Jeremiah 6

1Flee for safety, ye children of Benjamin, out of the midst of Jerusalem, and blow the trumpet in Tekoa, and raise up a signal on Beth-haccherem; for evil looketh forth from the north, and a great destruction.

1Run for safety, people of Benjamin! Get out of Jerusalem! Blow the trumpet in Tekoa and light a signal fire over Beth-haccherem, because disaster and great destruction are coming from the north.

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

2I will destroy the daughter of Zion, who is as beautiful and delicate as a pasture.

3Shepherds with their flocks shall come unto her; they shall pitch their tents against her round about; they shall feed every one in his place.

3Shepherds will come to her with their flocks; they will pitch their tents all around her and let their sheep graze in every spot.

4Prepare ye war against her; arise, and let us go up at noon. Woe unto us! for the day declineth, for the shadows of the evening are stretched out.

4The enemy says, 'Prepare for war against her! Get up, let’s attack at noon!' But then they cry, 'How terrible! The day is fading and the evening shadows are growing long.'

5Arise, and let us go up by night, and let us destroy her palaces.

5They say, 'Get up, let’s attack by night and destroy her palaces!'

6For thus hath Jehovah of hosts said, Hew ye down trees, and cast up a mound against Jerusalem: this is the city to be visited; she is wholly oppression in the midst of her.

6This is what the LORD of Armies says: 'Cut down the trees and build a siege ramp against Jerusalem. This city must be punished; she is full of nothing but oppression.'

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

7Just as a well flows with water, she pours out her wickedness. Violence and destruction are heard within her; I constantly see her sickness and wounds.

8Be thou instructed, O Jerusalem, lest my soul be alienated from thee; lest I make thee a desolation, a land not inhabited.

8Take warning, Jerusalem, or I will turn away from you in disgust and make your land a wasteland where no one lives.

9Thus saith Jehovah of hosts, They shall thoroughly glean the remnant of Israel as a vine: turn again thy hand as a grape-gatherer into the baskets.

9This is what the LORD of Armies says: 'Let the enemy gather the survivors of Israel as thoroughly as someone picking every last grape from a vine. Pass your hand over the branches again like a grape-gatherer filling his baskets.'

10To 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 become unto them a reproach; they have no delight in it.

10To whom can I speak? Who will listen to my warning? Their ears are closed so they cannot hear. They treat the word of the LORD like an insult; they find no pleasure in it.

11Therefore I am full of the wrath 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 that is full of days.

11But I am full of the LORD’s anger; I am tired of holding it in. 'Pour it out on the children in the street and on the groups of young men. Both husbands and wives will be captured, as well as the very old.'

12And their houses shall be turned unto others, their fields and their wives together; for I will stretch out my hand upon the inhabitants of the land, saith Jehovah.

12Their houses will be turned over to others, along with their fields and their wives, when I raise my hand against those living in the land, declares the LORD.

13For 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.

13From the least important to the greatest, everyone is greedy for money; from the prophets to the priests, everyone practices deceit.

14They have healed also the hurt of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace.

14They try to heal the wounds of my people superficially, saying, 'Peace, peace,' when there is actually no peace.

15Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? nay, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush: therefore they shall fall among them that fall; at the time that I visit them they shall be cast down, saith Jehovah.

15Are they ashamed of their disgusting behavior? No, they have no shame at all; they don’t even know how to blush. Therefore, they will fall among the dead; they will be brought down when I punish them, says the LORD.

16Thus saith Jehovah, Stand ye in the ways and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way; and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls: but they said, We will not walk therein.

16This is what the LORD says: 'Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask 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.'

17And I set watchmen over you, saying, Hearken to the sound of the trumpet; but they said, We will not hearken.

17I appointed watchmen over you and said, 'Listen for the sound of the trumpet!' But they said, 'We will not listen.'

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

18So listen, you nations! Pay attention, you witnesses, to what will happen to them.

19Hear, O earth: behold, I will bring evil upon this people, even the fruit of their thoughts, because they have not hearkened unto my words; and as for my law, they have rejected it.

19Listen, earth! I am bringing disaster on these people as a result of their own schemes, because they have ignored my words and rejected my law.

20To what purpose cometh there to me frankincense from Sheba, and the sweet cane from a far country? your burnt-offerings are not acceptable, nor your sacrifices pleasing unto me.

20What do I care about incense brought from Sheba or expensive spices from distant lands? Your burnt offerings are not acceptable; your sacrifices do not please me.

21Therefore thus saith Jehovah, Behold, I will lay stumbling-blocks before this people; and the fathers and the sons together shall stumble against them; the neighbor and his friend shall perish.

21Therefore, this is what the LORD says: 'I will put obstacles in front of these people. Fathers and sons will stumble over them together; neighbors and friends will die.'

22Thus saith Jehovah, Behold, a people cometh from the north country; and a great nation shall be stirred up from the uttermost parts of the earth.

22This is what the LORD says: 'Look, an army is coming from a northern land; a great nation is being stirred up from the ends of the earth.'

23They lay hold on bow and spear; they are cruel, and have no mercy; their voice roareth like the sea, and they ride upon horses, every one set in array, as a man to the battle, against thee, O daughter of Zion.

23They carry bows and spears; they are cruel and show no mercy. They sound like the roaring sea as they ride in on their horses. They are lined up for battle like men prepared to attack you, daughter of Zion.

24We have heard the report thereof; our hands wax feeble: anguish hath taken hold of us, and pangs as of a woman in travail.

24We have heard the news about them, and our hands hang limp. Anguish has gripped us, pain like a woman in labor.

25Go not forth into the field, nor walk by the way; for the sword of the enemy, and terror, are on every side.

25Don't go out into the fields or walk on the roads, for the enemy has a sword and there is terror on every side.

26O daughter of my people, gird thee with sackcloth, and wallow thyself in ashes: make thee mourning, as for an only son, most bitter lamentation; for the destroyer shall suddenly come upon us.

26My people, put on clothes of mourning and roll in the ashes. Cry bitterly as if you lost your only son, because the destroyer will suddenly come upon us.

27I have made thee a trier and a fortress among my people; that thou mayest know and try their way.

27Jeremiah, I have made you a tester of metals and a fortress among my people, so that you may observe and test how they live.

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

28They are all stubborn rebels, going around spreading slander. They are as hard as bronze and iron; they are all corrupt.

29The bellows blow fiercely; the lead is consumed of the fire: in vain do they go on refining; for the wicked are not plucked away.

29The bellows blast away, and the lead is consumed by the fire, but the refining process is useless; the wicked are not being separated out.

30Refuse silver shall men call them, because Jehovah hath rejected them.

30People will call them 'rejected silver,' because the LORD has rejected them.