1 ARST You people in Jerusalem who are from the tribe of Benjamin, flee from this city! Blow the trumpets in the city of Tekoa south of Jerusalem! Send up a smoke signal in the city of Beth Hakerem to warn the people of the coming danger! A powerful army will come against you from the north, and they will cause great destruction. BSB BSB: “Run for cover, O sons of Benjamin; flee from Jerusalem! Sound the ram’s horn in Tekoa; send up a signal over Beth-haccherem, for disaster looms from the north, even great destruction.
2 ARST Jerusalem is like a beautiful woman, but it will soon be destroyed. BSB BSB: Though she is beautiful and delicate, I will destroy the Daughter of Zion.
3 ARST Enemy kings, the shepherds of foreign people groups, 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 as shepherds divide their pastures for their flocks of sheep. BSB BSB: Shepherds and their flocks will come against her; they will pitch their tents all around her, each tending his own portion:
4 ARST The kings will tell their troops,‘Make the sacrifices necessary to get ready for battle. We should attack them before noontime, but even if we arrive there late in the afternoon, BSB BSB: ‘Prepare for battle against her; rise up, let us attack at noon. Woe to us, for the daylight is fading; the evening shadows grow long.
5 ARST we will attack them at night and tear down their fortresses.’” BSB BSB: Rise up, let us attack by night and destroy her fortresses!’”
6 ARST Yahweh, the commander of the armies of angels in heaven, says this,“I will command those soldiers to cut down the trees outside Jerusalem and to build ramps up to the top of the city walls! This city must be punished because everyone there continually oppresses others. BSB BSB: For this is what the LORD of Hosts says: “Cut down the trees and raise a siege ramp against Jerusalem. This city must be punished; there is nothing but oppression in her midst.
7 ARST Its people keep doing wicked deeds, just as a well keeps producing water. The noise from people doing violent and destructive actions is heard everywhere. I continually see people who are suffering and wounded. BSB BSB: As a well gushes its water, so she pours out her evil. Violence and destruction resound in her; sickness and wounds are ever before Me.
8 ARST Listen to what I am warning you, you people of Jerusalem, because if you do not listen, I will reject you and cause your land to become desolate, a land where no one lives.” BSB BSB: Be forewarned, O Jerusalem, or I will turn away from you; I will make you a desolation, a land without inhabitant.”
9 ARST Yahweh, the commander of the angel armies, says this,“Your enemies will cause your country to become as desolate as a vineyard from which all the grapes have been completely stripped from the vines. Their soldiers will seize the possessions of those who remain in Israel after the others have been exiled like farmers go to the vines again to pick any grapes that were left. BSB BSB: This is what the LORD of Hosts says: “Glean the remnant of Israel as thoroughly as a vine. Pass your hand once more like a grape gatherer over the branches.”
10 ARST Who can I, Jeremiah, speak to? Who would listen to me, even if I spoke to them? The ears of the Israelite people are unable to hear what I have to tell them. See! the message Yahweh gave me to tell them is offensive to them. When they hear the message of Yahweh, they hate what I tell them!” BSB BSB: To whom can I give this warning? Who will listen to me? Look, their ears are closed, so they cannot hear. See, the word of the LORD has become offensive to them; they find no pleasure in it.
11 ARST After hearing this I became very angry, as Yahweh is angry, and I could not hold myself back any longer. So Yahweh said to me,“Tell the children in the streets and the young men who gather together. Tell the men and their wives; tell the very old people, also. BSB BSB: But I am full of the LORD’s wrath; I am tired of holding it back. “Pour it out on the children in the street, and on the young men gathered together. For both husband and wife will be captured, the old and the very old alike.
12 ARST Tell the men that I will give their houses to their enemies, and I will give their property and their wives to them, also, when I punish the people who live in this land! BSB BSB: Their houses will be turned over to others, their fields and wives as well, for I will stretch out My hand against the inhabitants of the land,” declares the LORD.
13 ARST Everyone is trying to get money by tricking others, from the the least important people to the most important people. Even my prophets and priests, they all lie to get what they want. BSB BSB: “For from the least of them to the greatest, all are greedy for gain; from prophet to priest, all practice deceit.
14 ARST They act as though the sins of my people are like small wounds that they can easily treat. They tell the people that everything will go well with them, but that is not true; things will not go well with them. BSB BSB: They dress the wound of My people with very little care, saying, ‘Peace, peace,’ when there is no peace at all.
15 ARST They should be ashamed about the disgusting things that they do, but they are not ashamed at all. They do not even know how to blush. So, they also will be among those who will be killed. They will be destroyed when I punish them.” BSB BSB: Are they ashamed of the abomination they have committed? No, they have no shame at all; they do not even know how to blush. So they will fall among the fallen; when I punish them, they will collapse,” says the LORD.
