1 “ Flee for safety, you children of Benjamin, out of the middle of Jerusalem, and blow the trumpet in Tekoa, and raise up a signal on Beth Haccherem; for evil looks out from the north, and a great destruction.

“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.

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

“The comely and dainty one, the daughter of Zion, I will cut off.

3 S hepherds with their flocks shall come to her; they shall pitch their tents against her all around; they shall feed everyone in his place.”

“ Shepherds and their flocks will come to her, They will pitch their tents around her, They will pasture each in his place.

4 “ Prepare war against her; arise, and let us go up at noon. Woe to us! For the day declines, for the shadows of the evening are stretched out.

“ 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!

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

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

6 F or Yahweh of Armies said, “Cut down trees, and cast up a mound against Jerusalem: this is the city to be visited; she is wholly oppression within her.

For 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.

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

“ 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.

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

“ Be warned, O Jerusalem, Or I shall be alienated from you, And make you a desolation, A land not inhabited.”

9 Y ahweh of Armies says, “They shall thoroughly glean the remnant of Israel like a vine. Turn again your hand as a grape gatherer into the baskets.”

Thus 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.”

10 T o whom shall I speak and testify, that they may hear? Behold, their ear is uncircumcised, and they can’t listen. Behold, Yahweh’s word has become a reproach to them. They have no delight in it.

To 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.

11 T herefore I am full of Yahweh’s wrath. I am weary with holding in. “Pour it out on the children in the street, and on the assembly of young men together; for even the husband with the wife shall be taken, the aged with him who is full of days.

But 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.

12 T heir houses shall be turned to others, their fields and their wives together; for I will stretch out my hand on the inhabitants of the land, says Yahweh.”

“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.

13 “ For from their least even to their greatest, everyone is given to covetousness; and from the prophet even to the priest, everyone deals falsely.

“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.

14 T hey have healed also the hurt of my people superficially, saying, ‘Peace, peace!’ when there is no peace.

“They have healed the brokenness of My people superficially, Saying, ‘Peace, peace,’ But 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 who fall; at the time that I visit them, they shall be cast down,” says Yahweh.

“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.

16 Y ahweh says, “Stand in the ways and see, and ask for the old paths, ‘Where is the good way?’ and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls. But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.’

Thus 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.’

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

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

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

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

19 H ear, earth! Behold, I will bring evil on this people, even the fruit of their thoughts, because they have not listened to my words; and as for my law, they have rejected it.

“ 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.

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

“ 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.”

21 T herefore Yahweh says, “Behold, I will lay stumbling blocks before this people. The fathers and the sons together shall stumble against them. The neighbor and his friend shall perish.”

Therefore, 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

22 Y ahweh says, “Behold, a people comes from the north country. A great nation shall be stirred up from the uttermost parts of the earth.

Thus 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.

23 T hey take hold of bow and spear. They are cruel, and have no mercy. Their voice roars like the sea, and they ride on horses, everyone set in array, as a man to the battle, against you, daughter of Zion.”

“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!”

24 W e have heard its report; our hands become feeble: anguish has taken hold of us, and pains as of a woman in labor.

We have heard the report of it; Our hands are limp. Anguish has seized us, Pain as of a woman in childbirth.

25 D on’t go out into the field, nor walk by the way; for the sword of the enemy and terror, are on every side.

Do not go out into the field And do not walk on the road, For the enemy has a sword, Terror is on every side.

26 D aughter of my people, clothe yourself with sackcloth, and wallow in ashes! Mourn, as for an only son, most bitter lamentation; for the destroyer shall suddenly come on us.

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.

27 “ I have made you a tester of metals and a fortress among my people; that you may know and try their way.

“I have made you an assayer and a tester among My people, That you may know and assay their way.”

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

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

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

30 M en will call them rejected silver, because Yahweh has rejected them.”

They call them rejected silver, Because the Lord has rejected them.