Jeremiah 6
6
Destruction of Jerusalem Impending
1“Flee for safety, O sons of Benjamin,
From the midst of Jerusalem!
Now blow a trumpet in Tekoa
And raise a signal over #I.e. house of the vineyardBeth-haccerem;
For evil looks down from the north,
And a great destruction.
2The comely and dainty one, the daughter of Zion, I will cut off.
3Shepherds and their flocks will come to her,
They will pitch their tents around her,
They will pasture each in his place.
4Prepare war against her;
Arise, and let us attack at noon.
Woe to us, for the day declines,
For the shadows of the evening lengthen!
5Arise, and let us attack by night
And destroy her palaces!”
6For thus says the Lord of hosts,
“Cut down her trees
And cast up a siege against Jerusalem.
This is the city to be punished,
In whose midst there is only oppression.
7As a well keeps its waters fresh,
So she keeps fresh her wickedness.
Violence and destruction are heard in her;
Sickness and wounds are ever before Me.
8Be warned, O Jerusalem,
Or I shall be alienated from you,
And make you a desolation,
A land not inhabited.”
9Thus says the Lord of hosts,
“They will thoroughly glean as the vine the remnant 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 ears are closed
And they cannot listen.
Behold, the word of the Lord has become a reproach to them;
They have no delight in it.
11But I am full of the wrath of the Lord;
I am weary with holding it in.
“Pour it out on the children in the street
And on the gathering of young men together;
For both husband and wife shall be taken,
The aged and the very old.
12Their houses shall be turned over to others,
Their fields and their wives together;
For I will stretch out My hand
Against the inhabitants of the land,” declares the Lord.
13“For from the least of them even to the greatest of them,
Everyone is greedy for gain,
And from the prophet even to the priest
Everyone deals falsely.
14They have healed the brokenness of My people superficially,
Saying, ‘Peace, peace,’
But there is no peace.
15Were they ashamed 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 ancient 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.’
17And I set watchmen 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.
19Hear, O earth: behold, I am bringing disaster on this people,
The fruit of their plans,
Because they have not listened to My words,
And as for My law, they have rejected it also.
20For what purpose does frankincense come to Me from Sheba
And the sweet cane from a distant land?
Your burnt offerings are not acceptable
And your sacrifices are not pleasing to Me.”
21Therefore, thus says the Lord,
“Behold, I am laying stumbling blocks before this people.
And they will stumble against them,
Fathers and sons together;
Neighbor and friend will perish.”
The Enemy from the North
22Thus says the Lord,
“Behold, a people is coming from the north land,
And a great nation will be aroused from the remote parts of the earth.
23They seize bow and spear;
They are cruel and have no mercy;
Their voice roars like the sea,
And they ride on horses,
Arrayed as a man for the battle
Against you, O daughter of Zion!”
24We have heard the report of it;
Our hands are limp.
Anguish has seized us,
Pain as of a woman in childbirth.
25Do not go out into the field
And do not walk on the road,
For the enemy has a sword,
Terror is on every side.
26O daughter of my people, put on sackcloth
And roll in ashes;
Mourn as for an only son,
A lamentation most bitter.
For suddenly the destroyer
Will come upon us.
27“I have made you an assayer and a tester among My people,
That you may know and assay their way.”
28All of them are stubbornly rebellious,
Going about as a talebearer.
They are bronze 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 wicked are not separated.
30They call them rejected silver,
Because the Lord has rejected them.
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Jeremiah 6: NASB1995
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Jeremiah 6
6
Prepare for war
1Escape, people of Benjamin,
get out of Jerusalem!
Blow the trumpet in Tekoa,
sound the alarm in Beth-haccherem;
for disaster looms from the north,
massive devastation.
2You are like a lovely pasture, Daughter Zion.#6.2 Heb uncertain
3Shepherds come to her with their flocks.
They pitch their tents around her
and graze in their place.
4“Prepare for battle against her;
get ready; let’s attack by noon!
Oh, no! Daylight is fading,
and the evening shadows lengthen.
5Get ready, let’s attack by night
and destroy her fortresses!”
6The LORD of heavenly forces proclaims:
Cut down her trees,
and build siege ramps against Jerusalem.
This city must be held accountable,#6.6 Heb uncertain
for there’s nothing but oppression in her midst.
7As a well brings forth fresh water,
she brings forth evil.
Violence and destruction are heard within her;
injury and wounds are ever before me.
8Hear me out,#6.8 Or Accept correction Jerusalem,
or else I’ll turn away from you
and reduce you to ruins,
a land unfit to live in.
Unresponsive people
9This is what the LORD of heavenly forces says:
From top to bottom, let them harvest
the remaining few in Israel.
Pick clean every
last grape on the vine!
10To whom can I speak and warn?
How can I get someone’s attention?
Their ears are shut tight,#6.10 Or uncircumcised
so they won’t hear.
They are ashamed of the LORD’s word
and take no pleasure in it.
11But I’m filled with the LORD’s rage
and am tired of holding it in.
Pour it out on the children in the streets
and on the youths gathered together;
husband with wife will be trapped,
as will those old and gray.
12Their homes will be turned over to others,
their fields and wives as well.
I will stretch out my hand
against the people of this land,
declares the LORD.
13From the least to the greatest,
each is eager to profit;
from prophet to priest,
each trades in dishonesty.
14They treat the wound of my people
as if it were nothing:
“All is well, all is well,” they insist,
when in fact nothing is well.
15They should be ashamed
of their detestable practices,
but they have no shame;
they don’t even blush!
Therefore, they will fall among the fallen
and stumble when I bring disaster,
declares the LORD.
16The LORD proclaims:
Stop at the crossroads and look around;
ask for the ancient paths.
Where is the good way?
Then walk in it
and find a resting place for yourselves.
But you#6.16 Or they said, “We won’t go!”
17Still, I have appointed watchmen to warn you.
But you#6.17 Or they said, “We won’t listen!”
18Therefore, pay attention, nations;
take notice, assembly,
what is ahead of them.#6.18 Heb uncertain
19Pay attention, earth:
I’m bringing disaster upon my people,
the fruit of their own devices,
because they have ignored my words
and they have rejected my teaching.
20What use to me is incense from Sheba
or sweet cane from a faraway land?
Your entirely burned offerings won’t buy your pardon;
your sacrifices won’t appease me.
21Therefore, the LORD proclaims:
I’m putting obstacles before this people,
and both parents and children will stumble over them;
neighbor and friend alike will perish.
Panic-stricken Zion
22The LORD proclaims:
An army is on the move
from the northern regions;
a great nation is roused
from the ends of the earth.
23Equipped with bow and spear,
they are cruel;
they show no mercy.
Their horsemen sound
like the roaring sea,
arrayed in battle formation
against you, Daughter Zion.
24We have heard reports of them
and are panic-stricken;
distress overwhelms us,
pain like that of a woman in labor.
25Don’t go out into the field!
Don’t walk on the road!
The enemies’ sword
terrorizes at every turn.
26My people,
put on funeral clothes and roll in ashes;
weep and wail as for an only child,
because the destroyer will suddenly descend upon us.
Prophet as tester
27I have made you a tester of metals,
to examine my people#6.27 Heb uncertain
to know and prove their ways.
28They are tin#6.28 Or bronze and iron;
they are headstrong and rebellious.
They live to slander.
They act corruptly—every last one!
29The bellows roar;
the lead is consumed.#6.29 Heb uncertain
Yet the refining fails;
the impurities#6.29 Or wicked remain.
30They are called “rejected silver,”
for the LORD has rejected them.
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