16 ARST This is also what Yahweh said to the Israelite people,“Stand at the crossroads and look at the people who pass by. Ask them what was the good behavior that their ancestors had long ago. And when they tell you, behave that way. If you do that, you will find rest for yourselves. But you said that you did not want to do that! BSB BSB: This is what the LORD says: “Stand at the crossroads and look. Ask for the ancient paths: ‘Where is the good way?’ Then walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls. But they said, ‘We will not walk in it!’
17 ARST I sent my prophets who were like watchmen. They told you to listen carefully when the trumpets blow to warn you that your enemies are approaching, but you did not want to listen. BSB BSB: I appointed watchmen over you and said, ‘Listen for the sound of the ram’s horn.’ But they answered, ‘We will not listen!’
18 ARST Therefore, you people in the other nations, listen to this: Pay attention to what is going to happen to the Israelite people. BSB BSB: Therefore hear, O nations, and learn, O congregations, what will happen to them.
19 ARST Listen, all of you! I am going to cause disasters to happen to the Israelite people. That is what will happen to them because they have refused to listen to what I told them. They have refused to obey my laws. BSB BSB: Hear, O earth! I am bringing disaster on this people, the fruit of their own schemes, because they have paid no attention to My word and have rejected My instruction.
20 ARST You Israelite people, when you burn frankincense that came from Sheba and when you offer to me sweet- smelling anointing oil that came from far away, I will not be pleased with your sacrifices. I will not accept the sacrifices that are completely burned on the altar; I am not pleased with any of your sacrifices. BSB BSB: What use to Me is frankincense from Sheba or sweet cane from a distant land? Your burnt offerings are not acceptable; your sacrifices do not please Me.”
21 ARST Therefore, I will put obstacles on the roads on which my people will travel. Men and their sons and people’ s neighbors and friends will stumble over those obstacles and fall down; everyone will die.” BSB BSB: Therefore this is what the LORD says: “I will lay stumbling blocks before this people; fathers and sons alike will be staggered; friends and neighbors will perish.”
22 ARST Yahweh also says this,“You will see a huge army marching toward you from the north. An army of a great nation very far away is preparing to attack you. BSB BSB: This is what the LORD says: “Behold, an army is coming from the land of the north; a great nation is stirred up from the ends of the earth.
23 ARST They have bows and arrows and spears; they are very cruel, and do not act mercifully to anyone. As they ride along on their horses, the horses’ feet sound like the roaring of the ocean waves; they are riding in battle formation to attack you people of Jerusalem.” BSB BSB: They grasp the bow and spear; they are cruel and merciless. Their voice roars like the sea, and they ride upon horses, lined up like men in formation against you, O Daughter of Zion.”
24 ARST The people of Jerusalem say to each other,“We have heard reports about the enemy; so we are very frightened, with the result that we are weak. We are very afraid, and worried, like women who are about to give birth to babies. BSB BSB: We have heard the report; our hands hang limp. Anguish has gripped us, pain like that of a woman in labor.
25 ARST So, do not go out into the fields! Do not go on the roads, because the enemy soldiers have swords and they are everywhere; they are coming from all directions, and we are extremely afraid.” BSB BSB: Do not go out to the fields; do not walk the road. For the enemy has a sword; terror is on every side.
26 ARST So I, Jeremiah, say to you,“My dear people, put on rough clothes and sit in ashes to show how much you are grieving. Mourn loudly and cry very much, as a mother would cry when her only son has died. For your enemies are very near, and they are going to destroy everything.” BSB BSB: O daughter of my people, dress yourselves in sackcloth and roll in ashes. Mourn with bitter wailing, as you would for an only son, for suddenly the destroyer will come upon us.
27 ARST Then Yahweh said to me,“Jeremiah, I have caused you to become like someone who heats metal very hot to completely burn the impurities. You will examine my people’ s behavior. BSB BSB: “I have appointed you to examine My people like ore, so you may know and try their ways.
28 ARST You will find out that they are very stubborn rebels: they are always slandering others. Their inner beings are as hard as bronze or iron; they all continually deceive others. BSB BSB: All are hardened rebels, walking around as slanderers. They are bronze and iron; all of them are corrupt.
29 ARST A metalworker causes the bellows to blow very hard to make the fire very hot to completely burn up the impurities. But just as a fire does not cause all the waste material to run off, it is impossible to separate the people from their wicked deeds. BSB BSB: The bellows blow fiercely, blasting away the lead with fire. The refining proceeds in vain, for the wicked are not purged.
30 ARST I, Yahweh, have rejected them; I say that they are like worthless silver.” BSB BSB: They are called rejected silver, because the LORD has rejected them.”
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