Jeremiah 6

NEW JERUSALEM	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
1 Flee in a body, Benjaminites, right away from Jerusalem! Sound the trumpet in Tekoa! Light the beaconon Beth-ha-Cherem! For disaster lowers from the north, an immense calamity.	1 “O sons of Benjamin, be strengthened in the midst of Jerusalem, and sound the trumpet in Tekoa, and lift up a banner over the house of Haccherem. For an evil has been seen from the north, with great destruction.
2 Beautiful, delicate as she is, I shal destroy the daughter of Zion!	2 I have compared the daughter of Zion to a beautiful and delicate woman.
3 Shepherds are advancing on her with their flocks. They have pitched their tents all round her, eachgrazes his part.	3 The pastors will come to her with their flocks. They have pitched their tents against her all around. Each one will feed those who are under his hand.
4 Prepare for holy war against her! To arms! We shall attack at noon! Disaster for us! The light is fading,the evening shadows lengthen.	4 ‘Sanctify a war against her! Rise up together, and let us ascend at midday.’ ‘Woe to us! For the day has declined; for the shadows of the evening have grown longer.’
5 To arms! We shall attack at night and destroy her palaces.	5 ‘Rise up, and let us ascend in the night, and let us destroy her houses.’ ”
6 For Yahweh Sabaoth says this, 'Cut down trees, throw up an earthwork outside Jerusalem: this is thecity to be punished, with nothing but oppression in her.	6 For thus says the Lord of hosts: “Cut down her trees, and build a rampart around Jerusalem. This is the city of visitation! Every kind of false claim is in her midst.
7 As a wel keeps its water fresh so she keeps her wickedness fresh. Violence and ruin are what you hearin her, wounds and blows always forced on my attention.	7 Just as a cistern makes its water cold, so has she made her wickedness cold. Iniquity and devastation will be heard in her; sickness and wounds will be ever before me.
8 Reform, Jerusalem, or I shal turn my attention away from you and reduce you to a desert, a land withoutpeople.'	8 O Jerusalem, accept instruction, lest perhaps my soul may withdraw from you; lest perhaps I may set you in a desert, in an uninhabitable land.”
9 Yahweh Sabaoth says this, 'They will glean, glean what is left of Israel like a vine. Like a grape-picker,pass your hand again over the branches!'	9 Thus says the Lord of hosts: “They will gather the remnant of Israel, even as a single cluster of grapes is gathered from a vine. Direct your hand, as a grape-gatherer directs his hand to the basket.
10 To whom should I speak, whom warn, for them to hear? Look, their ears are uncircumcised, theycannot listen. Look, for them Yahweh's word is something to sneer at, they have no taste for it.	10 To whom should I speak, and to whom should I testify, so as to be heard? Behold, their ears are uncircumcised, and so they are unable to hear. Behold, for them, the word of the Lord has become a disgrace. And so they will not accept it.
11 So I am full of Yahweh's wrath, I am weary of holding it in. Then pour it on the children in the streets,and on the bands of youths as wel , for husband and wife wil both be taken, the greybeard and the man weigheddown with years.	11 For this reason, I have been filled with the fury of the Lord. I labor to bear it. Let it be poured out upon the child outside, or upon a group of young men meeting together. For a man will be taken captive with a woman, an elder will be taken captive with one who is full of days.
12 Their houses wil pass to other men, so wil their fields and wives. Yes, I shal stretch my hand overthose living in this country, Yahweh declares.	12 And their houses will be given over to others, with both their lands and their wives. For I will extend my hand over the inhabitants of the earth, says the Lord.
13 For, from the least to greatest, they are al greedy for gain; prophet no less than priest, al of thempractise fraud.	13 Certainly, from the least of them even to the greatest, all of them practice greed. And from the prophet even to the priest, all of them act with deceit.
14 Without concern they dress my people's wound, saying, 'Peace! Peace!' whereas there is no peace.	14 And they healed the destruction of the daughter of my people with disgrace, by saying: ‘Peace, peace.’ And there was no peace.
