1. 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.
2. I have likened the daughter of Zion to a comely and delicate {cf15I woman}.
3. The shepherds with their flocks shall come unto her; they shall pitch {cf15I their} tents against her round about; they shall feed every one in his place.
4. 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.
5. Arise, and let us go by night, and let us destroy her palaces.
6. For thus hath the LORD of hosts said, Hew ye down trees, and cast a mount against Jerusalem: this {cf15I is} the city to be visited; she {cf15I is} wholly oppression in the midst of her.
7. As a fountain casteth out her waters, so she casteth out her wickedness: violence and spoil is heard in her; before me continually {cf15I is} grief and wounds.
8. Be thou instructed, O Jerusalem, lest my soul depart from thee; lest I make thee desolate, a land not inhabited.
9. 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.
10. To whom shall I speak, and give warning, that they may hear? behold, their ear {cf15I is} uncircumcised, and they cannot hearken: behold, the word of the LORD is unto them a reproach; they have no delight in it.
11. 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 {cf15I him that is} full of days.
12. And their houses shall be turned unto others, {cf15I with their} fields and wives together: for I will stretch out my hand upon the inhabitants of the land, saith the LORD.
13. For from the least of them even unto the greatest of them every one {cf15I is} given to covetousness; and from the prophet even unto the priest every one dealeth falsely.
14. They have healed also the hurt {cf15I of the daughter} of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when {cf15I there is} no peace.
15. 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 {cf15I that} I visit them they shall be cast down, saith the LORD.
16. Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where {cf15I is} the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk {cf15I therein}.
17. Also I set watchmen over you, {cf15I saying}, Hearken to the sound of the trumpet. But they said, We will not hearken.
18. Therefore hear, ye nations, and know, O congregation, what {cf15I is} among them.
19. Hear, O earth: behold, I will bring evil upon this people, {cf15I even} the fruit of their thoughts, because they have not hearkened unto my words, nor to my law, but rejected it.
20. To what purpose cometh there to me incense from Sheba, and the sweet cane from a far country? your burnt offerings {cf15I are} not acceptable, nor your sacrifices sweet unto me.
21. 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.
22. 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.
23. They shall lay hold on bow and spear; they {cf15I 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.
24. We have heard the fame thereof: our hands wax feeble: anguish hath taken hold of us, {cf15I and} pain, as of a woman in travail.
25. Go not forth into the field, nor walk by the way; for the sword of the enemy {cf15I and} fear {cf15I is} on every side.
26. O daughter of my people, gird {cf15I thee} with sackcloth, and wallow thyself in ashes: make thee mourning, {cf15I as for} an only son, most bitter lamentation: for the spoiler shall suddenly come upon us.
27. I have set thee {cf15I for} a tower {cf15I and} a fortress among my people, that thou mayest know and try their way.
28. They {cf15I are} all grievous revolters, walking with slanders: {cf15I they are} brass and iron; they {cf15I are} all corrupters.
29. The bellows are burned, the lead is consumed of the fire; the founder melteth in vain: for the wicked are not plucked away.
30. Reprobate silver shall {cf15I men} call them, because the LORD hath rejected them.