Jeremia 6 | King James Version

1 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. 2 I have likened the daughter of Zion to a comely and delicate woman . 3 The 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. 4 Prepare 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. 5 Arise, and let us go by night, and let us destroy her palaces. 6 For 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. 7 As 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. 8 Be thou instructed, O Jerusalem, lest my soul depart from thee; lest I make thee desolate, a land not inhabited. 9 Thus 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. 10 To 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. 11 Therefore 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. 12 And 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. 13 For 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. 14 They have healed also the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace. 15 Were 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. 16 Thus 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 . 17 Also I set watchmen over you, saying , Hearken to the sound of the trumpet. But they said, We will not hearken. 18 Therefore hear, ye nations, and know, O congregation, what is among them. 19 Hear, 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. 20 To 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. 21 Therefore 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. 22 Thus saith the LORD, Behold, a people cometh from the north country, and a great nation shall be raised from the sides of the earth. 23 They 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. 24 We have heard the fame thereof: our hands wax feeble: anguish hath taken hold of us, and pain, as of a woman in travail. 25 Go not forth into the field, nor walk by the way; for the sword of the enemy and fear is on every side. 26 O 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. 27 I have set thee for a tower and a fortress among my people, that thou mayest know and try their way. 28 They are all grievous revolters, walking with slanders: they are brass and iron; they are all corrupters. 29 The bellows are burned, the lead is consumed of the fire; the founder melteth in vain: for the wicked are not plucked away. 30 Reprobate silver shall men call them, because the LORD hath rejected them.

New International Reader’s Version

The Babylonians will attack Jerusalem

1 The LORD says, ‘People of Benjamin, run for safety! Run away from Jerusalem! Blow trumpets in the city of Tekoa! Warn everyone in Beth Hakkerem! Horrible trouble is coming from the north. The Babylonians will destroy everything with awful power. 2 I will destroy the city of Zion, even though it is very beautiful. 3 Shepherds will come against it with their flocks. They will set up their tents around it. All of them will take care of their own sheep.’ 4 The Babylonians say, ‘Prepare for battle against Judah! Get up! Let’s attack them at noon! But the daylight is fading. The shadows of evening are getting longer. 5 So get up! Let’s attack them at night! Let’s destroy their strongest forts!’ 6 The LORD who rules over all speaks to the Babylonians. He says, ‘Cut down some trees. Use the wood to build ramps against Jerusalem’s walls. I must punish that city. It is filled with people who treat others badly. 7 Wells keep giving fresh water. And Jerusalem keeps on sinning. Its people are always fighting and causing trouble. When I look at them, I see nothing but disease and wounds. 8 Jerusalem, listen to my warning. If you do not, I will turn away from you. Your land will become a desert. No one will be able to live there.’ 9 The LORD rules over all. He says to me, ‘People gather the few grapes left on a vine. So let Israel’s enemies gather the few people left alive in the land Look carefully at the branches again. Do this like someone who gathers the last few grapes.’ 10 Who can I speak to? Who can I warn? Who will even listen to me? Their ears are closed so they can’t hear. The LORD’s message displeases them. They don’t take any delight in it. 11 But the LORD’s anger burns inside me. I can no longer hold it in. The LORD says to me, ‘Pour out my anger on the children in the street. Pour it out on the young men who are gathered together. Husband and wife alike will be caught in it. So will those who are very old. 12 I will reach out my hand against those who live in the land,’ announces the LORD. ‘Then their houses will be turned over to others. So will their fields and their wives. 13 Everyone wants to get richer and richer, from the least important of them to the most important. Prophets and priests alike try to fool everyone they can. 14 They bandage the wounds of my people as if they were not very deep. “Peace, peace,” they say. But there isn’t any peace. 15 Are they ashamed of their hateful actions? No. They do not feel any shame at all. They do not even know how to blush. So they will fall like others who have already fallen. They will be brought down when I punish them,’ says the LORD. 16 The LORD tells the people of Judah, ‘Stand where the roads cross, and look around. Ask where the old paths are. Ask for the good path, and walk on it. Then your hearts will find rest in me. But you said, “We won’t walk on it.” 17 I appointed prophets to warn you. I said, “Listen to the sound of the trumpets!” But you said, “We won’t listen.” 18 So pay attention, you nations. You are witnesses for me. Watch what will happen to my people. 19 Earth, pay attention. I am going to bring trouble on them. I will punish them because of the evil things they have done. They have not listened to my words. They have said no to my law. 20 What do I care about incense from the land of Sheba? Why should I bother with sweet-smelling cane from a land far away? I do not accept your burnt offerings. Your sacrifices do not please me.’ 21 So the LORD says, ‘I will bring an army against the people of Judah. Parents and children alike will trip and fall. Neighbours and friends will die.’ 22 The LORD says to Jerusalem, ‘Look! An army is coming from the land of the north. I am stirring up a great nation. Its army is coming from a land that is very far away. 23 Its soldiers are armed with bows and spears. They are mean. They do not show any mercy at all. They come riding in on their horses. They sound like the roaring ocean. They are lined up for battle. They are marching out to attack you, city of Zion.’ 24 We have heard reports about them. And our hands can’t help us. We are suffering greatly. It’s like the pain of a woman having a baby. 25 Don’t go out to the fields. Don’t walk on the roads. Our enemies have swords. And there is terror on every side. 26 My people, put on the clothes of sadness. Roll among the ashes. Mourn with bitter weeping just as you would mourn for an only son. The one who is going to destroy us will come suddenly. 27 The LORD says to me, ‘I have made you like one who tests metals. My people are the ore. I want you to watch them and test the way they live. 28 All of them are used to disobeying me. They go around telling lies about others. They are like bronze mixed with iron. All of them do very sinful things. 29 The fire is made very hot so the lead will burn away. But it is impossible to make these people pure. Those who are evil are not removed. 30 They are like silver that is thrown away. That is because I have not accepted them.’

Jeremia 6 | King James Version New International Reader’s Version

The Babylonians will attack Jerusalem