"Flee for safety
, O sons
of aBenjamin
, From the midst
of Jerusalem
! Now blow
a trumpet
in Tekoa
And raise
a signal
over
1 bBeth-haccerem
; For evil
looks
down
from the cnorth
, And a great
destruction
.
"The comely and adainty
one, bthe daughter
of Zion
, I will cut
off
.
" aShepherds and their flocks
will come
to her, They will bpitch
their tents
1around
her, They will pasture
each
in his 2place
.
" 1 aPrepare war
against
her; Arise
, and let us 2attack
at bnoon
. Woe
to us, for the day
declines
, For the shadows
of the evening
lengthen
!
"Arise, and let us 1attack
by night
And adestroy
her 2palaces
!"
For thus says
the LORD
of hosts
, " aCut
down
her trees
And cast
up a bsiege
against
Jerusalem
. This
is the city
to be punished
, In whose midst
there is only
coppression
.
" aAs a well 1keeps
its waters
fresh
, So
she 1keeps
fresh
her wickedness
. bViolence
and destruction
are heard
in her; cSickness
and wounds
are ever
before
Me.
" aBe warned, O Jerusalem
, Or
1 bI shall be alienated
from you, And make
you a desolation
, A land
not inhabited
."
Thus says
the LORD
of hosts
, "They will athoroughly
glean
as the vine
the bremnant
of Israel
; Pass
your hand
again
like a grape gatherer
Over
the branches
."
To whom shall I speak
and give
warning
That they may hear
? Behold
, their aears
are 1closed
And they cannot
listen
. Behold
, bthe word
of the LORD
has become
a reproach
to them; They have
no
delight
in it.
But I am afull of the wrath
of the LORD
; I am bweary
with holding
it in. " cPour
it out on the children
in the street
And on the 1gathering
of young
men
together
; For both
husband
and wife
shall be taken
, The aged
2and the very
old
.
"Their ahouses shall be turned
over
to others
, Their fields
and their wives
together
; For I will bstretch
out My hand
Against
the inhabitants
of the land
," declares
the LORD
.
"For afrom the least of them even to the greatest
of them, Everyone
is bgreedy
for gain
, And from the prophet
even to the priest
Everyone
1deals
falsely
.
"They have ahealed the brokenness
of My people
superficially
, Saying
, `Peace
, peace
,' But there
is no
peace
.
"Were they aashamed because
of the abomination
they have done
? They were not even
ashamed
at all
; They did not even
know
how to blush
. Therefore
they shall fall
among those who fall
; At the time
that I punish
them, They shall be cast
down
," says
the LORD
.
Thus says
the LORD
, "Stand
by the ways
and see
and ask
for the aancient
paths
, Where
the good
way
is, and walk
in it; And byou will find
rest
for your souls
. But they said
, `We will not walk
in it.'
"And I set awatchmen
over
you, saying, `Listen
to the sound
of the trumpet
!' But they said
, `We will not listen
.'
"Therefore hear
, O nations
, And know
, O congregation
, what
is among them.
" aHear, O earth
: behold
, I am bringing
disaster
on this
people
, The bfruit
of their 1plans
, Because
they have not listened
to My words
, And as for My law
, they have crejected
it also.
" aFor what purpose
does bfrankincense
come
to Me from Sheba
And the 1 csweet
cane
from a distant
land
? dYour burnt
offerings
are not acceptable
And your sacrifices
are not pleasing
to Me."
Therefore, thus
says
the LORD
, "Behold
, aI am 1laying
stumbling
blocks
before
this
people
. And they will stumble
against them, bFathers
and sons
together
; Neighbor
and 2friend
will perish
."
Thus says
the LORD
, "Behold
, aa people
is coming
from the north
land
, And a great
nation
will be aroused
from the bremote
parts
of the earth
.
"They seize abow
and spear
; They are bcruel
and have
no
mercy
; Their voice
croars
like the sea
, And they ride
on horses
, Arrayed
as a man
for the battle
Against
you, O daughter
of Zion
!"
We have aheard the report
of it; Our hands
are limp
. bAnguish
has seized
us, Pain
as of a woman in childbirth
.
aDo not go out into the field
And bdo not walk
on the road
, For the enemy
has a sword
, cTerror
is on every
side
.
O daughter of my people
, aput
on sackcloth
And broll
in ashes
; 1 cMourn
as for an only
son
, A lamentation
most
bitter
. For suddenly
the destroyer
Will come
upon us.
"I have amade you an assayer
and a tester
among My people
, That you may know
and assay
their way
."
All of them are stubbornly
rebellious
, aGoing
about as a talebearer
. They are bbronze
and iron
; They, all
of them, are corrupt
.
The bellows blow
fiercely
, The lead
is consumed
by the fire
; In vain
the refining
goes
on, But the awicked
are not 1separated
.
aThey call them rejected
silver
, Because
the bLORD
has rejected
them.