Keraia
Major Prophets

Jeremiah 6

Jerusalem’s Final Warning

1“Run for cover, O sons of Benjamin;

flee from Jerusalem!

Sound the ram’s horn in Tekoa;

send up a signal over Beth-haccherem,

for disaster looms from the north,

even great destruction.

1“ Seek refuge, O sons of Benjamin, from the midst of Jerusalem! And in Tekoa blow the shofar, and in in Beth-haccherem lift up a signal, for disaster looks down from the north, even great destruction!

2Though she is beautiful and delicate,

I will destroy the Daughter of Zion.

2Though a beautiful and delicate woman, I will destroy the daughter of Zion!

3Shepherds and their flocks

will come against her;

they will pitch their tents all around her,

each tending his own portion:

3The shepherds and their flocks shall come to her, and they shall pitch the tents against her all around; they shall pasture, each man with his own hand.

4‘Prepare for battle against her;

rise up, let us attack at noon.

Woe to us, for the daylight is fading;

the evening shadows grow long.

4‘Be sanctified for war against her! Arise, and let us go up at noon! Woe to us, for the day turns away, for the shadows of the evening are stretched out!

5Rise up, let us attack by night

and destroy her fortresses!’”

5Arise and let us go up in the night, and let us destroy her fortresses!’”

6For this is what the LORD of Hosts says:

“Cut down the trees

and raise a siege ramp against Jerusalem.

This city must be punished;

there is nothing but oppression in her midst.

6For thus says YHWH of Hosts: “Cut down trees, and pour out against Jerusalem a siege mound! She is the city to be punished, in her midst all of her of oppression.

7As a well gushes its water,

so she pours out her evil.

Violence and destruction resound in her;

sickness and wounds are ever before Me.

7As a fountain wells up with water, so she has dug up her evil; violence and destruction are heard in her, before My face continually are sickness and wounds.

8Be forewarned, O Jerusalem,

or I will turn away from you;

I will make you a desolation,

a land without inhabitant.”

8Be warned, O Jerusalem, lest My soul should separate from you, lest I make you a desolation, a land not inhabited.”

9This is what the LORD of Hosts says:

“Glean the remnant of Israel

as thoroughly as a vine.

Pass your hand once more like a grape gatherer

over the branches.”

9Thus says YHWH of Hosts: “They shall thoroughly glean the remnant of Israel as a vine—turn back your hand like a grape-gatherer over the branches!”

10To whom can I give this warning?

Who will listen to me?

Look, their ears are closed,

so they cannot hear.

See, the word of the LORD has become offensive to them;

they find no pleasure in it.

10To whom shall I speak and testify, that they may hear? Behold, their ear is uncircumcised, and they are not able to hear. Behold, the word of YHWH is a reproach to them—they do not take delight in it!

11But I am full of the LORD’s wrath;

I am tired of holding it back.

“Pour it out on the children in the street,

and on the young men gathered together.

For both husband and wife will be captured,

the old and the very old alike.

11Therefore I am full of the fury of YHWH—I grow weary of holding it in! “Pour it out on the sons outside, and on the assembly of young men together! For even the husband with his wife will be captured, the aged with the one full of days.

12Their houses will be turned over to others,

their fields and wives as well,

for I will stretch out My hand

against the inhabitants of the land,”

declares the LORD.

12And their houses will be turned over to others, the fields and wives together. For I will stretch out My hand against those dwelling in the land!” A declaration of YHWH.

13“For from the least of them to the greatest,

all are greedy for gain;

from prophet to priest,

all practice deceit.

13“For from the least of them even unto the greatest of them, everyone is gaining dishonest gain; and from the prophet even to the priest, everyone is dealing falsely.

14They dress the wound of My people

with very little care,

saying, ‘Peace, peace,’

when there is no peace at all.

14And they have healed the breach of My people lightly, saying, ‘Peace, peace!’ And there is no peace.

15Are they ashamed of the abomination they have committed?

No, they have no shame at all;

they do not even know how to blush.

