Jeremiah 6

Destruction of Jerusalem Impending

1“Flee for safety, O sons of 1Benjamin, From the midst of Jerusalem! Now blow a trumpet in Tekoa And raise a signal over 23Beth-haccerem; For evil looks down from the 4north, And a great destruction.2The comely and 5dainty one, 6the daughter of Zion, I will cut off.37Shepherds and their flocks will come to her, They will 8pitch their tents 9around her, They will pasture each in his 10place.41112Prepare war against her; Arise, and let us 13attack at 14noon. Woe to us, for the day declines, For the shadows of the evening lengthen!5Arise, and let us 15attack by night And 16destroy her 17palaces!”6For thus says the Lord of hosts, “18Cut down her trees And cast up a 19siege against Jerusalem. This is the city to be punished, In whose midst there is only 20oppression.721As a well 22keeps its waters fresh, So she 23keeps fresh her wickedness. 24Violence and destruction are heard in her; 25Sickness and wounds are ever before Me.826Be warned, O Jerusalem, Or 2728I shall be alienated from you, And make you a desolation, A land not inhabited.”

9Thus says the Lord of hosts, “They will 29thoroughly glean as the vine the 30remnant of Israel; Pass your hand again like a grape gatherer Over the branches.”10To whom shall I speak and give warning That they may hear? Behold, their 31ears are 32closed And they cannot listen. Behold, 33the word of the Lord has become a reproach to them; They have no delight in it.11But I am 34full of the wrath of the Lord; I am 35weary with holding it in. “36Pour it out on the children in the street And on the 37gathering of young men together; For both husband and wife shall be taken, The aged 38and the very old.12Their 39houses shall be turned over to others, Their fields and their wives together; For I will 40stretch out My hand Against the inhabitants of the land,” declares the Lord.13“For 41from the least of them even to the greatest of them, Everyone is 42greedy for gain, And from the prophet even to the priest Everyone 43deals falsely.14They have 44healed the brokenness of My people superficially, Saying, ‘Peace, peace,’ But there is no peace.15Were they 45ashamed because of the abomination they have done? They were not even ashamed at all; They did not even know how to blush. Therefore they shall fall among those who fall; At the time that I punish them, They shall be cast down,” says the Lord.

16Thus says the Lord, “Stand by the ways and see and ask for the 46ancient paths, Where the good way is, and walk in it; And 47you will find rest for your souls. But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.’17And I set 48watchmen over you, saying, ‘Listen to the sound of the trumpet!’ But they said, ‘We will not listen.’18Therefore hear, O nations, And know, O congregation, what is among them.1949Hear, O earth: behold, I am bringing disaster on this people, The 50fruit of their 51plans, Because they have not listened to My words, And as for My law, they have 52rejected it also.2053For what purpose does 54frankincense come to Me from Sheba And the 5556sweet cane from a distant land? 57Your burnt offerings are not acceptable And your sacrifices are not pleasing to Me.”21Therefore, thus says the Lord, “Behold, 58I am 59laying stumbling blocks before this people. And they will stumble against them, 60Fathers and sons together; Neighbor and 61friend will perish.”

The Enemy from the North

22Thus says the Lord, “Behold, 62a people is coming from the north land, And a great nation will be aroused from the 63remote parts of the earth.23They seize 64bow and spear; They are 65cruel and have no mercy; Their voice 66roars like the sea, And they ride on horses, Arrayed as a man for the battle Against you, O daughter of Zion!”24We have 67heard the report of it; Our hands are limp. 68Anguish has seized us, Pain as of a woman in childbirth.2569Do not go out into the field And 70do not walk on the road, For the enemy has a sword, 71Terror is on every side.26O daughter of my people, 72put on sackcloth And 73roll in ashes; 7475Mourn as for an only son, A lamentation most bitter. For suddenly the destroyer Will come upon us.

27“I have 76made you an assayer and a tester among My people, That you may know and assay their way.”28All of them are stubbornly rebellious, 77Going about as a talebearer. They are 78bronze and iron; They, all of them, are corrupt.29The bellows blow fiercely, The lead is consumed by the fire; In vain the refining goes on, But the 79wicked are not 80separated.3081They call them rejected silver, Because the 82Lord has rejected them.