| 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. |