So they will fall among the fallen;

when I punish them, they will collapse,”

says the LORD.

15Were they ashamed when they did an abomination? No, they were not in any way ashamed—they did not even know how to blush! Therefore they shall fall among those falling; at the time I visit them, they will stumble,” says YHWH.

16This is what the LORD says:

“Stand at the crossroads and look.

Ask for the ancient paths: ‘Where is the good way?’

Then walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls.

But they said, ‘We will not walk in it!’

16Thus says YHWH: “Stand along the pathways, and see; and ask for the old paths, ‘Where is this good way,’ and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls. And they said, ‘We will not walk!’

17I appointed watchmen over you and said,

‘Listen for the sound of the ram’s horn.’

But they answered, ‘We will not listen!’

17And I set over you watchmen: ‘Listen to the voice of the shofar!’ And they said, ‘We will not listen.’

18Therefore hear, O nations,

and learn, O congregations,

what will happen to them.

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

19Hear, O earth! I am bringing disaster on this people,

the fruit of their own schemes,

because they have paid no attention to My word

and have rejected My instruction.

19Hear, O earth! Behold, I am bringing evil upon this people—the fruit of their thoughts!—Because they have paid no attention to My words; and My law, they have rejected it.

20What use to Me is frankincense from Sheba

or sweet cane from a distant land?

Your burnt offerings are not acceptable;

your sacrifices do not please Me.”

20For what is this to Me, the frankincense that comes from Sheba and the sweet cane from a land far away? Your burnt offerings are not acceptable, and your sacrifices are not sweet to Me.”

21Therefore this is what the LORD says:

“I will lay stumbling blocks before this people;

fathers and sons alike will be staggered;

friends and neighbors will perish.”

21Therefore thus says YHWH: “Behold, I am giving to this people stumbling blocks, and the fathers and the sons together will stumble over them; and the neighbor and his companion will perish!”

An Invasion from the North

22This is what the LORD says:

“Behold, an army is coming

from the land of the north;

a great nation is stirred up

from the ends of the earth.

22Thus says YHWH: “Behold, a people is coming from the land of the north, and a great nation shall be roused from the sides of the earth.

23They grasp the bow and spear;

they are cruel and merciless.

Their voice roars like the sea,

and they ride upon horses,

lined up like men in formation

against you, O Daughter of Zion.”

23Bow and spear they hold firmly—they are cruel, and they do not have compassion; their voice roars like the sea, and they ride on horses, arrayed as men for the battle, against you, O daughter of Zion!”

24We have heard the report;

our hands hang limp.

Anguish has gripped us,

pain like that of a woman in labor.

24We have heard the report of it, our hands grow feeble; distress has taken hold of us, writhing as a woman giving birth.

25Do not go out to the fields;

do not walk the road.

For the enemy has a sword;

terror is on every side.

25You shall not go out to the field, and on the road You shall not walk; because of the sword of the enemy, terror is all around!

26O daughter of my people,

dress yourselves in sackcloth and roll in ashes.

Mourn with bitter wailing,

as you would for an only son,

for suddenly the destroyer

will come upon us.

26O Daughter of my people, put on sackcloth and roll in ashes; make for yourself mourning as for an only son, most bitter lamentation, for suddenly will come the destroyer upon us!

27“I have appointed you to examine My people like ore,

so you may know and try their ways.

27“I have appointed you an examiner among My people like ore, that you may know and examine their way.

28All are hardened rebels,

walking around as slanderers.

They are bronze and iron;

all of them are corrupt.

28All of them are turning aside, rebelling, walking in slander; they are bronze and iron, they are all acting corruptly.

29The bellows blow fiercely,

blasting away the lead with fire.

The refining proceeds in vain,

for the wicked are not purged.

29The bellows are burned; by the fire, the lead; in vain has a refiner refined, and the wicked have not been drawn away.

30They are called rejected silver,

because the LORD has rejected them.”

30They call them rejected silver, because YHWH has rejected them.”