Jeremiah 6
Legacy Standard Bible
Yahweh Disciplines Israel
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.”
9 Thus says Yahweh of hosts,
“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.
16 Thus 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.”
Mourn the Coming Destroyer
22 Thus says Yahweh,
“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.
27 “I have (BE)made you a tester of metals and [n]an assayer among My people,
That you may know and test their way.”
28 All of them are rebelliously stubborn,
(BF)Going about as a slanderer.
They are (BG)bronze and iron;
They, all of them, are corrupt.
29 The bellows blow fiercely;
The lead [o]is consumed by the fire;
In vain the refining goes on,
But the (BH)evil ones are not [p]separated.
30 (BI)They call them rejected silver
Because (BJ)Yahweh has rejected them.
Footnotes
- Jeremiah 6:1 Lit house of the vineyard
- Jeremiah 6:3 Lit against her round about
- Jeremiah 6:3 Lit hand
- Jeremiah 6:5 Or bring to corruption, cf. 6:28
- Jeremiah 6:5 Or fortified towers
- Jeremiah 6:7 Lit keeps cold
- Jeremiah 6:7 Lit keeps cold
- Jeremiah 6:11 Lit council
- Jeremiah 6:19 Or devices
- Jeremiah 6:20 Lit good
- Jeremiah 6:21 Lit giving
- Jeremiah 6:21 Lit his friend
- Jeremiah 6:26 Lit Make for yourself mourning
- Jeremiah 6:27 Or a fortification
- Jeremiah 6:29 Lit comes to an end
- Jeremiah 6:29 Or drawn off
Jeremiah 6
Holman Christian Standard Bible
Threatened Siege of Jerusalem
6 “Run for cover,(A) Benjaminites,
out of Jerusalem!
Sound the ram’s horn(B) in Tekoa;(C)
raise a smoke signal(D) over Beth-haccherem,[a]
for disaster threatens from the north,(E)
even great destruction.
2 Though she is beautiful and delicate,
I will destroy[b] Daughter Zion.
3 Shepherds and their flocks will come against her;
they will pitch their tents all around her.(F)
Each will pasture his own portion.
4 Set them apart for war(G) against her;
rise up, let’s attack at noon.
Woe to us, for the day is passing;
the evening shadows grow long.
5 Rise up, let’s attack by night.
Let us destroy her fortresses.”
6 For this is what the Lord of Hosts says:
Cut down the trees;(H)
raise a siege ramp against Jerusalem.
This city must be punished.
There is nothing but oppression within her.(I)
7 As a well gushes out its water,
so she pours out her evil.[c]
Violence and destruction(J) resound in her.
Sickness and wounds keep coming to My attention.
8 Be warned, Jerusalem,
or I will turn away from you;(K)
I will make you a desolation,
a land without inhabitants.(L)
Wrath on Israel
9 This is what the Lord of Hosts says:
Glean the remnant of Israel(M)
as thoroughly as a vine.
Pass your hand once more like a grape gatherer
over the branches.
10 Who can I speak to and give such a warning[d]
that they will listen?
Look, their ear is uncircumcised,[e](N)
so they cannot pay attention.
See, the word of the Lord has become contemptible to them—
they find no pleasure in it.(O)
11 But I am full of the Lord’s wrath;
I am tired of holding it back.(P)
Pour it out on the children in the street,(Q)
on the gang of young men as well.
For both husband and wife will be captured,
the old with the very old.[f]
12 Their houses will be turned over to others,(R)
their fields and wives as well,
for I will stretch out My hand(S)
against the inhabitants of the land.
This is the Lord’s declaration.
13 For from the least to the greatest of them,(T)
everyone is making profit dishonestly.(U)
From prophet to priest,
everyone deals falsely.(V)
14 They have treated My people’s brokenness superficially,
claiming, “Peace, peace,”(W)
when there is no peace.
15 Were they ashamed when they acted so abhorrently?
They weren’t at all ashamed.
They can no longer feel humiliation.(X)
Therefore, they will fall among the fallen.
When I punish them, they will collapse,(Y)
says the Lord.
Disaster because of Disobedience
16 This is what the Lord says:
Stand by the roadways and look.
Ask about the ancient paths:(Z)
Which is the way to what is good?
Then take it
and find rest for yourselves.(AA)
But they protested, “We won’t!”
17 I appointed watchmen over you(AB)
and said: Listen for the sound of the ram’s horn.
But they protested, “We won’t listen!”
18 Therefore listen, you nations
and you witnesses,
learn what the charge is against them.
19 Listen, earth!
I am about to bring disaster on these people,
the fruit of their own plotting,(AC)
for they have paid no attention to My word.
They have rejected My instruction.(AD)
20 What use to Me is frankincense from Sheba(AE)
or sweet cane(AF) from a distant land?
Your burnt offerings are not acceptable;
your sacrifices do not please Me.(AG)
21 Therefore, this is what the Lord says:
I am going to place stumbling blocks before these people;
fathers and sons together will stumble over them;(AH)
friends and neighbors will also perish.
A Cruel Nation from the North
22 This is what the Lord says:
Look, an army is coming from a northern land;(AI)
a great nation will be awakened
from the remote regions of the earth.(AJ)
23 They grasp bow and javelin.
They are cruel and show no mercy.(AK)
Their voice roars like the sea,(AL)
and they ride on horses,
lined up like men in battle formation
against you, Daughter Zion.
24 We have heard about it,
and we are discouraged.[g]
Distress has seized us—
pain like a woman in(AM) labor.(AN)
25 Don’t go out to the fields;
don’t walk on the road.
For the enemy has a sword;
terror is on every side.(AO)
26 My dear[h] people, dress yourselves in sackcloth
and roll in the dust.(AP)
Mourn as you would for an only son,(AQ)
a bitter lament,
for suddenly the destroyer(AR) will come on us.(AS)
Jeremiah Appointed as an Examiner
27 I have appointed you to be an assayer among My people—
a refiner[i]—
so you may know and assay their way of life.(AT)
28 All are stubborn rebels
spreading slander.(AU)
They are bronze and iron;
all of them are corrupt.(AV)
29 The bellows blow,
blasting the lead with fire.
The refining is completely in vain;
the evil ones are not separated out.
30 They are called rejected silver,
for the Lord has rejected them.(AW)
Footnotes
- Jeremiah 6:1 = House of the Vineyard
- Jeremiah 6:2 Or silence
- Jeremiah 6:7 Or well keeps its water fresh, so she keeps her evil fresh
- Jeremiah 6:10 Or and bear witness
- Jeremiah 6:10 They are unresponsive to God.
- Jeremiah 6:11 Lit with fullness of days
- Jeremiah 6:24 Lit and our hands fail
- Jeremiah 6:26 Lit Daughter of My
- Jeremiah 6:27 Text emended; MT reads fortress
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