Jeremias 6
Fly, I Benjamins Sønner, bort fra Jerusalem og stød i hornet i Tekoa, hejs Mærket over Bet-Kerem! Thi Ulykke truer fra Nord, et vældigt Sammenbrud.
Jeg tilintetgør Zions Datter, den yndige, forvænte
til hende kommer der Hyrder med deres Hjorde; de opslår Telte i Ring om hende, afgræsser hver sit Stykke.
Helliger Angrebet på hende! Op! Vi rykker frem ved Middag! Ve os, thi Dagen hælder, thi Aftenskyggerne længes.
Op! Vi rykker frem ved Nat og lægger hendes Borge øde.
Thi så siger Hærskarers HERRE: Fæld Træer og opkast en Vold imod Jerusalem ! Ve Løgnens By med lutter Voldsfærd i sin Midte!
Som Brønden sit Vand holder Byen sin Ondskab frisk; der høres om Voldsfærd og Hærværk, Sår og Slag har jeg altid for Øje.
Jerusalem, tag ved Lære, at min Sjæl ej vender sig fra dig, at jeg ikke skal gøre dig til Ørk, til folketomt, Land.
Så siger Hærskarers HERRE: Hold Efterhøst på Israels Rest, som det sker på en Vinstok, ræk som en Vingårdsmand atter din Hånd til dens Ranker!
deres Huse, Marker og Kvinder skal alle tilfalde andre; thi jeg udrækker Hånden mod Landets Folk, så lyder det fra HERREN.
Thi fra små til store søger hver eneste Vinding, de farer alle med Løgn fra Profet til Præst.
De skal få Skam, thi de har gjort vederstyggelige Ting, og dog blues de ikke, dog kender de ikke til Skam. Derfor skal de falde på Valen; på Hjemsøgelsens Dag skal de snuble, siger HERREN.
Hør derfor, I Folk, og vidn imod dem!
Hør, du Jord! Se, jeg sender Ulykke over dette Folk, Frugten at deres Frafald, thi de lyttede ikke til mine Ord og lod hånt om min Lov.
Hvad skal jeg med Røgelsen, der kommer fra Saba, med den dejlige Kalmus fra det fjerne Land? Eders Brændofre er ej til Behag, eders Slagtofre huer mig ikke.
Derfor, så siger HERREN: Se, jeg sætter Anstød for dette Folk, og de skal støde an derimod, både Fædre og Sønner; både Nabo og Genbo skal omkomme.
Så siger HERREN: Se, et Folkeslag kommer fra Nordens Land, et vældigt Folk bryder op fra det yderste af Jorden.
De fører Bue og Spyd, er skånselsløst grumme; deres Røst er som Havets Brusen, de rider på Heste, rustet som Stridsmand mod dig, du Zions Datter.
Vi hørte Rygtet derom, vore Hænder blev slappe, Rædsel greb os, Skælven som fødende Kvinde.
Gå ikke ud på Marken og følg ej Vejen, thi Fjenden bærer Sværd, trindt om er Rædsel.
Klæd dig i Sæk, mit Folks Datter, vælt dig i Støvet, hold Sorg som over den enbårne, bitter Klage! Thi Hærværksmanden skal brat komme over os.
Til Metalprøver, Guldprøver, gjorde jeg dig i mit Folk til at kende og prøve deres Færd.
De faldt alle genstridige fra, de går og bagtaler, er kun Kobber og Jern, alle handler de slet.
Bælgen blæser, af Ilden kommer kun Bly. Al Smelten er spildt, de onde udskilles ej.
Giv dem Navn af vraget Sølv, thi dem har HERREN vraget.
O ye children of Benjamin, gather yourselves to flee out of the midst of Jerusalem, and blow the trumpet in Tekoa, and set up a sign of fire in Bethhaccerem: for evil appeareth out of the north, and great destruction.
I have likened the daughter of Zion to a comely and delicate {woman}. {comely: or, dwelling at home}
The shepherds with their flocks shall come unto her; they shall pitch {their} tents against her round about; they shall feed every one in his place.
Prepare ye war against her; arise, and let us go up at noon. Woe unto us! for the day goeth away, for the shadows of the evening are stretched out.
Arise, and let us go by night, and let us destroy her palaces.
For thus hath the LORD of hosts said, Hew ye down trees, and cast a mount against Jerusalem: this {is} the city to be visited; she {is} wholly oppression in the midst of her. {cast...: or, pour out the engine of shot}
As a fountain casteth out her waters, so she casteth out her wickedness: violence and spoil is heard in her; before me continually {is} grief and wounds.
Be thou instructed, O Jerusalem, lest my soul depart from thee; lest I make thee desolate, a land not inhabited. {depart: Heb. be loosed, or, disjointed}
Thus saith the LORD of hosts, They shall throughly glean the remnant of Israel as a vine: turn back thine hand as a grapegatherer into the baskets.
To whom shall I speak, and give warning, that they may hear? behold, their ear {is} uncircumcised, and they cannot hearken: behold, the word of the LORD is unto them a reproach; they have no delight in it.
Therefore I am full of the fury of the LORD; I am weary with holding in: I will pour it out upon the children abroad, and upon the assembly of young men together: for even the husband with the wife shall be taken, the aged with {him that is} full of days.
And their houses shall be turned unto others, {with their} fields and wives together: for I will stretch out my hand upon the inhabitants of the land, saith the LORD.
For from the least of them even unto the greatest of them every one {is} given to covetousness; and from the prophet even unto the priest every one dealeth falsely.
They have healed also the hurt {of the daughter} of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when {there is} no peace. {hurt: Heb. bruise, or, breach}
Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? nay, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush: therefore they shall fall among them that fall: at the time {that} I visit them they shall be cast down, saith the LORD.
Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where {is} the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk {therein}.
Also I set watchmen over you, {saying}, Hearken to the sound of the trumpet. But they said, We will not hearken.
Therefore hear, ye nations, and know, O congregation, what {is} among them.
Hear, O earth: behold, I will bring evil upon this people, {even} the fruit of their thoughts, because they have not hearkened unto my words, nor to my law, but rejected it.
To what purpose cometh there to me incense from Sheba, and the sweet cane from a far country? your burnt offerings {are} not acceptable, nor your sacrifices sweet unto me.
Therefore thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will lay stumblingblocks before this people, and the fathers and the sons together shall fall upon them; the neighbour and his friend shall perish.
Thus saith the LORD, Behold, a people cometh from the north country, and a great nation shall be raised from the sides of the earth.
They shall lay hold on bow and spear; they {are} cruel, and have no mercy; their voice roareth like the sea; and they ride upon horses, set in array as men for war against thee, O daughter of Zion.
We have heard the fame thereof: our hands wax feeble: anguish hath taken hold of us, {and} pain, as of a woman in travail.
Go not forth into the field, nor walk by the way; for the sword of the enemy {and} fear {is} on every side.
O daughter of my people, gird {thee} with sackcloth, and wallow thyself in ashes: make thee mourning, {as for} an only son, most bitter lamentation: for the spoiler shall suddenly come upon us.
I have set thee {for} a tower {and} a fortress among my people, that thou mayest know and try their way.
They {are} all grievous revolters, walking with slanders: {they are} brass and iron; they {are} all corrupters.
The bellows are burned, the lead is consumed of the fire; the founder melteth in vain: for the wicked are not plucked away.
Reprobate silver shall {men} call them, because the LORD hath rejected them. {Reprobate...: or, Refuse silver}