Jeremiah

O ye children of Benjamin, gather yourselves to flee out of the midst of Jerusalem, and blow the trumpet in Tekoa, and set up a sign of fire in Bethhaccerem: for evil appeareth out of the north, and great destruction.

1People of Benjamin, run for safety! Get out of Jerusalem. Blow the ram's horn in Tekoa. Light a signal fire at Beth-haccherem. Trouble is coming from the north, and great destruction.

2I have likened the daughter of Zion to a comely and delicate woman.

2The city of Zion is like a beautiful, gentle woman. Even so, I will destroy her.

Note"Daughter of Zion" is a way of speaking about the city of Jerusalem and its people as if the city were a young woman.

3The shepherds with their flocks shall come unto her; they shall pitch their tents against her round about; they shall feed every one in his place.

3Shepherds will come against her with their flocks. They will set up their tents all around her, and each one will graze his own part of her.

4Prepare ye war against her; arise, and let us go up at noon. Woe unto us! for the day goeth away, for the shadows of the evening are stretched out.

4They say, "Get ready for battle against her! Let's attack at noon." Then, "Too bad for us. The daylight is fading and the evening shadows are growing long."

5Arise, and let us go by night, and let us destroy her palaces.

5"Then let's get up and attack at night, and tear down her strong buildings."

6For thus hath the LORD of hosts said, Hew ye down trees, and cast a mount against Jerusalem: this is the city to be visited; she is wholly oppression in the midst of her.

6The LORD of Armies says this: "Cut down trees and pile up a ramp against Jerusalem's wall. This is the city that must be punished. Inside her there is nothing but cruelty."

NoteAttacking armies piled up a long ramp of dirt and stone against a city wall so soldiers could climb over the top.

7As a fountain casteth out her waters, so she casteth out her wickedness: violence and spoil is heard in her; before me continually is grief and wounds.

7Just as a well keeps pushing out water, she keeps pouring out her evil. Violence and ruin echo in her. I always see her sickness and her wounds.

8Be thou instructed, O Jerusalem, lest my soul depart from thee; lest I make thee desolate, a land not inhabited.

8Take this warning, Jerusalem, or I will turn away from you. I will leave you an empty ruin, a land where no one lives.

9Thus saith the LORD of hosts, They shall throughly glean the remnant of Israel as a vine: turn back thine hand as a grapegatherer into the baskets.

9The LORD of Armies says this: "Strip the people of Israel who are left, the way a vine is picked bare. Go over the branches again, like someone gathering the last grapes."

10To whom shall I speak, and give warning, that they may hear? behold, their ear is uncircumcised, and they cannot hearken: behold, the word of the LORD is unto them a reproach; they have no delight in it.

10Who can I warn? Who will listen to me? Look, their ears are shut, so they cannot hear. The LORD's word offends them. They take no joy in it.

NoteThe KJV says their ear is "uncircumcised." It means their ears are blocked or closed, not that anything is wrong with their bodies.

11Therefore I am full of the fury of the LORD; I am weary with holding in: I will pour it out upon the children abroad, 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.

11But I am full of the LORD's anger, and I am worn out from holding it in. "Pour it out on the children in the street and on the young men gathered together. Husband and wife will both be taken, and the old and the very old too.

12And their houses shall be turned unto others, with their fields and wives together: for I will stretch out my hand upon the inhabitants of the land, saith the LORD.

12Their houses will be handed over to other people, along with their fields and their wives. I will reach out my hand against everyone who lives in this land," says 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.

13"From the least important to the greatest, every one of them grabs for money. From prophet to priest, every one of them cheats and lies.

14They have healed also the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace.

14They treat the deep wound of my people as if it were nothing. They say, 'Peace, peace,' when there is no peace at all.

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.

15Were they ashamed of the disgusting things they did? No, they were not ashamed at all. They do not even know how to blush. So they will fall along with everyone else who falls. When I punish them, they will go down," says 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.

16The LORD says this: "Stand where the roads meet and look. Ask about the old paths. Ask, 'Where is the good way?' Then walk in it, and you will find rest inside yourselves. But they said, 'We will not walk in it.'

17Also I set watchmen over you, saying, Hearken to the sound of the trumpet. But they said, We will not hearken.

17I also placed watchmen over you and told you, 'Listen for the sound of the horn.' But they said, 'We will not listen.'

18Therefore hear, ye nations, and know, O congregation, what is among them.

18So listen, you nations. And you who are gathered here, learn what will happen to these people.

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, nor to my law, but rejected it.

19Listen, earth! I am bringing disaster on this people. It grows out of their own plans, because they paid no attention to my words and threw away my teaching.

20To what purpose cometh there to me incense from Sheba, and the sweet cane from a far country? your burnt offerings are not acceptable, nor your sacrifices sweet unto me.

20What good to me is sweet-smelling incense from Sheba, or sweet cane brought from a faraway land? Your burnt offerings do not please me. Your sacrifices do not make me glad."

21Therefore thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will lay stumblingblocks before this people, and the fathers and the sons together shall fall upon them; the neighbour and his friend shall perish.

21So the LORD says this: "I am going to put stumbling blocks in front of these people. Fathers and sons together will trip over them. Neighbors and friends will die."

22Thus saith the LORD, Behold, a people cometh from the north country, and a great nation shall be raised from the sides of the earth.

22The LORD says this: "Look, an army is coming from the land in the north. A great nation is stirring far away, at the ends of the earth.

23They shall lay hold on bow and spear; they are cruel, and have no mercy; their voice roareth like the sea; and they ride upon horses, set in array as men for war against thee, O daughter of Zion.

23They carry bows and spears. They are cruel and show no mercy. Their noise roars like the sea. They ride horses, lined up for battle against you, city of Zion."

24We have heard the fame thereof: our hands wax feeble: anguish hath taken hold of us, and pain, as of a woman in travail.

24We have heard the report, and our hands hang limp. Fear has taken hold of us, and pain like a woman giving birth.

25Go not forth into the field, nor walk by the way; for the sword of the enemy and fear is on every side.

25Do not go out to the fields. Do not walk on the road. The enemy has a sword, and terror is 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.

26My dear people, dress in rough sackcloth and roll in ashes. Cry bitterly, the way a mother cries for an only son. The destroyer will come on us suddenly.

27I have set thee for a tower and a fortress among my people, that thou mayest know and try their way.

27"I have made you a tester of my people, like a worker who tests metal, so you may watch them and find out how they live.

28They are all grievous revolters, walking with slanders: they are brass and iron; they are all corrupters.

28They are all stubborn rebels who go around telling lies about others. They are bronze and iron. Every one of them ruins what he touches.

29The bellows are burned, the lead is consumed of the fire; the founder melteth in vain: for the wicked are not plucked away.

29The bellows blow hard, and the fire burns away the lead. But the melting down is useless. The wicked are not taken out.

NoteMetalworkers melted ore with lead to pull the silver away from the junk mixed in it. Bellows were bags that pumped air to make the fire hotter.

30Reprobate silver shall men call them, because the LORD hath rejected them.

30People will call them rejected silver, because the LORD has rejected them."