1 O children of Benjamin, seek refuge out of the midst of Jerusalem. Blow the shofar in Tekoa, and set up a signal-fire in Beth-haccerem; for evil appears out of the north, and great destruction.2 I will destroy the daughter of Zion, being delicate in her dwelling place.3 The shepherds with their flocks shall come to her; they shall pitch tents against her all around; they shall feed each one in his place.4 Prepare war against her; arise and let us go up at noon. Woe to us! For the day goes away, for the shadows of the evening are stretched out.5 Arise, and let us go by night, and let us destroy her palaces.6 For thus has Jehovah of Hosts said, Cut down trees and cast a mound against Jerusalem! This is the city to be punished; she is full of oppression in her midst.7 As a fountain keeps fresh its waters, so she keeps fresh her evil; violence and devastation is heard in her; before Me continually are sickness and wounds.8 O Jerusalem, be instructed, lest My soul depart from you; lest I make you desolate, a land not inhabited.9 Thus says Jehovah of Hosts, They shall thoroughly glean the remnant of Israel like a vine; as a grape gatherer, put your hand back to the branches.10 To whom shall I speak, and give warning, that they may hear? Behold, their ears are uncircumcised, and they cannot give heed. Behold, the Word of Jehovah is a reproach to them; they have no delight in it.11 Therefore I am full of the fury of Jehovah; I am weary with holding it in; I will pour it out on the children outside, and on the group of young men together. For even the husband shall be taken along with the wife, the aged who is full of days.12 And their houses shall be turned over to others, together with their fields and wives; for I will stretch out My hand upon the inhabitants of the land, says Jehovah.13 For everyone from the least of them even to the greatest of them profits from unjust gain; and from the prophet even to the priest everyone deals falsely.14 They have also healed the ruin of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace.15 Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? No, they were not at all ashamed, nor did they know how to blush; therefore they shall fall among those who fall. At the time that I punish them they shall be cast down, says Jehovah.16 Thus says Jehovah, Stand in the ways and see, and ask for the old paths where the good way is, and walk in it, and you shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk in it.17 Also I set watchmen over you, saying, Listen to the sound of the shofar. But they said, We will not listen.18 Therefore hear, you nations, and know, O congregation, what is coming upon them.19 Hear, O earth; behold, I will bring evil on this people, the fruit of their thoughts, because they have not heeded My Words, nor My Law, but rejected it.20 For what purpose does frankincense come to Me from Sheba, and the sweet cane from a distant land? Your burnt offerings are not pleasing, nor are your sacrifices sweet to Me.21 Therefore thus says Jehovah, Behold, I will lay stumbling blocks before this people, and the fathers and the sons together shall stumble on them; the neighbor and his friend shall perish.22 Thus says Jehovah, Behold, a people comes from the land of the north, and a great nation shall be aroused from the extremities of the earth.23 They shall lay hold on bow and spear; they are cruel and have no mercy; their voice roars like the sea; and they ride on horses, set in array against you as men of war, O daughter of Zion.24 We have heard the rumor of it; our hands become feeble; anguish has taken hold of us, and pain, as of a woman in labor.25 Do not go out into the field, nor walk by the way; for the sword of the enemy and fear are on every side.26 O daughter of my people, put on sackcloth, and wallow in ashes; make mourning for yourself, as for an only son, most bitter wailing; for the destruction shall suddenly come upon us.27 I have set you up as an inspector, and a fortress among My people, that you may know and examine their way.28 They all stubbornly rebel, walking in slanders; they are bronze and iron; they are all corrupters.29 The bellows are scorched, the lead is consumed by the fire; the refiner melts in vain; for the wicked are not drawn off.30 Rejected silver they call them, because Jehovah has rejected them.

