1 ¶ O ye sons of Benjamin, gather yourselves to flee out of the midst of Jerusalem and blow the shofar in Tekoa and set up as a sign smoke in Bethhaccerem; for evil appears out of the north wind and 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 I shall liken the daughter of Zion to a comely and delicate woman.

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

3 T he shepherds with their flocks shall come unto her; they shall pitch their tents against her round about; they shall feed each one his portion.

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 ye war against her; arise, and let us go up towards the south. Woe unto us! for the day goes away, for the shadows of the evening are stretched out.

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 the LORD of the hosts said, Hew ye down trees and cast a mount against Jerusalem; this is the city that all of her is to be visited; there is violence 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 the waters never cease to flow from a fountain, so her wickedness never ceases to flow; injustice and robbery is heard in her; in my presence continually, sickness 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 C hastise Jerusalem lest peradventure my soul be disjointed from thee, lest peradventure I make thee desolate, 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 ¶ Thus hath the LORD of the hosts said, They shall thoroughly glean the remnant of Israel as a vine; turn back thine hand as a grapegatherer into 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 give warning that they may hear? behold, their ears are uncircumcised, and they cannot hearken, behold, the word of the LORD 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 T herefore I am full of the fury of the LORD; I have worked hard to hold myself in from pouring it out upon the children in the street, and upon the assembly of young men together; for the husband with the wife shall also be taken, the aged with him that is 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, with their fields and wives together; for I will stretch out my hand upon the inhabitants of the land, saith the LORD.

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 each one is given to greed; and from the prophet even unto the priest every one deals 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 T hey treat also the destruction 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 W ere they ashamed when they had committed abomination? no, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush; therefore, they shall fall among those that shall fall: at the time that I visit them they shall fall, saith the LORD.

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 hath the LORD said, Stand ye in the ways and see and ask for the old paths, where the good way is and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein.

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 set watchmen over you, saying, Hearken to the sound of the shofar. 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 ¶ Therefore hear, ye Gentiles, and know, O congregation of Gentiles.

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, even the fruit of their thoughts because they have not hearkened unto my words, and they hated my law.

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 does this incense come to me from Sheba and the sweet cane from a far country? Your burnt offerings are not according to my will, nor are your sacrifices sweet 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 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.

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 hath the LORD said, Behold, a people come from the land of the north wind, and a great nation shall be raised from the sides 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 shall lay hold on bow and spear; they are cruel, and they shall have no mercy; their voice shall roar like the sea; and they shall ride upon horses set in array as men for war against thee, O 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 fame thereof; our hands wax feeble; anguish has taken hold of us, and pain as of a woman in travail.

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

25 D o not go forth into the field, nor walk by the way; for the sword of the enemy and fear 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 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, 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 for a tower and a fortress among my people; thou shalt know and examine their way.

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

28 T hey are all rebellious princes; they walk with deception: they are brass 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 of the fire; the founder melts in vain; for the wicked 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 men call them because the LORD has rejected them.

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