|
Chapter 6 |
| 1 | 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. |
| 2 | I have likened
the daughter of Zion to a comely and delicate woman. |
| 3 | 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. |
| 4 | 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. |
| 5 | Arise, and let
us go by night, and let us destroy her palaces. |
| 6 | 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. |
| 7 |
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. |
| 8
| Be thou instructed, O Jerusalem, lest my soul depart from
thee; lest I make thee desolate, a land not inhabited. |
| 9 | 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. |
