Flee for safety, O children of Benjamin,

from the midst of Jerusalem.

And in Tekoa blow a horn,

and on Beth-haccherem lift up a signal,

for evil looks down from the north,

and a great destruction.

2 The lovely and the delicate,

the daughter of Jerusalem, I will destroy.

3 Shepherds and their flocks will come against her,

they will pitch their tents against her all around,

they will pasture, each his ⌊portion⌋.a

4 ⌊Sanctify⌋b war against her.

Arise, and let us attack at noon.

Woe to us, for the day turns,

for the shadows of evening are lengthened.

5 Arise, and let us attack by night,

and let us destroy her citadel fortresses.”

6 For thus says Yahweh of hosts,

“Cut down trees and heap up a siege ramp against Jerusalem.

This is the city that must be punished,

its oppression is in its midst.

7 As a water well keeps its water cool,

so she keeps cool her wickedness.

Violence and destruction are heard within her,

sickness and woundsc are continually ⌊before me⌋.d

8 Be warned, O Jerusalem,

lest I turn away from you in disgust,

lest I make you a desolation,

a land that is not inhabited.”

9 Thus says Yahweh of hosts:

“They will thoroughly glean the remnant of Israel as a vine,

turn back your hand over the branches like a grape-gatherer.

10 To whom shall I speak and admonish,

that they may hear?

Look, their ears are ⌊closed⌋,e

and they are not able to listen attentively.

Look, the word of Yahweh is to them an object of scorn,

they do not delight in it.

11 But I am full with the wrath of Yahweh,

I struggle to hold itf in.

Pour it out on the childreng in the street,

and on the assembliesh of young men at the same time.

For even husband with wife will get trapped,

the old with him who is full of days.

12 And their houses will be turned over to others,

their fields and their wives together.

For I will stretch out my hand

against the inhabitants of the land,” ⌊declares⌋i Yahweh.

13 “For from the smallest of them to the greatest of them,

⌊everyone⌋j makes profit for unlawful gain.

And from the prophet to the priest,

⌊everyone⌋k practices deceit.

14 And they have treated the wound of my people lightly,

⌊saying⌋,l ‘Peace, peace,’ but there is no peace.

15 Have they acted ashamed, for they have committed a detestable thing?

Not at all, nor were they ashamed; they did not know to feel humiliated.

⌊Therefore⌋m they will fall among those who fall at the time I punish them,

they will stumble,” says Yahweh.

16 Thus says Yahweh: “Stand at the roads and look,

and ask for the ancient paths, where the way of the good is,

and walk in it, and find rest for your inner selves.n

But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.’o

17 And I raised up watchmen over you:

‘Listen attentively to the sound of a horn.’

But they said, ‘We will not listen attentively.’

18 ⌊Therefore⌋p hear, O nations, and know, O community,

⌊what will happen to them⌋.q

19 Hear, O earth,

look, I am about to bring disaster to this people,

the fruit of their plans,

because they have not listened attentively to my words,

and my teaching, they have rejected it also.

20 What is this to me?

Frankincense comes from Sheba,

and the precious spice reed from a distant land.

Your burnt offerings are not ⌊acceptable⌋,r

your sacrifices are not pleasing to me.”

21 ⌊Therefore⌋s thus says Yahweh:

“Look, I am about to put before this people stumbling blocks,

and they will stumble against them,

fathers and children together,

neighbor and his friend will perish.”

22 Thus says Yahweh:

“Look, a people is coming from the land of the north,

a great nation is woken up from the farthest part of the earth.

23 The bow and the short sword they grasp are cruel,

and they show no mercy.

Their sound roars like the sea, and on horses they ride,

drawn up like a man for battle against you, O daughter of Zion.”

24 We have heard news of it,

our hands grow slack,

anxiety has grasped us,

pain as a woman who gives birth.

25 You must not go out into the field,

and you must not walk on the road,

for ⌊the enemy has a sword⌋,t

terror is all around.

26 O daughter of my people,

gird yourself with sackcloth,

and roll about in the ashes in mourning,

a mourning ceremony as for an only child.

Make for yourself wailing of bitterness,

for suddenly the destroyer will come upon us.

27 “I have made you an assayer among my people, a fortification,

so that you may know and put to the test their ways.u

28 All of them are stubborn rebels,

going about talking slander.

They are bronze and iron,

they are all behaving corruptly.

29 The bellowsv are burned up,

lead is consumed by fire.

⌊In vain⌋w ⌊he keeps on refining⌋,x

but the wicked are not torn apart.

30 ⌊They are called⌋y rejected silver,

For Yahweh has rejected them.”