1 Sones of Beniamyn, be ye coumfortid in the myddil of Jerusalem, and make ye noise with a clarioun in Thecua, and reise ye a baner on Bethecarem; for whi yuel and greet sorewe is seyn fro the north.2 Y haue licned the douytir of Sion to a fair womman and delicat.3 Scheepherdis and her flockis schulen come to it; thei han piyt tentis in it in cumpas; ech man schal feede hem, that ben vndur his hond.4 Halewe ye batel on it. Rise ye togidire, and stie we in myddai. Wo to vs, for the dai is bowid doun, for shadewis ben maad lengere in the euentid.5 Rise ye, and stie we in the niyt, and distry we the housis therof.6 For the Lord of oostis seith these thingis, Kitte ye doun the tre therof, and schede ye erthe aboute Jerusalem; this is the citee of visitacioun; al fals caleng is in the myddis therof.7 As a cisterne makith his water coold, so it made his malice coold; wickidnesse and distriyng schal euer be herd ther ynne bifore me, sikenesse and wounde.8 Jerusalem, be thou tauyt, lest perauenture my soule go awei fro thee; lest perauenture Y sette thee forsakun, a loond vnhabitable.9 The Lord of oostis seith these thingis, Thei schulen gadere til to a racyn, thei schulen gadere the remenauntis of Israel as in a vyner; turne thin hond, as a gaderer of grapis to the bascat.10 To whom schal Y speke, and to whom schal Y seie witnessing, that he here? Lo! the eeris of hem ben vncircumcidid, and thei moun not here; lo! the word of the Lord is maad to hem in to dispit, and thei schulen not resseiue it.11 Therfor Y am ful of the strong veniaunce of the Lord, and Y trauelide suffrynge. Schede thou out on a litil child with outforth, and on the counsel of yonge men togidere; for a man with his wijf schal be takun, and an eeld man with him that is ful of daies.12 And the housis of hem, the feeldis and wyues togidere, schulen go to othere men; for Y schal stretche forth myn hond on the dwelleris of the lond, seith the Lord.13 For fro the lesse `til to the grettere, alle studien to auerise; and alle doon gile, fro the profete `til to the preest.14 And thei heeliden the sorewe of the douyter of my puple with yuel fame, seiynge, Pees, pees, and no pees was.15 Thei ben schent, that diden abhomynacioun; yhe, rathere thei weren not schent bi confusioun, and thei kouden not be aschamed. Wherfor thei schulen falle doun among hem that schulen falle doun; thei schulen falle doun in the tyme of her visitacioun, seith the Lord.16 The Lord seith these thingis, Stonde ye on weies, and se ye, and axe ye of elde pathis, which is the good weie; and go ye ther ynne, and ye schulen fynde refreischyng to youre soulis. And thei seiden, We schulen not go.17 And Y ordeynede aspieris on you, and Y seide, Here ye the vois of a trumpe. And thei seiden, We schulen not here.18 Therfor, hethene men, here ye, and, thou congregacioun, knowe, hou grete thingis Y schal do to hem.19 Thou erthe, here, lo! Y schal brynge yuels on this puple, the fruit of her thouytis; for thei herden not my wordis, and castiden awei my lawe.20 Wherto bryngen ye to me encense fro Saba, and a tre of spicerie smellynge swetli fro a fer lond? Youre brent sacrifices ben not acceptid, and youre slayn sacrifices plesiden not me.21 Therfor the Lord God seith these thingis, Lo! Y schal yyue fallyngis in to this puple, and fadris and sones togidere, a neiybore and kynesman, schulen falle in hem, and schulen perische.22 The Lord God seith these thingis, Lo! a puple cometh fro the lond of the north, and a greet folk schal rise togidere fro the endis of erthe.23 It schal take an arowe and scheld; it is cruel, and schal not haue merci; the vois therof schal sowne as the see, and thei maad redi as a man to batel schulen stie on horsis ayens thee, thou douyter of Sion.24 We herden the fame therof, oure hondis ben `a clumsid; tribulacioun hath take vs, sorewis han take vs as a womman trauelinge of child.25 Nyle ye go out to the feeldis, and go ye not in the weie, for the swerd of the enemye, drede in cumpas.26 The douytir of my puple, be thou gird with heire, and be thou spreynt togidere with aische; make to thee mourenyng of oon aloone gendrid sone, a bitter weilyng, for whi a wastere schal come sodenli on you.27 I yaf thee a strong preuere in my puple, and thou schalt knowe, and preue the weie of hem.28 Alle these princis bowynge awei, goynge gilefuli, ben metal and irun; alle ben corrupt.29 The belu failide, leed is waastid in the fier, the wellere wellide in veyn; for the malices of hem ben not wastid.30 Clepe ye hem repreuable siluer, for the Lord hath cast hem awei.