1 S trengthen 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.

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

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

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

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 S anctify 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,

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 ` Rise, and we go up by night, And we destroy her palaces.'

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

6 F or 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.

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 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.

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

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 A nd 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,

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 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.

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 their least unto their greatest, Every one is gaining dishonest gain, And from prophet even unto priest, Every one is dealing 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 A nd they heal the breach of the daughter of my people slightly, Saying, `Peace, peace!' and there is no peace.

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

15 T hey 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.

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 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.'

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

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

18 T herefore hear, O nations, and know, O company, That which upon them.

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

19 H ear, 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.

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 W hy 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.

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 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.

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 said Jehovah: Lo, a people hath come from a north country, And a great nation is stirred up 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 B ow 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.

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 ` We have heard its sound, feeble have been our hands, Distress hath seized us, pain as of a travailing woman.

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

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

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 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.

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 A watch-tower I have given thee, Among My people a fortress, And thou knowest, and hast tried their way.

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

28 A ll of them are turned aside by apostates, Walking slanderously -- brass and iron, All of them are 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 have been burnt, By fire hath the lead been consumed, In vain hath a refiner refined, And the wicked have not been drawn 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 ` Silver rejected,' they have called to them, For Jehovah hath kicked against them!

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