Jeremiah warned the people of Jerusalem

6 “You people in Jerusalem who are from the tribe of Benjamin,

flee from this city!

Blow the trumpets in Tekoa city south of Jerusalem!

Send up a smoke signal in Beth-Haccherem town

to warn the people of the coming danger!

A powerful army will come from the north,

and they will cause great destruction.

2 Jerusalem is like a beautiful pasture full of sheep,

but it will soon be destroyed.

3 Enemy kings, not shepherds [MET], will come with their armies and set up their tents around the city,

and each king will choose a part of the city for his soldiers to destroy like [MET] shepherds divide their pastures for their flocks of sheep.

4 The kings will tell their troops,

“Get ready for the battle.

We should attack them before noontime.

But if we arrive there late in the afternoon

when the shadows are becoming long,

5 we will attack them at night

and tear down their fortresses.”