Jeremiah 6

Impending Disaster for Jerusalem

1 Flee for safety, *[Judg. 1:21] O people of Benjamin,

from the midst of Jerusalem!

Blow the trumpet in *See 2 Sam. 14:2Tekoa,

and raise a signal on *Neh. 3:14Beth-haccherem,

for disaster looms *See ch. 1:14out of the north,

and great destruction.

2 The lovely and delicately bred I will destroy,

*See 2 Kgs. 19:21the daughter of Zion.*6:2 Or I have likened the daughter of Zion to the loveliest pasture

3 *[ch. 23:1] Shepherds with their flocks shall come against her;

*ch. 4:17they shall pitch their tents around her;

they shall pasture, each in his place.

4 *ch. 22:7;Joel 3:9;[ch. 51:27] "Prepare war against her;

arise, and let us attack *ch. 15:8at noon!

Woe to us, for the day declines,

for the shadows of evening lengthen!

5 Arise, and let us attack by night

and destroy her palaces!"

6 For thus says the Lord of hosts:

*[Deut. 20:20] "Cut down her trees;

*2 Kgs. 19:32;Isa. 37:33;Ezek. 26:8;Luke 19:43cast up a siege mound against Jerusalem.

This is the city that must be *Luke 19:44punished;

there is nothing but oppression within her.

7 *Isa. 57:20As a well keeps its water fresh,

so she keeps fresh her evil;

*Ps. 55:9;Ezek. 7:11,23violence and destruction are heard within her;

sickness and wounds are ever before me.

8 Be warned, O Jerusalem,

*Ezek. 23:18;[Hos. 9:12] lest I turn from you in disgust,

lest I make you *See ch. 4:7a desolation,

an uninhabited land."

9 Thus says the Lord of hosts:

*[Deut. 24:21]"They shall glean thoroughly as a vine

the remnant of Israel;

like a grape gatherer pass your hand again

over its branches."

10 *Isa. 28:9;53:1To whom shall I speak and give warning,

that they may hear?

*[Ex. 6:12;Acts 7:51] Behold, their ears are uncircumcised,

*ch. 7:26they cannot listen;

behold, *ch. 20:8the word of the Lord is to them an object of scorn;

they take no pleasure in it.

11 Therefore I am full of the wrath of the Lord;

*ch. 20:9I am weary of holding it in.

*ch. 9:21"Pour it out upon the children in the street,

and upon the gatherings of young men, also;

*[Lam. 2:21] both husband and wife *ch. 8:9shall be taken,

the elderly and the very aged.

12 *For ver. 12-15, see ch. 8:10-12Their houses shall be turned over to others,

their fields and wives together,

for I will stretch out my hand

against the inhabitants of the land,"

declares the Lord.

13 *[ch. 31:34;44:12;Jonah 3:5] "For from the least to the greatest of them,

everyone *Isa. 56:11is greedy for unjust gain;

and from *ch. 14:18;23:11;Mic. 3:11;See ch. 5:31prophet to priest,

everyone deals falsely.

14 They have healed the wound of my people lightly,

saying, *ch. 4:10;14:13;23:17;Ezek. 13:10;Mic. 3:5;[John 14:27] ‘Peace, peace,’

*Isa. 48:22;57:21;Ezek. 7:25when there is no peace.

15 *[ch. 3:3;8:12] Were they ashamed when they committed abomination?

No, they were not at all ashamed;

they did not know how to blush.

Therefore they shall fall among those who fall;

*[ver. 6]at the time that I punish them, they shall be overthrown,"

says the Lord.

16 Thus says the Lord:

"Stand by the roads, and look,

and ask for *ch. 18:15;[Isa. 8:20;Mal. 4:4;Luke 16:29] the ancient paths,

where the good way is; and walk in it,

*Matt. 11:29;[Ps. 116:7]and find rest for your souls.

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

17 *Isa. 56:10;[Isa. 21:11] I set watchmen over you, saying,

‘Pay attention to *Isa. 58:1;[ch. 4:19] the sound of the trumpet!’

But they said, *ch. 44:16‘We will not pay attention.’

18 Therefore hear, O nations,

and know, O congregation, what will happen to them.

19 Hear, O earth; behold, I am bringing disaster upon this people,

*Prov. 1:31the fruit of their devices,

because they have not paid attention to my words;

and as for my law, they have rejected it.

20 *Isa. 1:11What use to me is *Isa. 43:23;60:6frankincense that comes from *See 1 Kgs. 10:1Sheba,

or sweet cane from a distant land?

*ch. 7:21,22;14:12;Ps. 40:6;Isa. 1:11;Amos 5:21Your burnt offerings are not acceptable,

nor your sacrifices pleasing to me.

21 Therefore thus says the Lord:

*Ezek. 3:20‘Behold, I will lay before this people

stumbling blocks against which they shall stumble;

fathers and sons together,

neighbor and friend shall perish.’"

22 Thus says the Lord:

*For ver. 22-24, see ch. 50:41-43"Behold, a people is coming *See ch. 1:13from the north country,

a great nation is stirring from *ch. 25:32;31:8the farthest parts of the earth.

23 They lay hold on bow and javelin;

they are *Isa. 13:9,18cruel and have no mercy;

*Isa. 17:12the sound of them is like the roaring sea;

they ride on horses,

set in array as a man for battle,

against you, O daughter of Zion!"

24 We have heard the report of it;

*ch. 38:4;49:24;Ezek. 21:7;See 2 Sam. 4:1;Ezek. 7:17our hands fall helpless;

anguish has taken hold of us,

*See Isa. 13:8pain as of a woman in labor.

25 Go not out into the field,

nor walk on the road,

for the enemy has a sword;

*Ps. 31:13;Lam. 2:22;[Job 18:11]terror is on every side.

26 O daughter of my people, *See ch. 4:8;Esth. 4:1put on sackcloth,

and *ch. 25:34;Ezek. 27:30;[Lam. 3:16;Mic. 1:10] roll in ashes;

*Amos 8:10;Zech. 12:10make mourning as for an only son,

most bitter lamentation,

for suddenly the destroyer

will come upon us.

27 "I have made you *[ch. 1:18] a tester of metals among my people,

that you may know and *ch. 9:7test their ways.

28 *ch. 5:23They are all stubbornly rebellious,

*ch. 9:4;[Lev. 19:16] going about with slanders;

they are *Ezek. 22:18,20bronze and iron;

all of them act corruptly.

29 The *[See ver. 28above] bellows blow fiercely;

the lead is consumed by the fire;

*[Isa. 1:25]in vain the refining goes on,

for the wicked are not removed.

30 *Isa. 1:22;Ezek. 22:19,20Rejected silver they are called,

for the Lord has rejected them."