Take refuge, O sons of Benjamin, from the midst of Jerusalem! Blow the trumpet in Tekoa and raise a signal over Beth-Haccherem. For disaster looms from the north, a great destruction.

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.

I have likened the beautiful and delicate Daughter of Zion to her destruction.

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

Shepherds and their flocks will come against her; they will pitch their tents surrounding her and graze, each in his place.

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.

Prepare for war against her! Arise, let us attack at noon! Woe to us, for the day is waning and the shadows of evening are lengthening.

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.

Arise, let us attack by night and destroy her fortresses!

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

For this is what the Lord of Hosts says: Cut down trees and build a siege ramp against Jerusalem. This city must be punished; it is filled with oppression.

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.

As a well keeps its water fresh, so she keeps her wickedness fresh. Violence and destruction are heard within her; continually before me, there are sickness and wounds.

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.

Be warned, Jerusalem, or I will become alienated from you and make you a desolation, a land uninhabited.

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

This is what the Lord of Hosts says: Glean thoroughly the remnant of Israel as a vine; pass your hand over the branches like a grape gatherer.

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.

To whom can I speak and give warning so they will listen? Their ears are closed, and they cannot pay attention. The word of the Lord is offensive to them; they take no pleasure in it.

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.

But I am full of the wrath of the Lord, and I am weary of holding it in. Pour it out on the children in the streets and on the young men gathered together. For both husband and wife will be taken, the old and those advanced in years.

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.

Their houses will be turned over to others, along with their fields and wives. For I will stretch out my hand against the inhabitants of the land,” declares the Lord.

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.

For from the least to the greatest, all are greedy for unjust gain; prophets and priests alike, all practice deceit.

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.

They dress the wound of my people as though it were not serious, saying, 'Peace, peace,' when there is no peace.

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

Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? No, they were not at all ashamed; they did not even know how to blush. Therefore, they shall fall among those who fall; at the time I punish them, they will stumble,” says the Lord.

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.

This is what the Lord says: 'Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls. But they said, 'We will not walk in it.'

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.

I appointed watchmen over you and said, 'Listen to the sound of the trumpet!' But they said, 'We will not listen.'

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

Therefore hear, O nations; observe, O congregation, what is among them!

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

Hear, O earth! I am bringing disaster upon this people, the fruit of their schemes, because they have not listened to My words and have rejected My law.

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.

What use is frankincense brought from Sheba, or sweet cane from a distant land? Your burnt offerings are not acceptable, and your sacrifices do not please me.

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.

Therefore, this is what the Lord says: 'I am placing stumbling blocks before this people. Fathers and sons alike will stumble over them; neighbors and friends will perish.'

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.

This is what the Lord says: 'Look, a people is coming from the land of the north; a great nation is being stirred up from the farthest parts of the earth.

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.

They grasp bow and spear; they are cruel and show no mercy. Their sound roars like the sea, and they ride on horses, arrayed as men for battle against you, Daughter Zion.'

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.

We have heard the report about them, and our hands hang limp. Anguish has gripped us, pain like that of a woman in labor.

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

Do not go out into the fields or walk on the roads, for the enemy has a sword; there is terror on every side.

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

O daughter of my people, put on sackcloth and roll in ashes; mourn as for an only son, with bitter lamentation, for suddenly the destroyer will come upon us.

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.

I have made you a tester of metals among my people, that you may observe and test their ways.

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

All of them are stubborn rebels, going about with slander. They are bronze and iron; all of them act corruptly.

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

The bellows blow fiercely to burn away the lead with fire, but the refining goes on in vain; the wicked are not purged out.

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

They are called rejected silver, for the LORD has rejected them.

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