1 “ Flee for safety, O sons of Benjamin, From the midst of Jerusalem! Now blow a trumpet in Tekoa And raise a signal over Beth-haccerem; For evil looks down from 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 “ The comely and dainty one, the daughter of Zion, I will cut off.

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

3 “ Shepherds and their flocks will come to her, They will pitch their tents around her, They will pasture each 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 “ Prepare war against her; Arise, and let us attack at noon. Woe to us, for the day declines, For the shadows of the evening lengthen!

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 “ Arise, and let us attack by night And destroy her palaces!”

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

6 F or thus says the Lord of hosts, “ Cut down her trees And cast up a siege against Jerusalem. This is the city to be punished, In whose midst there is only oppression.

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 “ As a well keeps its waters fresh, So she keeps fresh her wickedness. Violence and destruction are heard in her; Sickness and wounds are ever before Me.

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 “ Be warned, O Jerusalem, Or I shall be alienated from you, And make you 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 says the Lord of hosts, “They will thoroughly glean as the vine the remnant of Israel; Pass your hand again like a grape gatherer Over the branches.”

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 closed And they cannot listen. Behold, the word of the Lord has become a reproach to them; 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 B ut I am full of the wrath of the Lord; I am weary with holding it in. “ Pour it out on the children in the street And on the gathering of young men together; For both husband and wife shall be taken, The aged and the very old.

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 “ Their houses shall be turned over to others, Their fields and their wives together; For I will stretch out My hand Against the inhabitants of the land,” declares 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 “ For from the least of them even to the greatest of them, Everyone is greedy for gain, And from the prophet even to the priest Everyone 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 “ They have healed the brokenness of My people superficially, Saying, ‘Peace, peace,’ But there is no peace.

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

15 “ Were they ashamed because of the abomination they have done? They were not even ashamed at all; They did not even know how to blush. Therefore they shall fall among those who fall; At the time that I punish them, They shall be cast down,” says 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 says the Lord, “Stand by the ways and see and ask for the ancient 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.’

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

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

18 “ Therefore hear, O nations, And know, O congregation, what is among them.

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

19 “ Hear, O earth: behold, I am bringing disaster on this people, The fruit of their plans, Because they have not listened to My words, And as for My law, they have rejected it also.

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 “ For what purpose does frankincense come to Me from Sheba And the sweet cane from a distant land? Your burnt offerings are not acceptable And your sacrifices are not pleasing to 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 says the Lord, “Behold, I am laying stumbling blocks before this people. And they will stumble against them, Fathers and sons together; Neighbor and friend will perish.” The Enemy from the North

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 says the Lord, “Behold, a people is coming from the north land, And a great nation will be aroused from the remote 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 “ They seize bow and spear; They are cruel and have no mercy; Their voice roars like the sea, And they ride on horses, Arrayed as a man for the battle Against you, 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 report of it; Our hands are limp. Anguish has seized us, Pain as of a woman in childbirth.

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 out into the field And do not walk on the road, For the enemy has a sword, 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 O daughter of my people, put on sackcloth And roll in ashes; Mourn as for an only son, A lamentation most bitter. For suddenly the destroyer Will 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 made you an assayer and a tester among My people, That you may know and assay their way.”

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

28 A ll of them are stubbornly rebellious, Going about as a talebearer. They are bronze and iron; They, all of them, are corrupt.

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 blow fiercely, The lead is consumed by the fire; In vain the refining goes on, But the wicked are not separated.

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 T hey call them rejected silver, Because the Lord has rejected them.

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