Jeremiah 6
English Standard Version
Impending Disaster for Jerusalem
6 Flee for safety, (A)O people of Benjamin,
from the midst of Jerusalem!
Blow the trumpet in (B)Tekoa,
and raise a signal on (C)Beth-haccherem,
for disaster looms (D)out of the north,
and great destruction.
2 The lovely and delicately bred I will destroy,
(E)the daughter of Zion.[a]
3 (F)Shepherds with their flocks shall come against her;
(G)they shall pitch their tents around her;
they shall pasture, each in his place.
4 (H)“Prepare war against her;
arise, and let us attack (I)at noon!
Woe to us, for the day declines,
for the shadows of evening lengthen!
5 Arise, and let us attack by night
and destroy her palaces!”
6 For thus says the Lord of hosts:
(J)“Cut down her trees;
(K)cast up a siege mound against Jerusalem.
This is the city that must be (L)punished;
there is nothing but oppression within her.
7 (M)As a well keeps its water fresh,
so she keeps fresh her evil;
(N)violence and destruction are heard within her;
sickness and wounds are ever before me.
8 Be warned, O Jerusalem,
(O)lest I turn from you in disgust,
lest I make you (P)a desolation,
an uninhabited land.”
9 Thus says the Lord of hosts:
(Q)“They shall glean thoroughly as a vine
the remnant of Israel;
like a grape gatherer pass your hand again
over its branches.”
10 (R)To whom shall I speak and give warning,
that they may hear?
(S)Behold, their ears are uncircumcised,
(T)they cannot listen;
behold, (U)the word of the Lord is to them an object of scorn;
they take no pleasure in it.
11 Therefore I am full of the wrath of the Lord;
(V)I am weary of holding it in.
(W)“Pour it out upon the children in the street,
and upon the gatherings of young men, also;
(X)both husband and wife (Y)shall be taken,
the elderly and the very aged.
12 (Z)Their houses shall be turned over to others,
their fields and wives together,
for I will stretch out my hand
against the inhabitants of the land,”
declares the Lord.
13 (AA)“For from the least to the greatest of them,
everyone (AB)is greedy for unjust gain;
and from (AC)prophet to priest,
everyone deals falsely.
14 They have healed the wound of my people lightly,
saying, (AD)‘Peace, peace,’
(AE)when there is no peace.
15 (AF)Were they ashamed when they committed abomination?
No, they were not at all ashamed;
they did not know how to blush.
Therefore they shall fall among those who fall;
(AG)at the time that I punish them, they shall be overthrown,”
says the Lord.
16 Thus says the Lord:
“Stand by the roads, and look,
and ask for (AH)the ancient paths,
where the good way is; and walk in it,
(AI)and find rest for your souls.
But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.’
17 (AJ)I set watchmen over you, saying,
‘Pay attention to (AK)the sound of the trumpet!’
But they said, (AL)‘We will not pay attention.’
18 Therefore hear, O nations,
and know, O congregation, what will happen to them.
19 Hear, O earth; behold, I am bringing disaster upon this people,
(AM)the fruit of their devices,
because they have not paid attention to my words;
and as for my law, they have rejected it.
20 (AN)What use to me is (AO)frankincense that comes from (AP)Sheba,
or sweet cane from a distant land?
(AQ)Your burnt offerings are not acceptable,
nor your sacrifices pleasing to me.
21 Therefore thus says the Lord:
(AR)‘Behold, I will lay before this people
stumbling blocks against which they shall stumble;
fathers and sons together,
neighbor and friend shall perish.’”
22 Thus says the Lord:
(AS)“Behold, a people is coming (AT)from the north country,
a great nation is stirring from (AU)the farthest parts of the earth.
23 They lay hold on bow and javelin;
they are (AV)cruel and have no mercy;
(AW)the sound of them is like the roaring sea;
they ride on horses,
set in array as a man for battle,
against you, O daughter of Zion!”
24 We have heard the report of it;
(AX)our hands fall helpless;
anguish has taken hold of us,
(AY)pain as of a woman in labor.
25 Go not out into the field,
nor walk on the road,
for the enemy has a sword;
(AZ)terror is on every side.
26 O daughter of my people, (BA)put on sackcloth,
and (BB)roll in ashes;
(BC)make mourning as for an only son,
most bitter lamentation,
for suddenly the destroyer
will come upon us.
27 “I have made you (BD)a tester of metals among my people,
that you may know and (BE)test their ways.
28 (BF)They are all stubbornly rebellious,
(BG)going about with slanders;
they are (BH)bronze and iron;
all of them act corruptly.
29 The (BI)bellows blow fiercely;
the lead is consumed by the fire;
(BJ)in vain the refining goes on,
for the wicked are not removed.
