6:1 Strengthen yourselves, ye children of
Benjamin, [to flee] out of the midst of Jerusalem, and sound an alarm with
the trumpet in Thecue, and set up a signal over Baethacharma: for evil
threatens from the north, and a great destruction is coming.
6:2 And [thy] pride, O daughter of Sion, shall be taken away.
6:3 The shepherds and their flocks shall come to her; and they shall pitch
[their] tents against her round about, and shall feed [their flocks] each
with his hand.
6:4 Prepare yourselves for war against her; rise up, and let us go up
against her at noon. Woe to us! for the day has gone down, for the shadows
of the day fail.
6:5 Rise, and let us go up against her by night, and destroy her
foundations.
6:6 For thus saith the Lord, Hew down her trees, array a numerous force
against Jerusalem. O false city; [there is] all oppression in her.
6:7 As a cistern cools water, so her wickedness cools her, ungodliness and
misery shall be heard in her, [as] continually before her.
6:8 Thou shalt be chastened, O Jerusalem, with pain and the scourge, lest my
soul depart from thee; lest I make thee a desert land, which shall not be
inhabited.
6:9 For thus saith the Lord, Glean, glean thoroughly as a vine the remnant
of Israel: turn back [your hands] as a grape-gatherer to his basket.
6:10 To whom shall I speak, and testify, that he may hearken? behold, thine
ears are uncircumcised, and they shall not be able to hear: behold, the word
of the Lord is become to them a reproach, they will not at all desire it.
6:11 And I allowed my wrath to come to full, yet I kept [it] in, and did not
utterly destroy them: I will pour it out on the children without, and on the
assembly of young men together: for man and woman shall be taken together,
the old man with him that is full of days.
6:12 And their houses shall be turned to others, [with] their fields and
their wives together: for I will stretch out my hand upon the inhabitants of
this land, saith the Lord.
6:13 For from the least of them even to the greatest they have all committed
iniquity; from the priest even to the false prophet they have all wrought
falsely.
6:14 And they healed the breach of my people [imperfectly], making light [of
it], and saying, Peace, peace, and where is peace?
6:15 They were ashamed because they failed; yet they were not ashamed as
those who are [truly] ashamed, and they knew not their own disgrace:
therefore shall they [utterly] fall when they do fall, and in the time of
visitation shall they perish, said the Lord.
6:16 Thus saith the Lord, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old
paths of the Lord; and see what is the good way, and walk in it, and ye
shall find purification for your souls. But they said, We will not walk [in
them].
6:17 I have set watchmen over you, [saying], Hear ye the sound of the
trumpet. But they said, We will not hear [it].
6:18 Therefore have the nations heard, and they that feed their flocks.
6:19 Hear, O earth: behold, I will bring evils upon this people, [even] the
fruit of their rebellions; for they have not heeded my words, and they have
rejected my law.
6:20 Wherefore do ye bring me frankincense from Saba, and cinnamon from a
land afar off? your whole-burnt-offerings are not acceptable, and your
sacrifices have not been pleasant to me.
6:21 Therefore thus saith the Lord, Behold, I [will] bring weakness upon
this people, and the fathers and sons shall be weak together; the neighbour
and his friend shall perish.
6:22 Thus saith the Lord, Behold, a people comes from the north, and nations
shall be stirred up from the end of the earth.
6:23 They shall lay hold on bow and spear; [the people] is fierce, and will
have no mercy; their voice is as the roaring sea; they shall array
themselves for war against thee as fire on horses and chariots, O daughter
of Sion.
6:24 We have heard the report of them: our hands are weakened: anguish has
seized us, the pangs as of a woman in travail.
6:25 Go not forth into the field, and walk not in the ways; for the sword of
the enemy lingers round about.
6:26 O daughter of my people, gird thyself with sackcloth: sprinkle
[thyself] with ashes; make for thyself pitiable lamentation, [as] the
mourning for a beloved [son]: for misery will come suddenly upon you.
