Jeremiah 6

1O 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.● 2I have likened the daughter of Zion to a comely and delicate {woman}. {comely: or, dwelling at home}● 3The 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.● 4Prepare 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.● 5Arise, and let us go by night, and let us destroy her palaces.● 6For 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. {cast...: or, pour out the engine of shot}● 7As 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.● 8Be thou instructed, O Jerusalem, lest my soul depart from thee; lest I make thee desolate, a land not inhabited. {depart: Heb. be loosed, or, disjointed}● 9Thus 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.● 10To 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.● 11Therefore 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.● 12And 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.● 13For 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.● 14They have healed also the hurt {of the daughter} of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when {there is} no peace. {hurt: Heb. bruise, or, breach}● 15Were 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.● 16Thus 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}.● 17Also I set watchmen over you, {saying}, Hearken to the sound of the trumpet. But they said, We will not hearken.● 18Therefore hear, ye nations, and know, O congregation, what {is} among them.● 19Hear, 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.● 20To 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.● 21Therefore 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.● 22Thus saith the LORD, Behold, a people cometh from the north country, and a great nation shall be raised from the sides of the earth.● 23They 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.● 24We have heard the fame thereof: our hands wax feeble: anguish hath taken hold of us, {and} pain, as of a woman in travail.● 25Go not forth into the field, nor walk by the way; for the sword of the enemy {and} fear {is} on every side.● 26O 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.● 27I have set thee {for} a tower {and} a fortress among my people, that thou mayest know and try their way.● 28They {are} all grievous revolters, walking with slanders: {they are} brass and iron; they {are} all corrupters.● 29The bellows are burned, the lead is consumed of the fire; the founder melteth in vain: for the wicked are not plucked away.● 30Reprobate silver shall {men} call them, because the LORD hath rejected them. {Reprobate...: or, Refuse silver}●