1 Take courage ye children of Benjamin in the midst of Jerusalem, and in Thecua sound with the trumpet, and over Bethacarem lift up the standard: because there is evil seen from the North, and great destruction.
1 Strengthen yourselves, ye sons of Benjamin, in the midst of Jerusalem, and sound the trumpet in Thecua, and set up the standard over Bethacarem: for evil is seen out of the north, and a great destruction.
2 I have resembled the daughter of Sion to a beautiful and delicate woman.
2 I have likened the daughter of Sion to a beautiful and delicate woman.
3 To her shall Pastors come, and their flocks: they have pitcht tents in her round about: every one shall feed them that are under his hand.
3 The shepherds shall come to her with their flocks: they have pitched their tents against her round about: everyone shall feed them that are under his hand.
4 Sanctify ye battle upon her: arise, and let us go up in the midday: woe unto us, because the day is declined, because the shadows of the evening are waxen longer.
4 Prepare ye war against her: arise, and let us go up at midday: woe unto us, for the day is declined, for the shadows of the evening are grown longer.
5 Arise, and let us go up in the night, and destroy her houses.
5 Arise, and let us go up in the night, and destroy her houses.
6 Because thus saith the Lord of hosts: Hew down her wood, cast a trench about Jerusalem: this is the city of visitation, all oppression is in the midst thereof.
6 For thus saith the Lord of hosts: Hew down her trees, cast up a trench about Jerusalem: this is the city to be visited, all oppression is in the midst of her.
7 As a cistern maketh cold the water thereof, so hath she made cold her malice: iniquity and spoil shall be heard in her, infirmity and plague always before me.
7 As a cistern maketh its water cold, so hath she made her wickedness cold: violence and spoil shall be heard in her, infirmity and stripes are continually before me.
8 Be thou taught Jerusalem, lest perhaps my soul depart from thee, lest perhaps I make thee a desert land not habitable.
8 Be thou instructed, O Jerusalem, lest my soul depart from thee, lest I make thee desolate, a land uninhabited.
9 Thus saith the Lord of hosts: Even to one cluster shall they gather as in a vineyard the remains of Israel, turn back thy hand, as the grape gatherer to the basket.
9 Thus saith the Lord of hosts: They shall gather the remains of Israel, as in a vine, even to one cluster: turn back thy hand, as a grape gatherer into the basket.
10 To whom shall I speak? And whom shall I contest, that he may hear? Behold, their ears are uncircumcised, and they cannot hear: behold the word of our Lord is become unto them as a reproach: and they will not receive it.
10 To whom shall I speak? And to whom shall I testify, that he may hear? Behold, their ears are uncircumcised, and they cannot hear: behold the word of the Lord is become unto them a reproach: and they will not receive it.
11 Therefore am I full of the fury of our Lord, I have laboured sustaining: pour out upon the little one without, and upon the counsel of the young men together: for man with woman shall be taken, the ancient with him that is full of days.
11 Therefore am I full of the fury of the Lord, I am weary with holding in: pour it out upon the child abroad, and upon the council of the young men together: for man and woman shall be taken, the ancient and he that is full of days.
12 And their houses shall pass to others, their lands and wives together: because I will extend my hand upon the inhabitants of the land, saith our Lord.
12 And their houses shall be turned over to others, with their lands and their wives together: for I will stretch forth my hand upon the inhabitants of the land, saith the Lord.
13 For from the lesser even to the greater, all study avarice: and from the Prophets even to the Priest, all commit guile.
13 ¹For from the least of them even to the greatest, all are given to covetousness: and from the prophet even to the priest, all are guilty of deceit.
14 And they cured the destruction of the daughter of my people with ignominy, saying: Peace, peace: and there was not peace.
14 And they healed the breach of the daughter of my people disgracefully, saying: Peace, peace: and there was no peace.
15 They were confounded, because they did abomination: yea rather they were not confounded with confusion, and they knew not how to blush, for the which thing, they shall fall among them that fall: in the time of their visitation, they shall fall down, saith our Lord.
