Yermeyah (Jeremiah) 6:1–8 — Yerushalem’s last warning

The OET Readers’ Version is designed to be read alongside the Literal Version. Expand the matching Literal Version beneath each passage. This is still an early look into the drafted text of the Open English Translation of the Bible. Please double-check the text in advance before using in public.

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 -Hakerem

because disaster and terrible destruction looms from the north.

2 Although it’s beautiful and delicate,

I will destroy Tsiyon’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 deadly diseases.

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.

Show matching OET Literal Version passage

Read the Literal Version in context

6 Bring _to _safety Oh _people _of Binyāmīn[fn] from_the _midst _of Yərūshālaim/(Jerusalem) and_in_Təqōˊa blow a _trumpet and_at Bēyt Hakkerem raise a _rising if/because calamity it _has _looked _down from_the_north and_destruction great.

2 The _lovely_one and_the _dainty_one I _resemble the _daughter _of Tsiyyōn/(Zion).

3 To_her/it shepherds and_flocks _of_their they _will _come they _will _pitch on/upon_it(f) tents all _around they _will _graze everyone DOM his/its_hand.

4 Consecrate on/upon_it(f) battle arise and_let _us _go _up at_noon(s) woe to/for_us if/because the_day it _has _turned if/because the_shadows _of evening they _are _stretched _out.

5 Arise and_let _us _go _up in_night and_let _us _destroy fortresses _of_its.

6 If/because thus YHWH soldiers/messengers he _says cut _down wood and_pour _out on Yərūshālaim/(Jerusalem) a _mound that the_city it _will _be _visited of _it _of_all is_oppression in_midst _of_its.

7 As_keeps _cool a _well[fn] water _of_its so it _has _kept _cool evil _of_its violence and_havoc it _is _heard in_it are_on face _of_my continually sickness and_wound[s].

8 Let _yourself _be _instructed Oh _Yərūshālaim/(Jerusalem) lest self _of_my it _should _be _alienated from_you lest I_should _make _you a _desolation a _land which_not it _is _inhabited.

6:1 OSHB note: BHS has been faithful to the Leningrad Codex where there might be a question of the validity of the form and we keep the same form as BHS.

6:7 OSHB variant note: בור: (x-qere) ’בַּ֨יִר֙’: lemma=953 a n=1.1.0 morph=HNcmsa id=24FSa בַּ֨יִר֙

6:3 Many English translations interpret these ‘shepherds’ with their ‘flocks’ to be leaders of foreign nations with their armies implementing the destruction mentioned in the previous verse, i.e., the ones battling in the next verse. However, we’ve chosen to interpret the flocks grazing the city surrounds as the follow-on after the destruction, before the next verse goes back in time to give more details of how the destruction will occur.

OET-RV by cross-referenced section YIR 6:1

Yerushalem’s last warning

Yir 6:1–8