6:27 I have caused thee to be tried among tried nations, and thou shalt know
me when I have tried their way.
6:28 [They are] all disobedient, walking perversely: [they are] brass and
iron; they are all corrupted.
6:29 The bellows have failed from the fire, the lead has failed: the
silversmith works at his trade in vain; their wickedness is not consumed.
6:30 Call ye them reprobate silver, because the Lord has rejected them. |
6:1 O ye children of Benjamin, gather
yourselves to flee out of the midst of Jerusalem, and blow the trumpet in
Tekoa, and set up a sign of fire in Bethhaccerem: for evil appeareth out of
the north, and great destruction.
6:2 I have likened the daughter of Zion to a comely and delicate woman.
6:3 The shepherds with their flocks shall come unto her; they shall pitch
their tents against her round about; they shall feed every one in his place.
6:4 Prepare ye war against her; arise, and let us go up at noon. Woe unto
us! for the day goeth away, for the shadows of the evening are stretched
out.
6:5 Arise, and let us go by night, and let us destroy her palaces.
6:6 For thus hath the LORD of hosts said, Hew ye down trees, and cast a
mount against Jerusalem: this is the city to be visited; she is wholly
oppression in the midst of her.
6:7 As a fountain casteth out her waters, so she casteth out her wickedness:
violence and spoil is heard in her; before me continually is grief and
wounds.
6:8 Be thou instructed, O Jerusalem, lest my soul depart from thee; lest I
make thee desolate, a land not inhabited.
6:9 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, They shall throughly glean the remnant of
Israel as a vine: turn back thine hand as a grapegatherer into the baskets.
6:10 To whom shall I speak, and give warning, that they may hear? behold,
their ear is uncircumcised, and they cannot hearken: behold, the word of the
LORD is unto them a reproach; they have no delight in it.
6:11 Therefore I am full of the fury of the LORD; I am weary with holding
in: I will pour it out upon the children abroad, 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.
6:12 And their houses shall be turned unto others, with their fields and
wives together: for I will stretch out my hand upon the inhabitants of the
land, saith the LORD.
6:13 For 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.
6:14 They have healed also the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly,
saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace.
6:15 Were 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 the LORD.
6:16 Thus saith the LORD, 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.
6:17 Also I set watchmen over you, saying, Hearken to the sound of the
trumpet. But they said, We will not hearken.
6:18 Therefore hear, ye nations, and know, O congregation, what is among
them.
6:19 Hear, O earth: behold, I will bring evil upon this people, even the
fruit of their thoughts, because they have not hearkened unto my words, nor
to my law, but rejected it.
6:20 To what purpose cometh there to me incense from Sheba, and the sweet
cane from a far country? your burnt offerings are not acceptable, nor your
sacrifices sweet unto me.
6:21 Therefore thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will lay stumblingblocks
before this people, and the fathers and the sons together shall fall upon
them; the neighbour and his friend shall perish.
6:22 Thus saith the LORD, Behold, a people cometh from the north country,
and a great nation shall be raised from the sides of the earth.
6:23 They shall lay hold on bow and spear; they are cruel, and have no
mercy; their voice roareth like the sea; and they ride upon horses, set in
array as men for war against thee, O daughter of Zion.
6:24 We have heard the fame thereof: our hands wax feeble: anguish hath
taken hold of us, and pain, as of a woman in travail.
6:25 Go not forth into the field, nor walk by the way; for the sword of the
enemy and fear is on every side.
6:26 O 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 spoiler shall suddenly come upon us.
6:27 I have set thee for a tower and a fortress among my people, that thou
mayest know and try their way.
6:28 They are all grievous revolters, walking with slanders: they are brass
and iron; they are all corrupters.
6:29 The bellows are burned, the lead is consumed of the fire; the founder
melteth in vain: for the wicked are not plucked away.
6:30 Reprobate silver shall men call them, because the LORD hath rejected
them. |