Jeremiah 6

Legacy Standard Bible

6 “Flee for safety, O sons of ^(A)Benjamin,
From the midst of Jerusalem!
Now blow a trumpet in Tekoa
And raise a signal over ^[a](B)Beth-haccerem,
For evil looks down from the ^(C)north,
As well as great destruction.
² The comely and ^(D)delicate one, ^(E)the daughter of Zion, I will ruin.
^3 (F)Shepherds and their flocks will come to her;
They will ^(G)pitch their tents ^[b]around her;
They will pasture each in his ^[c]place.
^4 (H)Set yourselves apart for war against her;
Arise, and let us go up at ^(I)noon.
Woe to us, for the day declines,
For the shadows of the evening stretch out!
⁵ Arise, and let us go up by night
And ^[d](J)destroy her ^[e]palaces!”
⁶ For thus says Yahweh of hosts,
“^(K)Cut down her trees
And cast up a ^(L)siege against Jerusalem.
This is the city to be punished,
In whose midst there is only ^(M)oppression.
^7 (N)Like a well ^[f]keeps its waters fresh,
So she ^[g]keeps fresh her evil.
^(O)Violence and devastation are heard in her;
^(P)Sickness and wounds are continually before Me.
^8 (Q)Heed discipline, O Jerusalem,
Lest ^(R)My soul become disgusted at you,
Lest I make you a desolation,
A land not inhabited.”

“They will ^(S)thoroughly glean as the vine the ^(T)remnant of Israel;
Pass your hand again like a grape gatherer
Over the branches.”
¹⁰ To whom shall I speak and give warning
That they may hear?
Behold, their ^(U)ears are uncircumcised,
And they cannot give heed.
Behold, ^(V)the word of Yahweh has become a reproach to them;
They have no delight in it.
¹¹ But I am ^(W)full of the wrath of Yahweh;
I am ^(X)weary of holding it in.
“^(Y)Pour it out on the infants in the street
And on the ^[h]gathering of choice men together;
For both husband and wife shall be captured,
The aged with the one full of days.
¹² Their ^(Z)houses shall be turned over to others,
Their fields and their wives together,
For I will ^(AA)stretch out My hand
Against the inhabitants of the land,” declares Yahweh.
¹³ “For ^(AB)from the least of them even to the greatest of them,
Everyone is ^(AC)greedy for gain,
And from the prophet even to the priest
Everyone practices lying.
¹⁴ They have ^(AD)healed the brokenness of My people superficially,
Saying, ‘Peace, peace,’
But there is no peace.
¹⁵ Were they ^(AE)ashamed because of the abomination they have done?
They were not even ashamed at all;
They did not even know how to feel dishonor.
Therefore they shall fall among those who fall;
At the time that I punish them,
They shall be cast down,” says Yahweh.

“Stand by the ways and see and ask for the ^(AF)ancient paths,
Where the good way is, and walk in it;
And ^(AG)you will find rest for your souls.
But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.’
¹⁷ And I set ^(AH)watchmen over you, saying,
‘Give heed to the sound of the trumpet!’
But they said, ‘We will not give heed.’
¹⁸ Therefore hear, O nations,
And know, O congregation, what is among them.
^19 (AI)Hear, O earth: behold, I am bringing evil on this people,
The ^(AJ)fruit of their ^[i]plans,
Because they have not given heed to My words,
And as for My law, they have ^(AK)rejected it also.
^20 (AL)For what purpose does ^(AM)frankincense come to Me from Sheba
And the ^[j](AN)sweet cane from a distant land?
^(AO)Your burnt offerings are not acceptable,
And your sacrifices are not pleasing to Me.”
²¹ Therefore, thus says Yahweh,
“Behold, ^(AP)I am ^[k]laying stumbling blocks before this people.
And they will stumble against them,
^(AQ)Fathers and sons together;
Neighbor and ^[l]friend will perish.”

“Behold, ^(AR)a people is coming from the land of the north,
And a great nation will be aroused from the ^(AS)remote parts of the earth.
²³ They take hold of ^(AT)bow and spear;
They are ^(AU)cruel and have no compassion;
Their voice ^(AV)roars like the sea,
And they ride on horses,
Arranged as a man for the battle
Against you, O daughter of Zion!”
²⁴ We have ^(AW)heard the report of it;
Our hands are limp.
^(AX)Distress has taken hold of us,
Pain as of a woman in childbirth.
^25 (AY)Do not go out into the field
And ^(AZ)do not walk on the road,
For the enemy has a sword;
^(BA)Terror is on every side.
²⁶ O daughter of my people, ^(BB)gird yourself with sackcloth
And ^(BC)roll in ashes;
^[m](BD)Mourn as for an only son,
A lamentation most bitter.
For suddenly the destroyer
Will come upon us.