Jeremiah 6 Assume courage ye sons of Benjamin who are from the midst of Jerusalem, and give a signal with the trumpet at Thekoe; and on Bethacharma erect a standard. Because evils from the north are apparent, and a great destruction is begun,

Thomson⁽ⁱ⁾ ¹ Assume courage ye sons of Benjamin who are from the midst of Jerusalem, and give a signal with the trumpet at Thekoe; and on Bethacharma erect a standard. Because evils from the north are apparent, and a great destruction is begun, ² therefore thy loftiness shall be destroyed. With regard to the daughter of Sion; ³ to her shepherds shall come with their flocks, and pitch their tents around against her and feed. [They will say] every one to his band ⁴ "Prepare yourself for battle against her, arise and let us go up against her at noon.". "Alas for us the day is declined," "Because the shadows of the day fail, ⁵ arise and let us go up against her by night, and let us destroy her foundations." ⁶ For thus saith the Lord, Cut down her trees: discharge engines against Jerusalem: lying city! in it all is oppression. ⁷ As a reservoir sendeth forth water, so her wickedness gusheth out. Open wickedness and misery may be heard in her continually. With anguish and scourging ⁸ be instructed, Jerusalem! lest my soul be alienated from thee; lest I make thee an untrodden land, which shall not be inhabited. ⁹ For thus saith the Lord, Glean, glean as a vineyard the remains of Israel. Return again and again like a grape gatherer to his basket. ¹⁰ [p] To whom shall I speak and give warning that he may hearken? behold their ears are uncircumcised and they cannot hear. [J] Behold the word of the Lord was to them an object of reproach and they would not. ¹¹ Therefore my wrath, which I filled up and restrained that I might not destroy them, I now pour out on infants in the streets, and on the congregation of youths at the same time. Because husband and wife shall be comprehended; the elder with him who is full of days; ¹² therefore their houses shall be transferred to others; their fields and their wives together. Because I will stretch forth my hand against the inhabitants of this land, saith the Lord; ¹³ because from the least of them to the greatest, they have all committed unrighteous deeds; from the priest to the false prophet, they have all practised falsehoods, ¹⁴ and healed the hurt of my people by underrating it and saying Peace, Peace; but where is there peace? ¹⁵ Were they ashamed because they failed? even in that case they were not ashamed; nor were they sensible of their infamy; therefore they shall fall in the common ruin; and in the time of visitation they shall perish, saith the Lord. ¹⁶ Thus saith the Lord, Stand in the highways and take a view and inquire for the ancient paths of the Lord, and see which is the good way and walk in it, and you shall find a purification for your souls: but they said, "We will not go." ¹⁷ I have set watchmen over you; hearken to the sound of the trumpet. But they said, "We will not listen." ¹⁸ Therefore the nations heard; even they who were tending their flocks. ¹⁹ Hear earth, behold upon this people I am bringing evils; the fruit of their apostacy, because they attended not to my words and rejected my law. ²⁰ Why do you bring me incense from Saba, and cinnamon from a far distant country? Your whole burnt offerings are not acceptable; nor were your incense offerings sweet to me. ²¹ Therefore thus saith the Lord, Behold I send weakness on this people, and weak shall be fathers and sons with them; and neighbour with neighbour shall perish. ²² Thus saith the Lord, Behold a people is coming from the north; and nations shall be roused from the extremity of the earth: ²³ they will grasp the bow and the spear: they are haughty and will show no mercy: their voice is like the roaring sea: on horses and in chariots they will draw up in array like fire, for battle against thee, O daughter of Sion. ²⁴ [c] We have heard the fame of them. Our hands are enfeebled. Anguish hath taken hold of us; pangs, as of a woman in travail. ²⁵ [p] Go not out to the fields and in the highways walk not, because the sword of the enemy dwelleth all around ²⁶ O daughter of my people gird thee with sackcloth; strew thyself with ashes: utter for thyself piteous lamentation like the mourning for a beloved. For misery will suddenly come upon thee. ²⁷ [J] I have made thee an assayer for trying peoples: and thou shalt know me when I try their ways. ²⁸ They are all disobedient and walk perversely. Being brass and iron they are all utterly consumed. ²⁹ The bellows could not stand the fire: the lead is consumed. In vain doth the silversmith try to extract silver. Their wickedness was not to be melted. ³⁰ You shall call them rejected silver, for the Lord hath rejected them.