Jeremiah 6
6
1Run and hide, descendants of Benjamin,#6:1. Jerusalem was part of the original territory of Benjamin. get out of Jerusalem! Blow the trumpet in Tekoa; light a signal fire in Beth-haccherem, for disaster and terrible destruction is arriving from the north. 2Even though she is pretty and delightful, I will destroy#6:2. The word used here usually means to “resemble,” but is used in the sense of “destroy” in Hosea 4:5. the Daughter of Zion.
3“Shepherds” and their “flocks”#6:3. Clearly an allusion to the invading armies with their generals. will come to attack her; they will set up their tents all around her, each one looking after his own. 4They get ready for battle against her, saying, “Come on, we'll attack at noon! Oh no, the day is almost over, the evening shadows are growing long. 5Come on, we'll attack at night instead and destroy her fortresses!”
6This is what the Lord Almighty says: Cut down the trees and make a siege ramp to use against Jerusalem. This city needs to be punished because it's full of people mistreating one another. 7Like a spring gushing out#6:7. “Gushing out”: or “keeping cool.” water, so she pours out her evil. The sounds of violence and abuse echo inside her. I see people sick and wounded everywhere. 8I'm warning you, people of Jerusalem, I'm going to give up on you in disgust. I will destroy you and leave your country uninhabited.
9This is what the Lord Almighty says: Even those left in Israel will be taken, just as grapes left on a vine are taken by the one harvesting the grapes who checks the branches again.
10Who can I give this warning to? Who's going to listen to me? Can't you see that they refuse to listen?#6:10. “They refuse to listen”: literally, “They have uncircumcised ears.” They can't hear what I'm saying. See how offensive the Lord's message is to them. They don't like it at all.
11But as for me, I'm full of the Lord's anger; I have a hard time keeping it in.
The Lord replies,#6:11. “The Lord replies”: supplied for clarity. Pour it out on children in the street, and on groups of young people, because both husband and wife are going to be captured—it's everyone, and it doesn't matter how old they are. 12Their houses will be given to others, their fields and wives too, because I'm going to punish everyone living in this country, declares the Lord.
13Everyone cheats because they're greedy, poor and rich alike. Even prophets and priests—they are all dishonest liars! 14They give my wounded people first aid, but they don't really care about them. They tell them, “Don't worry! We have peace!” even as war approaches.
15Were they ashamed of the disgusting things they did? No, they weren't ashamed at all, they couldn't even blush. So they will fall just like the others, when I punish them; they will drop down dead, says the Lord.
16This is what the Lord says: Go and stand where the roads divide, and look. Find out which are the old paths. Ask, “What's the right way?” Then follow it and you'll be content.#6:16. “You'll be content:” literally, “you'll find rest for your souls.” But you refused, saying, “We won't go that way!” 17I put watchmen in charge of you and told you, Make sure you listen for the trumpet call warning you of danger. But you answered, “We won't listen!”
18So now you other nations can listen and find out what's going to happen to them.
19Earth, you listen too! I am bringing disaster down on this people, the end result of what they themselves planned. It's because they paid no attention to what I said, and rejected my instructions.
20What's the point of offering me frankincense from Sheba or sweet calamus from a faraway land? I don't accept your burnt offerings; I'm not pleased with your sacrifices.
21So this is what the Lord says: I'm going to put blocks in front of these people to trip them up. Fathers and sons will fall down dead, friends and neighbors too.
22This is what the Lord says: Look! An army is invading from the north; a powerful nation is getting ready to attack all the way from the ends of the earth. 23They pick up their bows and spears. They are cruel and show no mercy. Their war cries are like the sea roaring, and they ride horses lined up ready to attack you, Daughter of Zion.
24The people reply,#6:24. “The people reply”: supplied for clarity. “We've heard the news, and our hands are limp with shock! We're overcome with agony, suffering pain like a woman in labor. 25Don't go to the field! Don't walk down the road! The enemy is armed with swords! Terror is everywhere!”
26Oh my people, put on sackcloth and roll around in ashes. Mourn and cry bitterly like you would for an only son, because the destroyer will come down on you suddenly.
27Jeremiah, I have made you a tester of metals so you can test my people as if they were metal, so you can know what they're made of and how they act. 28They're all stubborn rebels going around talking slander. They are hard as bronze and iron; they are all corrupt. 29The bellows in the refiner's furnace blow powerfully, burning away the lead. But this refining is pointless, because the wicked are not purified. 30They are identified as impure silver to be rejected, because the Lord has rejected them.
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Dr. Jonathan Gallagher. Released under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 Unported License. Version 4.3. For corrections send email to jonathangallagherfbv@gmail.com
Jeremiah 6
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. 2The comely and delicate one, the daughter of Zion, will I cut off. 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. 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. 5Arise, and let us go up by night, and let us destroy her palaces. 6For thus hath the LORD of hosts said, Hew ye down trees, and cast up a mount against Jerusalem: this is the city to be visited; she is wholly oppression in the midst of her. 7As a well casteth forth her waters, so she casteth forth her wickedness: violence and spoil is heard in her; before me continually is 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.
9Thus saith the LORD of hosts, They shall throughly glean the remnant of Israel as a vine: turn again thine hand as a grapegatherer into the 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 the LORD is become unto them a reproach; they have no delight in it. 11Therefore I am full of the fury of the LORD; 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. 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 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. 14They have healed also the hurt of my people lightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is 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 the LORD. 16Thus 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. 17And I set watchmen over you, saying, Hearken to the sound of the trumpet; but they said, We will not hearken.
18Therefore hear, ye nations, and know, O congregation, what is among 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. 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. 21Therefore thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will lay stumblingblocks before this people: and the fathers and the sons together shall stumble against them; the neighbour and his friend shall perish. 22Thus saith the LORD, Behold, a people cometh from the north country; and a great nation shall be stirred up from the uttermost parts 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. 24We have heard the fame thereof; our hands wax feeble: anguish hath taken hold of us, and pangs as of a woman in travail. 25Go not forth into the field, nor walk by the way; for there is the sword of the enemy, and 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 spoiler shall suddenly come upon us. 27I have made thee a tower and a fortress among my people; that thou mayest know and try their way. 28They are all grievous revolters, going about with slanders; they are brass and iron: they all of them deal corruptly. 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. 30Refuse silver shall men call them, because the LORD hath rejected them.
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