1 “ O you children of Benjamin, Gather yourselves to flee from the midst of Jerusalem! Blow the trumpet in Tekoa, And set up a signal-fire in Beth Haccerem; For disaster appears out of the north, And great destruction.

Flee 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.

2 I have likened the daughter of Zion To a lovely and delicate woman.

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

3 T he shepherds with their flocks shall come to her. They shall pitch their tents against her all around. Each one shall pasture in his own place.”

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

4 “ Prepare war against her; Arise, and let us go up at noon. Woe to us, for the day goes away, For the shadows of the evening are lengthening.

Prepare 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.

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

Arise, and let us go up by night, and let us destroy her palaces.

6 F or thus has the Lord of hosts said: “Cut down trees, And build a mound against Jerusalem. This is the city to be punished. She is full of oppression in her midst.

For 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.

7 A s a fountain wells up with water, So she wells up with her wickedness. Violence and plundering are heard in her. Before Me continually are grief and wounds.

As 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.

8 B e instructed, O Jerusalem, Lest My soul depart from you; Lest I make you desolate, A land not inhabited.”

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

9 T hus says the Lord of hosts: “They shall thoroughly glean as a vine the remnant of Israel; As a grape-gatherer, put your hand back into the branches.”

Thus 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.

10 T o whom shall I speak and give warning, That they may hear? Indeed their ear is uncircumcised, And they cannot give heed. Behold, the word of the Lord is a reproach to them; They have no delight in it.

To 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.

11 T herefore I am full of the fury of the Lord. I am weary of holding it in. “I will pour it out on the children outside, And on the assembly of young men together; For even the husband shall be taken with the wife, The aged with him who is full of days.

And 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.

12 A nd their houses shall be turned over to others, Fields and wives together; For I will stretch out My hand Against the inhabitants of the land,” says the Lord.

And 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.

13 “ Because from the least of them even to the greatest of them, Everyone is given to covetousness; And from the prophet even to the priest, Everyone deals falsely.

For 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.

14 T hey have also healed the hurt of My people slightly, Saying, ‘Peace, peace!’ When there is no peace.

And they have healed the breach of the daughter of my people lightly, 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; Nor did they know how to blush. Therefore they shall fall among those who fall; At the time I punish them, They shall be cast down,” says the Lord.

Are 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.

16 T hus says the Lord: “Stand in the ways and see, And ask for the old paths, where the good way is, And walk in it; Then you will find rest for your souls. But they said, ‘We will not walk in it. ’

Thus 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.

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

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

18 T herefore hear, you nations, And know, O congregation, what is among them.

Therefore hear, ye nations, and know, O assembly, what is among them.

19 H ear, O earth! Behold, I will certainly bring calamity on this people— The fruit of their thoughts, Because they have not heeded My words Nor My law, but rejected it.

Hear, 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.

20 F or what purpose to Me Comes frankincense from Sheba, And sweet cane from a far country? Your burnt offerings are not acceptable, Nor your sacrifices sweet to Me.”

To 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.

21 T herefore thus says the Lord: “Behold, I will lay stumbling blocks before this people, And the fathers and the sons together shall fall on them. The neighbor and his friend shall perish.”

Therefore 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.

22 T hus says the Lord: “Behold, a people comes from the north country, And a great nation will be raised from the farthest parts of the earth.

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

23 T hey will lay hold on bow and spear; They are cruel and have no mercy; Their voice roars like the sea; And they ride on horses, As men of war set in array against you, O daughter of Zion.”

They 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.

24 W e have heard the report of it; Our hands grow feeble. Anguish has taken hold of us, Pain as of a woman in labor.

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

25 D o not go out into the field, Nor walk by the way. Because of the sword of the enemy, Fear is on every side.

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

26 O daughter of my people, Dress in sackcloth And roll about in ashes! Make mourning as for an only son, most bitter lamentation; For the plunderer will suddenly come upon us.

Daughter 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.

27 “ I have set you as an assayer and a fortress among My people, That you may know and test their way.

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

28 T hey are all stubborn rebels, walking as slanderers. They are bronze and iron, They are all corrupters;

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

29 T he bellows blow fiercely, The lead is consumed by the fire; The smelter refines in vain, For the wicked are not drawn off.

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

30 P eople will call them rejected silver, Because the Lord has rejected them.”

Reprobate silver shall they call them, for Jehovah hath rejected them.