Jeremiah 6

NEW JERUSALEM	DOUAI-RHEIMS
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 Strengthen yourselves, ye sons of Benjamin, in the midst of Jerusalem, and sound the trumpet in Thecua, and set up the standard over Bethacarem: for evil is seen out of the north, and a great destruction.
2 Beautiful, delicate as she is, I shal destroy the daughter of Zion!	2 I have likened the daughter of Sion 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 shepherds shall come to her with their flocks: they have pitched their tents against her round about: every one shall feed them that 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 Prepare ye war against her: arise, and let us go up at midday: woe unto us, for the day is declined, for the shadows of the evening are grown longer.
5 To arms! We shall attack at night and destroy her palaces.	5 Arise, and let us go up in the night, and 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 saith the Lord of hosts: Hew down her trees, cast up a trench about Jerusalem: this is the city to be visited, all oppression is in the midst of 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.	7 As a cistern maketh its water cold, so hath she made her wickedness cold: violence and spoil shall be heard in her, infirmity and stripes are continually before me.
8 Reform, Jerusalem, or I shal turn my attention away from you and reduce you to a desert, a land withoutpeople.'	8 Be thou instructed, O Jerusalem, lest my soul depart from thee, lest I make thee desolate, a land uninhabited.
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 saith the Lord of hosts: They shall gather the remains of Israel, as in a vine, even to one cluster: turn back thy hand, as a grape gatherer into 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 shall I speak? and to whom shall I testify, that he may hear? behold, their ears are uncircumcised, and they cannot hear: behold the word of the Lord is become unto them a reproach: and and they will not receive 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 Therefore am I full of the fury of the Lord, I am weary with holding in: pour it out upon the child abroad, and upon the council of the young men together: for man and woman shall be taken, the ancient and he that 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 shall be turned over to others, with their lands and their wives together: for I will stretch for my hand upon the inhabitants of the land, saith 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 For from the least of them even to the greatest, all are given to covetousness: and from the prophet even to the priest, all are guilty of deceit.
14 Without concern they dress my people's wound, saying, 'Peace! Peace!' whereas there is no peace.	14 And they healed the breach of the daughter of my people disgracefully, 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 commmitted abomination: yea, rather they were not confounded with confusion, and they knew not how to blush: wherefore they shall fall among them that fall: in the time of their visitation they shall fall down, saith 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 saith the Lord: Stand ye on the ways, and see and ask for the old paths which is the good way, and walk ye in it: and you shall find refreshment for your souls. And 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 watchmen over you, saying: Hearken ye to the sound of the trumpet. And they said: We will not hearken.
18 Then hear, you nations, and know, assembly, what is going to happen to them!	18 Therefore hear, ye nations, and know, O congregation, what great things 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 bring evils upon this people, the fruits of their own thoughts: because they have not heard my words, and they have cast away 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 To what purpose do you bring me frankincense from Saba, and the sweet smelling cane from a far country? your holocausts are not acceptable, nor are your sacrifices 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 saith the Lord: Behold, I will bring destruction upon this people, by which fathers and sons together shall fall, neighbor and kinsman shall 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;	22 Thus saith the Lord: Behold a people cometh from the land of the north, and a great nation shall 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 shall lay hold on arrow and shield: they are cruel, and will have no mercy. Their voice shall roar like the sea: and they shall mount upon horses, prepared as men for war, against thee, O daughter of Sion.
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 the fame thereof, our hands grow feeble: anguish hath taken hold of us, as a woman in labor.
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 Go not out into the fields, nor walk in the highway: for the sword of the enemy, and fear 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 Gird thee with sackcloth, O daughter of my people, and sprinkle thee with ashes: make thee mourning as for an only son, a bitter lamentation, because the destroyer shall suddenly come upon us.
27 'I have appointed you as tester of my people, to learn and to test how they behave.	27 I have set thee for a strong trier among my people: and thou shalt know and prove their way.
28 Al of them are total rebels peddlers of slander, hard as bronze and iron, al agents of corruption.	28 All of these princes go out of the way, they walk deceitfully, they are brass and iron: they are all 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 have failed, the lead is consumed in the fire, the founder hath melted in vain: for their wicked deeds are not consumed.
30 "Silver-reject", men cal them, and indeed Yahweh has rejected them!'	30 Call them reprobate silver, for the Lord hath rejected them.