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Jerusalem Under Siege

Flee for refuge, children of Benjamin,
        from the midst of Jerusalem!
    Blow the shofar in Tekoa
    and raise a signal in Beth-cherem!
    For disaster looms from the north,
        even terrible destruction.

“The lovely, delicate Daughter of Zion
    I will cut off.”

Shepherds with their flocks are coming against her.
    All around her they pitch their tents,
    each pasturing in his own place.
“Prepare for war against her.
    Rise up! Let’s attack at noon.”
    Oy for us! For day is fading—
    evening shadows are lengthening.”
“Rise up! Let’s attack at night
        and destroy her palaces.”

For thus says Adonai-Tzva’ot:
    “Chop down her trees!
    Raise a siege ramp at Jerusalem.
    This city must be punished—
    in her midst is only oppression.
As a well gushes out its waters,
    so she pours out her wickedness.
    Violence and havoc are heard in her,
    sickness and wounds ever before Me.
Be warned, O Jerusalem,
    lest I abandon you,
    lest I make you desolate—
        an uninhabited land.”

Thus says Adonai-Tzva’ot:
    “Glean the remnant of Israel
        thoroughly as a vine.
    Pass your hand over the branches once more,
        like a grape-gatherer.”
10 “To whom can I speak and warn
        so they would hear?
    See, their ears are uncircumcised,
        unable to hear!
    The word of Adonai has become scorn to them.
        They have no delight in it.
11 So I am full of the wrath of Adonai.
    I am weary of holding it in!
    Pour it out on a child in the street,
        on young men gathered together.
    For husband will be taken with wife,
        the aged with the very old.
12 Their homes will be turned over to others
        —together with their fields and their wives.
    For I will stretch out My hand
        on the inhabitants of the land.”
It is a declaration of Adonai.

13 “For from the least to the greatest,
        all of them are greedy for gain,
    and from prophet even to kohen,
        everyone practices deceit.
14 They healed the wound of My people superficially,
    saying ‘Shalom, shalom!’
        when there is no shalom.”
15 “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; at the time that
    I punish them, they shall be
        overthrown,” says Adonai.

16 Thus says Adonai:
    “Stand in the roads and look.
    Ask for the ancient paths—
    where the good way is—and walk in it.
    Then you will find rest for your souls.[a]
    But they said, ‘We won’t walk in it.’
17 So I set watchmen over you, saying
    ‘Listen to the sound of the shofar!
    But they said, ‘We won’t listen.’
18 Therefore hear, O nations
    and observe, O congregation,
        what is against them.
19 Hear, O earth!
    See, I will bring disaster on this people
    —fruit of their schemes—
    for they did not listen to My words
        and rejected My Torah.
20 Of what use to Me is frankincense coming from Sheba
    or sweet cane from a distant country?
    Your burnt offerings are not acceptable,
    nor are your sacrifices pleasing to Me.”
21 Therefore thus says Adonai:
    “Look, I am laying before this people stumbling blocks—
    and against them they will stumble—
    fathers and the sons together,
    a neighbor and his friend,
        and they will perish.”

Destruction from the North

22 Thus says Adonai:
        “Look, a people coming from a northern land,
    a great nation roused from the ends of the earth!
23 They are armed with bow and spear,
        cruel and with no compassion.
    They sound like the roaring sea—
    as they ride on horses
    as men in battle formation,
        against you, Daughter of Zion!”

24 “We have heard of their fame.
    Our hands hang limp;
        anguish has gripped us,
        pain like a woman in labor.
25 Don’t go out into the field
        or walk on the road.
    Since the enemy has a sword,
        there’s terror on every side!”

26 “Daughter of My people,
    put on sackcloth and roll in ashes.
    Mourn as for an only son
        with bitter lamentation.”
    “For suddenly the destroyer
        will come on us!”

27 “I have made you a metal-tester among My people—
    so you may observe and test their way.
28 They are all stubborn rebels
        spreading slander.
    They are bronze and iron,
        all of them are corrupt.
29 The bellows blow fiercely,
        blasting away the lead with fire.
    The refining is completely in vain,
        for the wicked are not drawn off.
30 They are called ‘cast off silver’—
    for Adonai has cast them off.”

Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 6:16 cf. Matt. 11:29.

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.
I will destroy Daughter Zion,(E)
    so beautiful and delicate.(F)
Shepherds(G) with their flocks will come against her;
    they will pitch their tents around(H) her,
    each tending his own portion.”

“Prepare for battle against her!
    Arise, let us attack at noon!(I)
But, alas, the daylight is fading,
    and the shadows of evening grow long.
So arise, let us attack at night
    and destroy her fortresses!”

This is what the Lord Almighty says:

“Cut down the trees(J)
    and build siege ramps(K) against Jerusalem.
This city must be punished;
    it is filled with oppression.(L)
As a well pours out its water,
    so she pours out her wickedness.
Violence(M) and destruction(N) resound in her;
    her sickness and wounds are ever before me.
Take warning, Jerusalem,
    or I will turn away(O) from you
and make your land desolate
    so no one can live in it.”

This is what the Lord Almighty says:

“Let them glean the remnant(P) of Israel
    as thoroughly as a vine;
pass your hand over the branches again,
    like one gathering grapes.”

10 To whom can I speak and give warning?
    Who will listen(Q) to me?
Their ears are closed[a](R)
    so they cannot hear.(S)
The word(T) of the Lord is offensive to them;
    they find no pleasure in it.
11 But I am full of the wrath(U) of the Lord,
    and I cannot hold it in.(V)

“Pour it out on the children in the street
    and on the young men(W) gathered together;
both husband and wife will be caught in it,
    and the old, those weighed down with years.(X)
12 Their houses will be turned over to others,(Y)
    together with their fields and their wives,(Z)
when I stretch out my hand(AA)
    against those who live in the land,”
declares the Lord.
13 “From the least to the greatest,
    all(AB) are greedy for gain;(AC)
prophets and priests alike,
    all practice deceit.(AD)
14 They dress the wound of my people
    as though it were not serious.
‘Peace, peace,’ they say,
    when there is no peace.(AE)
15 Are they ashamed of their detestable conduct?
    No, they have no shame at all;
    they do not even know how to blush.(AF)
So they will fall among the fallen;
    they will be brought down when I punish(AG) them,”
says the Lord.

16 This is what the Lord says:

“Stand at the crossroads and look;
    ask for the ancient paths,(AH)
ask where the good way(AI) is, and walk in it,
    and you will find rest(AJ) for your souls.
    But you said, ‘We will not walk in it.’
17 I appointed watchmen(AK) over you and said,
    ‘Listen to the sound of the trumpet!’(AL)
    But you said, ‘We will not listen.’(AM)
18 Therefore hear, you nations;
    you who are witnesses,
    observe what will happen to them.
19 Hear, you earth:(AN)
    I am bringing disaster(AO) on this people,
    the fruit of their schemes,(AP)
because they have not listened to my words(AQ)
    and have rejected my law.(AR)
20 What do I care about incense from Sheba(AS)
    or sweet calamus(AT) from a distant land?
Your burnt offerings are not acceptable;(AU)
    your sacrifices(AV) do not please me.”(AW)

21 Therefore this is what the Lord says:

“I will put obstacles before this people.
    Parents and children alike will stumble(AX) over them;
    neighbors and friends will perish.”

22 This is what the Lord says:

“Look, an army is coming
    from the land of the north;(AY)
a great nation is being stirred up
    from the ends of the earth.(AZ)
23 They are armed with bow and spear;
    they are cruel and show no mercy.(BA)
They sound like the roaring sea(BB)
    as they ride on their horses;(BC)
they come like men in battle formation
    to attack you, Daughter Zion.(BD)

24 We have heard reports about them,
    and our hands hang limp.(BE)
Anguish(BF) has gripped us,
    pain like that of a woman in labor.(BG)
25 Do not go out to the fields
    or walk on the roads,
for the enemy has a sword,
    and there is terror on every side.(BH)
26 Put on sackcloth,(BI) my people,
    and roll in ashes;(BJ)
mourn with bitter wailing(BK)
    as for an only son,(BL)
for suddenly the destroyer(BM)
    will come upon us.

27 “I have made you a tester(BN) of metals
    and my people the ore,
that you may observe
    and test their ways.
28 They are all hardened rebels,(BO)
    going about to slander.(BP)
They are bronze and iron;(BQ)
    they all act corruptly.
29 The bellows blow fiercely
    to burn away the lead with fire,
but the refining(BR) goes on in vain;
    the wicked are not purged out.
30 They are called rejected silver,(BS)
    because the Lord has rejected them.”(BT)

Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 6:10 Hebrew uncircumcised

O ye children of Benjamin, gather yourselves to flee out of the midst of Jerusalem, and blow the trumpet in Tekoa, and set up a sign of fire in Bethhaccerem: for evil appeareth out of the north, and great destruction.

I have likened the daughter of Zion to a comely and delicate woman.

The shepherds with their flocks shall come unto her; they shall pitch their tents against her round about; they shall feed every one in his place.

Prepare ye war against her; arise, and let us go up at noon. Woe unto us! for the day goeth away, for the shadows of the evening are stretched out.

Arise, and let us go by night, and let us destroy her palaces.

For thus hath the Lord of hosts said, Hew ye down trees, and cast a mount against Jerusalem: this is the city to be visited; she is wholly oppression in the midst of her.

As a fountain casteth out her waters, so she casteth out her wickedness: violence and spoil is heard in her; before me continually is grief and wounds.

Be thou instructed, O Jerusalem, lest my soul depart from thee; lest I make thee desolate, a land not inhabited.

Thus saith the Lord of hosts, They shall throughly glean the remnant of Israel as a vine: turn back thine hand as a grapegatherer into the baskets.

10 To whom shall I speak, and give warning, that they may hear? behold, their ear is uncircumcised, and they cannot hearken: behold, the word of the Lord is unto them a reproach; they have no delight in it.

11 Therefore I am full of the fury of the Lord; I am weary with holding in: I will pour it out upon the children abroad, and upon the assembly of young men together: for even the husband with the wife shall be taken, the aged with him that is full of days.

12 And their houses shall be turned unto others, with their fields and wives together: for I will stretch out my hand upon the inhabitants of the land, saith the Lord.

13 For from the least of them even unto the greatest of them every one is given to covetousness; and from the prophet even unto the priest every one dealeth falsely.

14 They have healed also the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace.

15 Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? nay, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush: therefore they shall fall among them that fall: at the time that I visit them they shall be cast down, saith the Lord.

16 Thus saith the Lord, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein.

17 Also I set watchmen over you, saying, Hearken to the sound of the trumpet. But they said, We will not hearken.

18 Therefore hear, ye nations, and know, O congregation, what is among them.

19 Hear, O earth: behold, I will bring evil upon this people, even the fruit of their thoughts, because they have not hearkened unto my words, nor to my law, but rejected it.

20 To what purpose cometh there to me incense from Sheba, and the sweet cane from a far country? your burnt offerings are not acceptable, nor your sacrifices sweet unto me.

21 Therefore thus saith the Lord, Behold, I will lay stumblingblocks before this people, and the fathers and the sons together shall fall upon them; the neighbour and his friend shall perish.

22 Thus saith the Lord, Behold, a people cometh from the north country, and a great nation shall be raised from the sides of the earth.

23 They shall lay hold on bow and spear; they are cruel, and have no mercy; their voice roareth like the sea; and they ride upon horses, set in array as men for war against thee, O daughter of Zion.

24 We have heard the fame thereof: our hands wax feeble: anguish hath taken hold of us, and pain, as of a woman in travail.

25 Go not forth into the field, nor walk by the way; for the sword of the enemy and fear is on every side.

26 O daughter of my people, gird thee with sackcloth, and wallow thyself in ashes: make thee mourning, as for an only son, most bitter lamentation: for the spoiler shall suddenly come upon us.

27 I have set thee for a tower and a fortress among my people, that thou mayest know and try their way.

28 They are all grievous revolters, walking with slanders: they are brass and iron; they are all corrupters.

29 The bellows are burned, the lead is consumed of the fire; the founder melteth in vain: for the wicked are not plucked away.

30 Reprobate silver shall men call them, because the Lord hath rejected them.