Open English Translation JER Chapter 6

6 Get out of Yerushalem (Jerusalem) and get yourselves to safety, you people of Benyamin,

and blow a trumpet in Tekoa.

≈ Send up a signal from Beyt-Hakkerem

because disaster and terrible destruction looms from the north.

2 Although it’s beautiful and delicate,

I will destroy Tsiyyon’s (Zion’s) daughter.

3 Shepherds and their flocks will go and pitch their tents all around it.[fn]

Each one will graze their own area.

4 Prepare for battle.

Take action and let’s attack at midday.

It won’t be good for us if the day is ending

because the evening shadows get longer.

5 Take action and attack at night

and destroy its palaces.

6 Commander-in-chief Yahweh says:

Cut down trees for timber

and mound up a ramp against Yerushalem (Jerusalem).

→ That city must be punished as it’s full of oppression.

7 Just as a well keeps its water fresh,

≈ so too she keeps her evil fresh.

Violence and oppression can be heard there.

≈ I always see sickness and plague.

8 Take note of my warning Yerushalem

in case I turn away from you—

in case I make you desolate—

a land that’s not inhabited.

9 Commander-in-chief Yahweh says this:

Those who remain in Yisrael (Israel)

will be picked over like gleaning the last few grapes off a vine.

Return your hand over the branches like a grape-picker.

10 Who should I speak to and warn so they can list?

Wow, their ears are so closed that they can’t pay attention.

Wow, Yahweh’s message has become offensive to them—

they don’t enjoy hearing it.

11 Now I’m filled with Yahweh’s rage.

I’m tired of holding it in.

Pour it out on the children in the street

and on the young men who gather together,

because a husband will be captured with his wife—

the very elderly as well.

12 Then their houses will be turned over to others,

along with their fields and wives

because I’ll stretch out my hand

against the land’s inhabitants.

That’s Yahweh’s declaration

13 because from the smallest to the greatest,

they’re all greedy for dishonest gain.

From a prophet to the priest, everyone deals in lies.

14 They’ve lightly bandaged my peoples’s wound

by saying, ‘Peace, peace,’ but there wasn’t any peace.[ref]

15 Were they ashamed when they did something disgusting?[ref]

No, they weren’t ashamed—

they didn’t even know how to be humiliated

so therefore they’ll fall among the fallen.

At the time when I punish them, they’ll stumble.

That’s what Yahweh says.

16 Yahweh says this:

Stand at the crossroads and look,

and ask about the ancient paths.

‘Where is the path of the good?’ Then walk along it

and find rest for your spirit.

But they say, ‘We won’t walk on it.’

17 I set watchmen over you.

Pay attention to the sound of the trumpet,

But they said, ‘We won’t pay attention.’

18 Therefore listen you nations,

≈ and you congregation, know what will happen to them.

19 Listen, you earth.

Yes, I will bring disaster to this people—

the fruit of their own plans

because they paid no attention to my messages

≈ and they rejected my instructions.

20 What difference does it make to me if they burn frankincense that came from Sheva?

≈ Or if they have good cane from a distant land?

Your burnt offerings aren’t acceptable,

≈ and your sacrifices don’t please me.

21 So Yahweh says this:

Listen, I’ll give this group of people a stumbling block,

and they’ll trip over it—

fathers and sons together,

≈ both a neighbour and his friend.

22 Yahweh says this:

Listen, an army is about to come from a northern country,

≈ and a powerful nation will be roused from the remotest parts of the world.

23 They carry bows and spears.

It’s cruel and they have no mercy.

They make a noise like the sea roaring

and they ride in battle formation on horses

against you, Tsiyyon’s (Zion’s) daughter.

24 We felt weak when we heard the reports about them.

Distress took hold of us and we’re in agony like a woman about to give birth.

25 Don’t go out to the countryside,

≈ and don’t walk on the road

because of the enemy’s sword.

≈ There’s terror all around.

26 My people’s daughter, dress yourself in sackcloth

≈ and roll in ashes.

Go into mourning as if you’d lost an only child—

≈ a time of bitter wailing

because the destroyer will suddenly come against us.

27 I’ve appointed you to examine my people like ore,

so you can observe their conduct, and test them.

28 They’re all stubborn rebels who go around slandering others.

They’re all like bronze and iron, behaving corruptly.

29 The bellows fan the fire

but after the thorough refining, the lead remains.

The evil people haven’t been separated out.

30 They’ll be called ‘rejected silver’

because Yahweh has rejected them.