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.
02 I have likened the daughter of Zion to a
comely and delicate woman.
03 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.
04 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.
05 Arise, and let us go by night, and let us
destroy her palaces.
06 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.
07 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.
08 Be thou instructed, O Jerusalem, lest my soul
depart from thee; lest I make thee desolate, a
land not inhabited.
09 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.
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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.
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