30 (BK)Rejected silver they are called,
for the Lord has rejected them.”
Footnotes
- Jeremiah 6:2 Or I have likened the daughter of Zion to the loveliest pasture
Jeremiah 6
Common English Bible
Prepare for war
6 Escape, people of Benjamin,
get out of Jerusalem!
Blow the trumpet in Tekoa,
sound the alarm in Beth-haccherem;
for disaster looms from the north,
massive devastation.
2 You are like a lovely pasture, Daughter Zion.[a]
3 Shepherds come to her with their flocks.
They pitch their tents around her
and graze in their place.
4 “Prepare for battle against her;
get ready; let’s attack by noon!
Oh, no! Daylight is fading,
and the evening shadows lengthen.
5 Get ready, let’s attack by night
and destroy her fortresses!”
6 The Lord of heavenly forces proclaims:
Cut down her trees,
and build siege ramps against Jerusalem.
This city must be held accountable,[b]
for there’s nothing but oppression in her midst.
7 As a well brings forth fresh water,
she brings forth evil.
Violence and destruction are heard within her;
injury and wounds are ever before me.
8 Hear me out,[c] Jerusalem,
or else I’ll turn away from you
and reduce you to ruins,
a land unfit to live in.
Unresponsive people
9 This is what the Lord of heavenly forces says:
From top to bottom, let them harvest
the remaining few in Israel.
Pick clean every
last grape on the vine!
10 To whom can I speak and warn?
How can I get someone’s attention?
Their ears are shut tight,[d]
so they won’t hear.
They are ashamed of the Lord’s word
and take no pleasure in it.
11 But I’m filled with the Lord’s rage
and am tired of holding it in.
Pour it out on the children in the streets
and on the youths gathered together;
husband with wife will be trapped,
as will those old and gray.
12 Their homes will be turned over to others,
their fields and wives as well.
I will stretch out my hand
against the people of this land,
declares the Lord.
13 From the least to the greatest,
each is eager to profit;
from prophet to priest,
each trades in dishonesty.
14 They treat the wound of my people
as if it were nothing:
“All is well, all is well,” they insist,
when in fact nothing is well.
15 They should be ashamed
of their detestable practices,
but they have no shame;
they don’t even blush!
Therefore, they will fall among the fallen
and stumble when I bring disaster,
declares the Lord.
16 The Lord proclaims:
Stop at the crossroads and look around;
ask for the ancient paths.
Where is the good way?
Then walk in it
and find a resting place for yourselves.
But you[e] said, “We won’t go!”
17 Still, I have appointed watchmen to warn you.
But you[f] said, “We won’t listen!”
18 Therefore, pay attention, nations;
take notice, assembly,
what is ahead of them.[g]
19 Pay attention, earth:
I’m bringing disaster upon my people,
the fruit of their own devices,
because they have ignored my words
and they have rejected my teaching.
20 What use to me is incense from Sheba
or sweet cane from a faraway land?
Your entirely burned offerings won’t buy your pardon;
your sacrifices won’t appease me.
21 Therefore, the Lord proclaims:
I’m putting obstacles before this people,
and both parents and children will stumble over them;
neighbor and friend alike will perish.
Panic-stricken Zion
22 The Lord proclaims:
An army is on the move
from the northern regions;
a great nation is roused
from the ends of the earth.
23 Equipped with bow and spear,
they are cruel;
they show no mercy.
Their horsemen sound
like the roaring sea,
arrayed in battle formation
against you, Daughter Zion.
24 We have heard reports of them
and are panic-stricken;
distress overwhelms us,
pain like that of a woman in labor.
25 Don’t go out into the field!
Don’t walk on the road!
The enemies’ sword
terrorizes at every turn.
26 My people,
put on funeral clothes and roll in ashes;
weep and wail as for an only child,
because the destroyer will suddenly descend upon us.
Prophet as tester
27 I have made you a tester of metals,
to examine my people[h]
to know and prove their ways.
28 They are tin[i] and iron;
they are headstrong and rebellious.
They live to slander.
They act corruptly—every last one!
29 The bellows roar;
the lead is consumed.[j]
Yet the refining fails;
the impurities[k] remain.
30 They are called “rejected silver,”
for the Lord has rejected them.
Footnotes
- Jeremiah 6:2 Heb uncertain
- Jeremiah 6:6 Heb uncertain
- Jeremiah 6:8 Or Accept correction
- Jeremiah 6:10 Or uncircumcised
- Jeremiah 6:16 Or they
- Jeremiah 6:17 Or they
- Jeremiah 6:18 Heb uncertain
- Jeremiah 6:27 Heb uncertain
- Jeremiah 6:28 Or bronze
- Jeremiah 6:29 Heb uncertain
- Jeremiah 6:29 Or wicked
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible