Jeremiah 6

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.

² Beautiful, delicate as she is, I shal destroy the daughter of Zion!

³ Shepherds are advancing on her with their flocks. They have pitched their tents all round her, eachgrazes his part.

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.

⁵ To arms! We shall attack at night and destroy her palaces.

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.

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.

⁸ Reform, Jerusalem, or I shal turn my attention away from you and reduce you to a desert, a land withoutpeople.'

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!'

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.

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.

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.

¹³ For, from the least to greatest, they are al greedy for gain; prophet no less than priest, al of thempractise fraud.

¹⁴ Without concern they dress my people's wound, saying, 'Peace! Peace!' whereas there is 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.

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."

¹⁷ I posted look-outs on your behalf: Listen to the sound of the trumpet! But they said, "We will not listen."

¹⁸ Then hear, you nations, and know, assembly, what is going to happen 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.

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.'

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.'

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;

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.

²⁴ We have heard the news, our hands fal limp, anguish has gripped us, pain like that of a woman inlabour.

²⁵ Do not go out into the countryside, do not venture onto the roads, for the enemy's sword is there, terroron 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.

²⁷ 'I have appointed you as tester of my people, to learn and to test how they behave.

²⁸ Al of them are total rebels peddlers of slander, hard as bronze and iron, al agents of corruption.

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.

³⁰ "Silver-reject", men cal them, and indeed Yahweh has rejected them!'