15 They were confounded, because they committed abomination: yea, rather they were not confounded with confusion, and they knew not how to blush: wherefore they shall fall among them that fall: in the time of their visitation they shall fall down, saith the Lord.
16 Thus saith our Lord: Stand ye upon the ways, and see, and ask of the old paths, which is the good way, and walk ye in it: and you shall find refreshing for your souls. And they said: We will not walk.
16 Thus saith the Lord: Stand ye on the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, which is the good way, and walk ye in it: ²and you shall find refreshment for your souls. And they said: We will not walk.
17 And I appointed watchmen over you. Hear ye the voice of the trumpet. And they said: We will not hear.
17 And I appointed watchmen over you, saying: Hearken ye to the sound of the trumpet. And they said: We will not hearken.
18 Therefore hear ye, o Gentiles, and thou congregation know, what great things I will do to them.
18 Therefore hear, ye nations, and know, O congregation, what great things I will do to them.
19 Hear o earth: Behold I will bring evils upon this people, the fruits of their cogitations: because they have not heard my words, and they have cast off my law.
19 Hear, O earth: Behold I will bring evils upon this people, the fruits of their own thoughts: because they have not heard my words, and they have cast away my law.
20 To what purpose bring you me frankincense from Saba, and the sweet smelling cane from a far country? Your holocausts are not acceptable, and your victims have not pleased me.
20 ³To what purpose do you bring me frankincense from Saba, and the sweet smelling cane from a far country? Your holocausts are not acceptable, nor are your sacrifices pleasing to me.
21 Therefore thus saith our Lord: Behold I will bring ruin upon this people, and the fathers with the children shall fall in them together, neighbour and neighbour, and they shall perish.
21 Therefore thus saith the Lord: Behold I will bring destruction upon this people, by which fathers and sons together shall fall, neighbor and kinsman shall perish.
22 Thus saith our Lord: Behold there cometh a people from the land of the North, and a great nation shall arise up from the ends of the earth.
22 Thus saith the Lord: Behold a people cometh from the land of the north, and a great nation shall rise up from the ends of the earth.
23 It shall take arrow and shield: it is cruel, and will have no mercy. The voice thereof shall sound as the sea: and they shall mount upon horses, prepared as a man to battle, against thee, o daughter of Sion.
23 They shall lay hold on arrow and shield: they are cruel, and will have no mercy. Their voice shall roar like the sea: and they shall mount upon horses, prepared as men for war, against thee, O daughter of Sion.
24 We have heard the fame thereof, our hands are dissolved: tribulation hath caught us, sorrows as a woman in travail.
24 We have heard the fame thereof, our hands grow feeble: anguish hath taken hold of us, as a woman in labor.
25 Go not out of the fields, and walk not in the way: because the sword of the enemy is fear round about.
25 Go not out into the fields, nor walk in the highway: for the sword of the enemy, and fear is on every side.
26 Be girded with sackcloth, o daughter of my people, and be sprinkled with ashes: make thee a bitter lamentation as the mourning of the only-begotten, because the destroyer shall suddenly come upon us.
26 Gird thee with sackcloth, O daughter of my people, and sprinkle thee with ashes: make thee mourning as for an only son, a bitter lamentation, because the destroyer shall suddenly come upon us.
27 I have set thee a strong prover in my people: and thou shalt know, and prove their way.
27 I have set thee for a strong trier among my people: and thou shalt know, and prove their way.
28 All these Princes are declining, walking deceitfully, brass and iron: they are all corrupted.
28 All these princes go out of the way, they walk deceitfully, they are brass and iron: they are all corrupted.
29 The bellows have failed, the lead is consumed in the fire, the founder hath melted in vain: for their malices are not consumed.
29 The bellows have failed, the lead is consumed in the fire, the founder hath melted in vain: for their wicked deeds are not consumed.
30 Call ye them reprobate silver, because our Lord hath rejected them.
30 Call them reprobate silver, for the Lord hath rejected them.