Jerusalem Under Siege

“Flee for safety, people of Benjamin!
    Flee from Jerusalem!
Sound the trumpet(A) in Tekoa!(B)
    Raise the signal over Beth Hakkerem!(C)
For disaster looms out of the north,(D)
    even terrible destruction.

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14 The Dung Gate was repaired by Malkijah son of Rekab, ruler of the district of Beth Hakkerem.(A) He rebuilt it and put its doors with their bolts and bars in place.

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22 This is what the Lord says:

“Look, an army is coming
    from the land of the north;(A)
a great nation is being stirred up
    from the ends of the earth.(B)

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Disaster From the North

“Announce in Judah and proclaim(A) in Jerusalem and say:
    ‘Sound the trumpet(B) throughout the land!’
Cry aloud and say:
    ‘Gather together!
    Let us flee to the fortified cities!’(C)
Raise the signal(D) to go to Zion!
    Flee for safety without delay!
For I am bringing disaster(E) from the north,(F)
    even terrible destruction.”

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So Joab sent someone to Tekoa(A) and had a wise woman(B) brought from there. He said to her, “Pretend you are in mourning. Dress in mourning clothes, and don’t use any cosmetic lotions.(C) Act like a woman who has spent many days grieving for the dead.

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21 The Benjamites, however, did not drive out(A) the Jebusites, who were living in Jerusalem;(B) to this day the Jebusites live there with the Benjamites.

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21 The tribe of Benjamin, according to its clans, had the following towns:

Jericho, Beth Hoglah,(A) Emek Keziz, 22 Beth Arabah,(B) Zemaraim,(C) Bethel,(D) 23 Avvim,(E) Parah, Ophrah,(F) 24 Kephar Ammoni, Ophni and Geba(G)—twelve towns and their villages.

25 Gibeon,(H) Ramah,(I) Beeroth,(J) 26 Mizpah,(K) Kephirah,(L) Mozah, 27 Rekem, Irpeel, Taralah, 28 Zelah,(M) Haeleph, the Jebusite city(N) (that is, Jerusalem(O)), Gibeah(P) and Kiriath—fourteen towns and their villages.(Q)

This was the inheritance of Benjamin for its clans.(R)

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The words of Amos, one of the shepherds of Tekoa(A)—the vision he saw concerning Israel two years before the earthquake,(B) when Uzziah(C) was king of Judah and Jeroboam(D) son of Jehoash[a] was king of Israel.(E)

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Footnotes

  1. Amos 1:1 Hebrew Joash, a variant of Jehoash

“For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: From the north I am going to bring against Tyre Nebuchadnezzar[a](A) king of Babylon, king of kings,(B) with horses and chariots,(C) with horsemen and a great army. He will ravage your settlements on the mainland with the sword; he will set up siege works(D) against you, build a ramp(E) up to your walls and raise his shields against you. He will direct the blows of his battering rams against your walls and demolish your towers with his weapons.(F) 10 His horses will be so many that they will cover you with dust. Your walls will tremble at the noise of the warhorses, wagons and chariots(G) when he enters your gates as men enter a city whose walls have been broken through. 11 The hooves(H) of his horses will trample all your streets; he will kill your people with the sword, and your strong pillars(I) will fall to the ground.(J) 12 They will plunder your wealth and loot your merchandise; they will break down your walls and demolish your fine houses and throw your stones, timber and rubble into the sea.(K) 13 I will put an end(L) to your noisy songs,(M) and the music of your harps(N) will be heard no more.(O) 14 I will make you a bare rock, and you will become a place to spread fishnets. You will never be rebuilt,(P) for I the Lord have spoken, declares the Sovereign Lord.

15 “This is what the Sovereign Lord says to Tyre: Will not the coastlands(Q) tremble(R) at the sound of your fall, when the wounded groan(S) and the slaughter takes place in you? 16 Then all the princes of the coast will step down from their thrones and lay aside their robes and take off their embroidered(T) garments. Clothed(U) with terror, they will sit on the ground,(V) trembling(W) every moment, appalled(X) at you. 17 Then they will take up a lament(Y) concerning you and say to you:

“‘How you are destroyed, city of renown,
    peopled by men of the sea!
You were a power on the seas,
    you and your citizens;
you put your terror
    on all who lived there.(Z)
18 Now the coastlands tremble(AA)
    on the day of your fall;
the islands in the sea
    are terrified at your collapse.’(AB)

19 “This is what the Sovereign Lord says: When I make you a desolate city, like cities no longer inhabited, and when I bring the ocean depths(AC) over you and its vast waters cover you,(AD) 20 then I will bring you down with those who go down to the pit,(AE) to the people of long ago. I will make you dwell in the earth below, as in ancient ruins, with those who go down to the pit, and you will not return or take your place[b] in the land of the living.(AF) 21 I will bring you to a horrible end and you will be no more.(AG) You will be sought, but you will never again be found, declares the Sovereign Lord.”(AH)

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Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 26:7 Hebrew Nebuchadrezzar, of which Nebuchadnezzar is a variant; here and often in Ezekiel and Jeremiah
  2. Ezekiel 26:20 Septuagint; Hebrew return, and I will give glory

I will summon(A) all the peoples of the north(B) and my servant(C) Nebuchadnezzar(D) king of Babylon,” declares the Lord, “and I will bring them against this land and its inhabitants and against all the surrounding nations. I will completely destroy[a](E) them and make them an object of horror and scorn,(F) and an everlasting ruin.(G)

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Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 25:9 The Hebrew term refers to the irrevocable giving over of things or persons to the Lord, often by totally destroying them.

22 Listen! The report is coming—
    a great commotion from the land of the north!(A)
It will make the towns of Judah desolate,(B)
    a haunt of jackals.(C)

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Coming Destruction

17 Gather up your belongings(A) to leave the land,
    you who live under siege.
18 For this is what the Lord says:
    “At this time I will hurl(B) out
    those who live in this land;
I will bring distress(C) on them
    so that they may be captured.”

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29 At the sound of horsemen and archers(A)
    every town takes to flight.(B)
Some go into the thickets;
    some climb up among the rocks.(C)
All the towns are deserted;(D)
    no one lives in them.

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19 Oh, my anguish, my anguish!(A)
    I writhe in pain.(B)
Oh, the agony of my heart!
    My heart pounds(C) within me,
    I cannot keep silent.(D)
For I have heard the sound of the trumpet;(E)
    I have heard the battle cry.(F)
20 Disaster follows disaster;(G)
    the whole land lies in ruins.(H)
In an instant my tents(I) are destroyed,
    my shelter in a moment.

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14 The Lord said to me, “From the north(A) disaster will be poured out on all who live in the land. 15 I am about to summon all the peoples of the northern kingdoms,” declares the Lord.

“Their kings will come and set up their thrones
    in the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem;
they will come against all her surrounding walls
    and against all the towns of Judah.(B)

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63 Judah could not(A) dislodge the Jebusites(B), who were living in Jerusalem;(C) to this day the Jebusites live there with the people of Judah.(D)

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