Jeremiah 6 Strengthen yourselves, sons of Benjamin, From the midst of Jerusalem, And in Tekoa blow you a trumpet, And over Beth-Haccerem lift you up a flame, For evil has been seen from the north, And great destruction."

CLV⁽ⁱ⁾ ¹ Strengthen yourselves, sons of Benjamin, From the midst of Jerusalem, And in Tekoa blow you a trumpet, And over Beth-Haccerem lift you up a flame, For evil has been seen from the north, And great destruction." ² The comely and the delicate one I have cut off, The daughter of Zion." ³ Unto her come do shepherds and their droves, They have stricken tents by her round about, They have fed each [in] his own station." ⁴ Sanctify you against her the battle, Rise, and we go up at noon. Woe to us, for turned has the day, For stretched out are the shades of evening, ⁵ `Rise, and we go up by night, And we destroy her palaces.'" ⁶ For thus said Yahweh of Hosts:Cut down her wood, And pour out against Jerusalem a mount, She [is] the city to be inspected, Wholly--she is oppression in her midst." ⁷ As the digging of a well, is [for] its waters, So she has digged [for] her wickedness, Violence and spoil is heard in her, Before My face continually [are] sickness and smiting." ⁸ Be instructed, O Jerusalem, Lest My soul be alienated from you, Lest I make you a desolation, a land not inhabited." ⁹ Thus said Yahweh of Hosts:They surely glean, as a vine, the remnant of Israel, Put back your hand, as a gatherer to the baskets." ¹⁰ To whom do I speak, and testify, and they hear? Lo, their ear [is] uncircumcised, And they are not able to attend. Lo, a word of Yahweh has been to them for a reproach, They delight not in it." ¹¹ And with the fury of Yahweh I have been filled, (I have been weary of containing,) To pour [it] on the suckling in the street, And on the assembly of youths together, For even husband with wife are captured, An elder with one full of days, ¹² And their houses have been turned to others, Fields and wives together, For I stretch out My hand against the inhabitants of the land, An affirmation of Yahweh." ¹³ For from their least unto their greatest, Every one is gaining dishonest gain, And from prophet even unto priest, Every one is dealing falsely, ¹⁴ And they heal the breach of the daughter of my people slightly, Saying, `Peace, peace!' and there is no peace." ¹⁵ They were ashamed when they did abomination! Yea, they are not at all ashamed, Yea, blushing they have not known, Therefore they do fall among those falling, In the time I have inspected them, They stumble, said Yahweh." ¹⁶ Thus said Yahweh:Stand you by the ways and see, and ask for paths of old, Where [is] this--the good way? and go you in it, And find rest for yourselves. And they say, `We do not go.'" ¹⁷ And I have raised up for you watchmen, Attend you to the voice of the trumpet. And they say, `We do not attend.'" ¹⁸ Therefore hear, O nations, and know, O company, That which [is] upon them." ¹⁹ Hear, O earth, lo, I am bringing evil on this people, The fruit of their devices, For to My words they gave no attention, And My law--they kick against it." ²⁰ Why [is] this to Me? frankincense from Sheba comes, And the sweet cane from a land afar off, Your burnt-offerings [are] not for acceptance, And your sacrifices have not been sweet to Me." ²¹ Therefore thus said Yahweh:Lo, I do give to this people stumbling blocks, And stumbled against them have fathers and sons together, The neighbor and his friend do perish." ²² Thus said Yahweh:Lo, a people has come from a north country, And a great nation is stirred up from the sides of the earth." ²³ Bow and javelin they take hold of, Fierce it [is], and they have no mercy, Their voice as a sea does sound, And on horses they ride, set in array as a man of war, Against you, O daughter of Zion." ²⁴ `We have heard its sound, feeble have been our hands, Distress has seized us, pain as of a travailing woman." ²⁵ Go not forth to the field, And in the way walk not, For a sword has the enemy, fear [is] round about." ²⁶ O daughter of My people, Gird on sackcloth, and roll yourself in ashes, The mourning of an only one make for you, A lamentation most bitter, For suddenly come does the spoiler against us." ²⁷ A watch-tower I have given you, Among My people a fortress, And you know, and have tried their way." ²⁸ All of them are turned aside by apostates, Walking slanderously--brass and iron, All of them are corrupters." ²⁹ The bellows have been burnt, By fire has the lead been consumed, In vain has a refiner refined, And the wicked have not been drawn away." ³⁰ `Silver rejected,' they have called to them, For Yahweh has kicked against them!"