15 They should be ashamed of their loathsome deeds. Not they! They feel no shame, they do not evenknow how to blush. And so as others fall, they too wil fal , will be thrown down when I come and punish them,Yahweh says.	15 They were confounded, because they committed an abomination. Or rather, they were not confounded with shame, because they did not know how to blush. For this reason, they will fall among those who are being destroyed. In the time of their visitation, they will fall, says the Lord.”
16 Yahweh says this, 'Stand at the crossroads and look, ask for the ancient paths: which was the goodway? Take it and you wil find rest for yourselves. But they have said, "We wil not take it."	16 Thus says the Lord: “Stand above the ways, and see and ask, about the ancient paths, as to which is the good way, and then walk in it. And you will find refreshment for your souls. But they said: ‘We will not walk.’
17 I posted look-outs on your behalf: Listen to the sound of the trumpet! But they said, "We will not listen."	17 And I appointed watchers over you, saying: ‘Listen for the sound of the trumpet.’ And they said: ‘We will not listen.’
18 Then hear, you nations, and know, assembly, what is going to happen to them!	18 For this reason, hear, O Gentiles, and know, O congregation, how much I will do to them.
19 Listen, earth! Watch, I shal bring disaster on this people: it is the fruit of the way they think, since theyhave not listened to my words nor to my law, but have rejected it.	19 Hear, O earth! Behold, I will lead evils over this people, as the fruits of their own thoughts. For they have not listened to my words, and they have cast aside my law.
20 What do I care about incense imported from Sheba, or fragrant cane from a distant country? Your burntofferings are not acceptable, your sacrifices do not please me.'	20 For what reason are you bringing me frankincense from Sheba, and sweet smelling reeds from a far away land? Your holocausts are not acceptable, and your sacrifices are not pleasing to me.”
21 And so, Yahweh says this, 'In front of this people I shal now lay obstacles for them to stumble over;father and son alike, neighbour and friend will perish.'	21 Therefore, thus says the Lord: “Behold I will bring this people to utter ruin, and they will fall, with their fathers and sons; neighbor and relative will perish together.”
22 Yahweh says this, 'Look, a people is coming from the land of the north, from the far ends of the earth agreat nation is rising;	22 Thus says the Lord: “Behold, a people is coming from the land of the north, and a great nation will rise up from the ends of the earth.
23 they are armed with bow and spear, they are cruel and pitiless; their noise is like the roaring of the sea;they are riding horses, they are ready to fight against you as one man, against you, daughter of Zion.	23 They will take hold of arrow and shield. They are cruel, and they will not take pity. Their voice will roar like the ocean. And they will climb upon horses, for they have been prepared like men for battle, against you, O daughter of Zion.
24 We have heard the news, our hands fal limp, anguish has gripped us, pain like that of a woman inlabour.	24 ‘We have heard of their fame. Our hands have become weakened. Tribulation has overtaken us, like the pains of a woman giving birth.’
25 Do not go out into the countryside, do not venture onto the roads, for the enemy's sword is there, terroron every side.	25 Do not choose to go out into the fields, and you should not walk along the roadway. For the sword and the terror of the enemy is on every side.
26 Put on sackcloth, daughter of my people, rol in ashes; mourn as for an only son, a very bitter dirge. Foron us suddenly the destroyer is coming.	26 Wrap yourself in haircloth, O daughter of my people. And sprinkle yourself with ashes. Make a mourning for yourself, as for an only son, a bitter lamentation: ‘for the destroyer will overwhelm us suddenly.’
27 'I have appointed you as tester of my people, to learn and to test how they behave.	27 I have presented you as a strong tester among my people. And you will test and know their way.
28 Al of them are total rebels peddlers of slander, hard as bronze and iron, al agents of corruption.	28 All these leaders who are turning away and walking deceitfully, they are brass and iron; they have all been corrupted.
29 The bel ows blast away to make the fire burn away the lead. In vain the smelter does his work, for thedross is not purged out.	29 The bellows has failed; the lead has been consumed by fire; the molten metal was melted to no purpose. For their wickedness has not been consumed.
30 "Silver-reject", men cal them, and indeed Yahweh has rejected them!'	30 Call them: ‘Rejected silver.’ For the Lord has cast them aside.”