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.

Strengthen yourselves, sons of Benjamin, From the midst of Jerusalem, And in Tekoa blow ye a trumpet, And over Beth-Haccerem lift ye up a flame, For evil hath been seen from the north, And great destruction.

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

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

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.”

Unto her come do shepherds and their droves, They have stricken tents by her round about, They have fed each his own station.

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.

Sanctify ye against her the battle, Rise, and we go up at noon. Wo to us, for turned hath the day, For stretched out are the shades of evening,

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

`Rise, and we go up by night, And we 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 said Jehovah of Hosts: Cut down her wood, And pour out against Jerusalem a mount, She the city to be inspected, Wholly -- she is oppression in her midst.

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 the digging of a well, is its waters, So she hath digged her wickedness, Violence and spoil is heard in her, Before My face continually sickness and smiting.

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

Be instructed, O Jerusalem, Lest My soul be alienated from thee, Lest I make thee 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 said Jehovah of Hosts: They surely glean, as a vine, the remnant of Israel, Put back thy hand, as a gatherer to the baskets.

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 do I speak, and testify, and they hear? Lo, their ear uncircumcised, And they are not able to attend. Lo, a word of Jehovah hath been to them for a reproach, They delight not 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.

And with the fury of Jehovah I have been filled, (I have been weary of containing,) To pour on the suckling in the street, And on the assembly of youths together, For even husband with wife are captured, An elder with one full of days,

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.”

And their houses have been turned to others, Fields and wives together, For I stretch out My hand against the inhabitants of the land, An affirmation of Jehovah.

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 their least unto their greatest, Every one is gaining dishonest gain, And from prophet even unto priest, Every one is dealing falsely,

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

And they heal the breach of the daughter of my people slightly, Saying, `Peace, peace!' and 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.

They were ashamed when they did abomination! Yea, they are not at all ashamed, Yea, blushing they have not known, Therefore they do fall among those falling, In the time I have inspected them, They stumble, said Jehovah.

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 said Jehovah: Stand ye by the ways and see, and ask for paths of old, Where this -- the good way? and go ye in it, And find rest for yourselves. And they say, `We do not go.'

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

And I have raised up for you watchmen, Attend ye to the voice of the trumpet. And they say, `We do not attend.'

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

Therefore hear, O nations, and know, O company, That which upon 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, lo, I am bringing evil on this people, The fruit of their devices, For to My words they gave no attention, And My law -- they kick against it.

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.”

Why this to Me? frankincense from Sheba cometh, And the sweet cane from a land afar off, Your burnt-offerings not for acceptance, And your sacrifices have not been sweet 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 said Jehovah: Lo, I do give to this people stumbling blocks, And stumbled against them have fathers and sons together, The neighbour and his friend do perish.

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 said Jehovah: Lo, a people hath come from a north country, And a great nation is stirred up from the sides 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.”

Bow and javelin they take hold of, Fierce it, and they have no mercy, Their voice as a sea doth sound, And on horses they ride, set in array as a man of war, Against thee, 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 its sound, feeble have been our hands, Distress hath seized us, pain as of a travailing woman.

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.

Go not forth to the field, And in the way walk not, For a sword hath the enemy, fear round about.

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, Gird on sackcloth, and roll thyself in ashes, The mourning of an only one make for thee, A lamentation most bitter, For suddenly come doth the spoiler against us.

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

A watch-tower I have given thee, Among My people a fortress, And thou knowest, and hast tried 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 turned aside by apostates, Walking slanderously -- brass and iron, All of them are corrupters.

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 have been burnt, By fire hath the lead been consumed, In vain hath a refiner refined, And the wicked have not been drawn away.

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

`Silver rejected,' they have called to them, For Jehovah hath kicked against them!