Jeremiah 6
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
The Imminence and Horror of the Invasion
6 Flee for safety, O children of Benjamin,
from the midst of Jerusalem!
Blow the trumpet in Tekoa,
and raise a signal on Beth-haccherem,
for evil looms out of the north
and great destruction.(A)
2 I have likened daughter Zion
to the loveliest pasture.[a](B)
3 Shepherds with their flocks shall come against her.
They shall pitch their tents around her;
they shall pasture, all in their places.(C)
4 “Prepare war against her;
up, and let us attack at noon!”
“Woe to us, for the day declines;
the shadows of evening lengthen!”(D)
5 “Up, and let us attack by night,
and destroy her palaces!”(E)
6 For thus says the Lord of hosts:
Cut down her trees;
cast up a siege ramp against Jerusalem.
This is the city that must be punished;[b]
there is nothing but oppression within her.(F)
7 As a well keeps its water fresh,
so she keeps fresh her wickedness;
violence and destruction are heard within her;
sickness and wounds are ever before me.(G)
8 Take warning, O Jerusalem,
or I shall turn from you in disgust
and make you a desolation,
an uninhabited land.(H)
9 Thus says the Lord of hosts:
Glean[c] thoroughly as a vine
the remnant of Israel;
like a grape gatherer, pass your hand again
over its branches.(I)
10 To whom shall I speak and give warning,
that they may hear?
See, their ears are closed;[d]
they cannot listen.
The word of the Lord is to them an object of scorn;
they take no pleasure in it.(J)
11 But I am full of the wrath of the Lord;
I am weary of holding it in.
Pour it out on the children in the street
and on the gatherings of young men as well;
both husband and wife shall be taken,
the elderly and those full of days.(K)
12 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,
says the Lord.(L)
13 For from the least to the greatest of them,
everyone is greedy for unjust gain;
and from prophet to priest,
everyone deals falsely.(M)
14 They have treated the wound of my people carelessly,
saying, “Peace, peace,”
when there is no peace.(N)
15 They acted shamefully; they committed abomination,
yet they were not ashamed;
they did not know how to blush.
Therefore they shall fall among those who fall;
at the time that I punish them, they shall be overthrown,
says the Lord.
16 Thus says the Lord:
Stand at the crossroads and look,
and ask for the ancient paths,
where the good way lies; and walk in it,
and find rest for your souls.
But they said, “We will not walk in it.”(O)
17 Also I raised up sentinels for you:
“Give heed to the sound of the trumpet!”
But they said, “We will not give heed.”(P)
18 Therefore hear, O nations,
and know, O congregation, what will happen to them.
19 Hear, O earth; I am going to bring disaster on this people,
the fruit of their schemes,
because they have not given heed to my words,
and as for my teaching, they have rejected it.(Q)
20 Of what use to me is frankincense that comes from Sheba
or sweet cane from a distant land?
Your burnt offerings are not acceptable,
nor are your sacrifices pleasing to me.(R)
21 Therefore thus says the Lord:
See, I am laying before this people
stumbling blocks against which they shall stumble;
parents and children together,
neighbor and friend shall perish.(S)
22 Thus says the Lord:
See, a people is coming from the land of the north;
a great nation is stirring from the farthest parts of the earth.(T)
23 They grasp the bow and the javelin;
they are cruel and have no mercy;
their sound is like the roaring sea;
they ride on horses,
equipped like a warrior for battle,
against you, O daughter Zion!(U)
24 “We have heard news of them;
our hands fall helpless;
anguish has taken hold of us,
pain as of a woman in labor.(V)
25 Do not go out into the field
or walk on the road,
for the enemy has a sword;
terror is on every side.”(W)
26 O daughter of my people, put on sackcloth
and roll in ashes;
make mourning as for an only child,
most bitter lamentation,
for suddenly the destroyer
will come upon us.(X)
27 I have made you a tester and a refiner[e] among my people
so that you may know and test their ways.
28 They are all stubbornly rebellious,
going about with slanders;
they are bronze and iron;
all of them act corruptly.(Y)
29 The bellows blow fiercely;
the lead is consumed by the fire;[f]
in vain the refining goes on,
for the wicked are not removed.
30 They are called “rejected silver,”
for the Lord has rejected them.
Jeremiah 6
Christian Standard Bible
Threatened Siege of Jerusalem
6 “Run for cover(A)
out of Jerusalem, Benjaminites.
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 a crushing blow.
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’s destroy her fortresses.”
6 For this is what the Lord of Armies 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 Armies 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 gathering 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 detestably?
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 words.
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,(AI) an army is coming from a northern land;(AJ)
a great nation will be stirred up
from the remote regions of the earth.(AK)
23 They grasp bow and javelin.
They are cruel and show no mercy.(AL)
Their voice roars like the sea,(AM)
and they ride on horses,
lined up like men in battle formation
against you, Daughter Zion.
24 We have heard about it,
and our hands have become weak.
Distress has seized us—
pain, like a woman in 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[g] 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[h]—
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)
New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible®, and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved.