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 Beth-haccerem: for evil appeareth out of the north, and great destruction.
2 I have likened the daughter of Zion to a comely and delicate woman.
3 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.
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 is the city to be visited; she 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 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 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 him that is full of days.
12 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.
13 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.
14 They have healed also the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when 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 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 is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein.
17 Also I set watchmen over you, 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 is among them.
19 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.
20 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.
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 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, 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 and fear is on every side.
26 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.
27 I have set thee for a tower and a fortress among my people, that thou mayest know and try their way.
28 They are all grievous revolters, walking with slanders: they are brass and iron; they 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 men call them, because the Lord hath rejected them.

1O yee children of Beniamin, gather your selues to flee out of the middest of Ierusalem, and blow the trumpet in Tekoa: and set vp a signe of fire in Beth-haccerem: for euill appeareth out of the North, and great destruction.

2I haue likened the daughter of Zion to a comely and delicate woman.

3The shepheards with their flocks shall come vnto her: they shall pitch their tents against her round about: they shall feede, euery one in his place.

4Prepare yee warre against her: arise, and let vs goe vp at noone: woe vnto vs, for the day goeth away, for the shadowes of the euening are stretched out.

5Arise, and let vs goe by night, and let vs destroy her palaces.

6 For thus hath the Lord of hostes said; Hew yee downe trees and cast a mount against Ierusalem: this is the citie to be visited, she is wholly oppression in the midst of her.

7As a fountaine casteth out her waters, so she casteth out her wickednesse: violence and spoile is heard in her, before me continually is griefe and wounds.

8Be thou instructed, O Ierusalem, lest my soule depart from thee: lest I make thee desolate, a lande not inhabited.

9 Thus saith the Lord of hosts, They shall throughly gleane the remnant of Israel as a vine: turne backe thine hand as a grape gatherer into the baskets.

10To whome shall I speake and giue warning, that they may heare? Behold, their eare is vncircumcised, and they cannot hearken: beholde, the word of the Lord is vnto them a reproch: they haue no delight in it.

11Therefore I am full of the furie of the Lord: I am weary with holding in: I will powre it out vpon the children abroad, and vpon the assembly of yong men together: for euen the husband with the wife shall be taken, the aged with him that is full of dayes.

12And their houses shall be turned vnto others, with their fields and wiues together: for I wil stretch out my hand vpon the inhabitants of the land, saith the Lord.

13For from the least of them euen vnto the greatest of them, euery one is giuen to couetousnesse, and from the prophet euen vnto the priest, euery one dealeth falsly.

14They haue healed also the hurt of the daughter of my people sleightly, saying, Peace, peace, when there is no peace.

15Were 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 bee cast downe, saith the Lord.

16Thus saith the Lord, Stand ye in the wayes and see, and aske for the old paths, where is the good way, and walke therein, and ye shall finde rest for your soules: but they said, We will not walke therein.

17Also I set watchmen ouer you, saying, Hearken to the sound of the trumpet: but they said, We wil not hearken.

18 Therefore heare ye nations, and know, O Congregation what is among them.

19Heare, O earth, behold, I will bring euill vpon this people, euen the fruit of their thoughts, because they haue not hearkened vnto my wordes, nor to my law, but reiected it.

20To what purpose cōmeth there to me incense from Sheba? and the sweet cane from a farre countrey? your burnt offerings are not acceptable, nor your sacrifices sweet vnto me.

21Therefore thus saith the Lord, Behold, I will lay stumbling blockes before this people, and the fathers and the sons together shall fall vpon them: the neighbor and his friend shall perish.

22Thus saith the Lord, Behold, a people commeth from the North countrey, and a great nation shall bee raised from the sides of the earth.

23They shall lay hold on bowe and speare: they are cruell, and haue no mercie: their voice roareth like the Sea, and they ride vpon horses, set in aray as men for warre against thee, O daughter of Zion.

24We haue heard the fame thereof, our hands waxe feeble, anguish hath taken hold of vs, and paine as of a woman in trauaile.

25Goe not forth into the field, nor walke by the way: for the sword of the enemie and feare is on euery side.

26 O daughter of my people, gird thee with sackcloth, and wallowe thy selfe in ashes: make thee mourning, as for an onely sonne, most bitter lamentation: for the spoiler shall suddenly come vpon vs.

27I haue set thee for a towre, and a fortresse among my people: that thou mayest know and trie their way.

28They are all grieuous reuolters, walking with slanders: they are brasse and yron, they are all corrupters.

29The bellowes are burnt, the lead is consumed of the fire: the founder melteth in vaine: for the wicked are not plucked away.

30Reprobate siluer shall men call them, because the Lord hath reiected them.

III == 2nd Kings 25:1 , 4 ; Jer 4:17

IV == Jer 15:8 ; 51:27 ; Joel 3:9

VII == Ps 55:9-11 ; Isa 57:20 ; Jer 20:8 ; Ezek 7:11 , 23

VIII == Ezek 23:18

XII == Deut 28:30 ; Jer 8:10

XIII == Isa 56:11 ; Jer 8:10 ; 14:18 ; 23:11 ; Mic 3:5 , 11

XIV == Jer 4:10 ; 8:11 ; 14:13 ; 23:17 ; Ezek 13:10

XV == Jer 3:3 ; 8:12

XVI == Isa 8:20 ; Jer 18:15 ; Mal 4:4 ; Matt 11:29 ; Luke 16:29

XVII == Isa 21:11 ; 58:1 ; Jer 25:4 ; Ezek 3:17 ; Hab 2:1

XIX == Prov 1:31 ; Isa 1:2

XX == Ps 40:6 ; 50:7-9 ; Isa 1:11 ; 60:6 ; 66:3 ; Jer 7:21 ; Amos 5:21 ; Mic 6:6

XXII == Jer 1:15 ; 5:15 ; 10:22 ; 50:41-43

XXIII == Isa 5:30

XXIV == Jer 4:31 ; 13:21 ; 49:24 ; 50:43

XXVI == Jer 4:8 ; 25:34 ; Mic 1:10 ; Zech 12:10

XXVII == Jer 1:18 ; 15:20

XXVIII == Jer 5:23 , 9:4 ; Ezek 22:18

XXX == Isa 1:22 ; Jer 26:2

1 Flee, sons of Benjamin, out of Jerusalem! Blow the trumpet in Tekoa, raise a signal over Beth-haccherem; For evil threatens from the north, and mighty destruction.

2 O lovely and delicate daughter Zion, you are ruined!

3 Against her, shepherds come with their flocks; all around, they pitch their tents, each one grazes his portion.

4 "Prepare for war against her, Up! let us rush upon her at midday! Alas! the day is waning, evening shadows lengthen;

5 Up! let us rush upon her by night, destroy her palaces!"

6 For thus says the LORD of hosts: Hew down her trees, throw up a siege mound against Jerusalem. Woe to the city marked for punishment; nought but oppression within her!

7 As the well gushes out its waters, so she gushes out her wickedness. Violence and destruction resound in her; ever before me are wounds and blows.

8 Be warned, O Jerusalem, lest I be estranged from you; Lest I turn you into a desert, a land where no man dwells.

9 Thus says the LORD of hosts: Glean, glean like a vine the remnant of Israel; Pass your hand, like a vintager, repeatedly over the tendrils.

10 To whom shall I speak? whom shall I warn, and be heard? See! their ears are uncircumcised, they cannot give heed; See, the word of the LORD has become for them an object of scorn, which they will not have.

11 Therefore my wrath brims up within me, I am weary of holding it in; I will pour it out upon the child in the street, upon the young men gathered together. Yes, all will be taken, husband and wife, graybeard with ancient.

12 Their houses will fall to strangers, their fields and their wives as well; For I will stretch forth my hand against those who dwell in this land, says the LORD.

13 Small and great alike, all are greedy for gain; prophet and priest, all practice fraud.

14 They would repair, as though it were nought, the injury to my people: "Peace, peace!" they say, though there is no peace.

15 They are odious; they have done abominable things, yet they are not at all ashamed, they know not how to blush. Hence they shall be among those who fall; in their time of punishment they shall go down, says the LORD.

16 Thus says the LORD: Stand beside the earliest roads, ask the pathways of old Which is the way to good, and walk it; thus you will find rest for your souls. But they said, "We will not walk it."

17 When I raised up watchmen for them: "Hearken to the sound of the trumpet!" they said, "We will not hearken."

18 Therefore hear, O nations, and know, O earth, what I will do with them:

19 See, I bring evil upon this people, the fruit of their own schemes, Because they heeded not my words, because they despised my law.

20 Of what use to me incense that comes from Sheba, or sweet cane from far-off lands? Your holocausts find no favor with me, your sacrifices please me not.

21 Therefore, thus says the LORD: See, I will place before this people obstacles to bring them down; Fathers and sons alike, neighbors and friends shall perish.

22 Thus says the LORD: See, a people comes from the land of the north, a great nation, roused from the ends of the earth.

23 Bow and javelin they wield; cruel and pitiless are they. They sound like the roaring sea as they ride forth on steeds, Each in his place, for battle against you, daughter Zion.

24 We hear the report of them; helpless fall our hands, Anguish takes hold of us, throes like a mother's in childbirth.

25 Go not forth into the field, step not into the street, Beware of the enemy's sword; terror on every side!

26 O daughter of my people, gird on sackcloth, roll in the ashes. Mourn as for an only child with bitter wailing, For sudden upon us comes the destroyer.

27 A tester among my people I have appointed you, to search and test their way.

28 Arch-rebels are they all, dealers in slander, all of them corrupt.

29 The bellows roars, the lead is consumed by the fire; In vain has the smelter refined, the wicked are not drawn off.

30 "Silver rejected" they shall be called, for the LORD has rejected them.

v 1-6. Judgment was certain so Jeremiah told how it would come. Benjamin was told to bypass Jerusalem and flee south, and a fire would be built southeast at Tekoa on a high point to warn them to flee. Jerusalem would be so destroyed that flocks would graze there. Babylonians planned to attack at noon but weren’t ready till the shadows fell, but contrary to normal, they decided to go ahead and attack at night.

v 7-9. Jerusalem’s wickedness poured forth like a fountain, so God would destroy their land like the gleaning of a vineyard.

v 10-15. Jeremiah was frustrated that people’s ears were so closed they would pay no attention to his warning. Every element of society would suffer from invasion, but the priests just falsely proclaimed peace. They were too shameless to even blush.

v 16-21. God urged the people to walk in His ways but they refused, and He set prophets as watchmen, but people would not listen to them. Therefore God would bring evil on them. He rejected the expensive incense they brought in ritual, and said he would put fatal stumbling blocks before them, probably referring to Babylon.

v 22-26. Babylon would come in mercilessly from the north and the people would be in great fear. Their anguish would be as one in labor or as if an only son died. 

v 27-30. God set Jeremiah as an assayer to test metal, and Judah was the ore. God had attempted to refine them but they refused, so they were like impure rejected silver, and would face judgment.