumpet. But they said, We will not hearken.

I set watchmen over you, saying, ‘Listen to the sound of the horn!’ But they said, ‘We will not listen.’

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

So hear, O nations, and know, O people, what will happen to them.

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

Hear, O earth. See, I am bringing much trouble upon these people. It is the fruit of their plans, because they have not listened to My words. And they have turned away from My law.

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

Why does special perfume come to Me from Sheba, or sweet spices from a far away land? I will not receive your burnt gifts on the altar in worship. The gifts you give on the altar are not pleasing 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 fall over them; the neighbour and his friend shall perish.

So the Lord says, “See, I am laying things in front of these people, and they will fall over them. Fathers and sons will fall together, and neighbor and friend will die.” Armies from the North

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

The Lord says, “See, a people is coming from the north country. A great nation is being raised up from the farthest parts 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, set in array as a man for the battle, against thee, daughter of Zion.

They take hold of bow and spear. They are hard on people and have no pity. Their voice sounds like the sea. They ride on horses, dressed as a man for battle against you, O people of Zion!”

24 W e have heard the report thereof: our hands are grown feeble; anguish hath taken hold of us, pain as of a woman that travaileth.

We have heard about it. Our hands fall weak. Suffering has taken hold of us, like the pain of a woman giving birth.

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

Do not go out into the field, and do not walk on the road. For the one who hates us has a sword. Fear is all around us.

26 D aughter of my people, gird thee with sackcloth, and roll thyself in ashes: make mourning, for an only son—bitter lamentation; for the spoiler cometh suddenly upon us.

O daughter of my people, dress in cloth made from hair and roll in ashes. Have sorrow as if you lost your only son. Cry with a bitter cry. For all at once the destroyer will come upon us.

27 I have set thee among my people as an assayer, a fortress, that thou mayest know and try their way.

“I have asked you to test My people, that you may know and test their ways.”

28 T hey are all the most rebellious of rebels, going about with slander: they are bronze and iron; they are all corrupters.

All of them are strongwilled in turning to their own way, going about telling stories to hurt people. They are brass and iron. All of them are sinful.

29 T he bellows are burned, the lead is consumed by the fire; they have melted, and melted in vain; and the bad are not plucked away.

Air is blown hard on the fire to burn up the lead. It is of no use because the sinful ones are not taken away.

30 R eprobate silver shall they call them, for Jehovah hath rejected them.

They are called waste silver, because the Lord has turned away from them.