1 “Flee for safety, O sons of Benjamin, From the midst of Jerusalem! Now blow a trumpet in Tekoa And raise a signal overaBeth-haccerem; For evil looks down from the north, And a great destruction. 2 “The comely and dainty one, the daughter of Zion, I will cut off. 3 “Shepherds and their flocks will come to her, They will pitch their tentsbaround her, They will pasture each in hiscplace. 4 “dPrepare war against her; Arise, and let useattack at noon. Woe to us, for the day declines, For the shadows of the evening lengthen! 5 “Arise, and let usfattack by night And destroy hergpalaces!” | |
6 For thus says the LORD of hosts, “Cut down her trees And cast up a siege against Jerusalem. This is the city to be punished, In whose midst there is only oppression. 7 “As a wellhkeeps its waters fresh, So sheikeeps fresh her wickedness. Violence and destruction are heard in her; Sickness and wounds are ever before Me. 8 “Be warned, O Jerusalem, OrjI shall be alienated from you, And make you a desolation, A land not inhabited.” 9 Thus says the LORD of hosts, “They will thoroughly glean as the vine the remnant of Israel; Pass your hand again like a grape gatherer Over the branches.” 10 To whom shall I speak and give warning That they may hear? Behold, their ears arekclosed And they cannot listen. Behold, the word of the LORD has become a reproach to them; They have no delight in it. 11 But I am full of the wrath of the LORD; I am weary with holding it in. “Pour it out on the children in the street And on thelgathering of young men together; For both husband and wife shall be taken, The agedmand the very old. 12 “Their houses shall be turned over to others, Their fields and their wives together; For I will stretch out My hand Against the inhabitants of the land,” declares the LORD. 13 “For from the least of them even to the greatest of them, Everyone is greedy for gain, And from the prophet even to the priest Everyonendeals falsely. 14 “They have healed the brokenness of My people superficially, Saying, ‘Peace, peace,’ But there is no peace. 15 “Were they ashamed because of the abomination they have done? They were not even ashamed at all; They did not even 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 the LORD. 16 Thus says the LORD, “Stand by the ways and see and ask for the ancient paths, Where the good way is, and walk in it; And you will find rest for your souls. But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.’ 17 “And I set watchmen over you, saying, ‘Listen to the sound of the trumpet!’ But they said, ‘We will not listen.’ 18 “Therefore hear, O nations, And know, O congregation, what is among them. 19 “Hear, O earth: behold, I am bringing disaster on this people, The fruit of theiroplans, Because they have not listened to My words, And as for My law, they have rejected it also. 20 “For what purpose does frankincense come to Me from Sheba And thepsweet cane from a distant land? Your burnt offerings are not acceptable And your sacrifices are not pleasing to Me.” | |
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