Online Bible

The Coming Destruction of Jerusalem

“Flee to safety, you sons of ^aBenjamin,From the midst of Jerusalem!Blow a trumpet in TekoaAnd raise a warning signal over ¹^bBeth-haccerem;For evil looks down from the ^cnorth,Along with a great destruction.2 “The beautiful and ^adelicate one, ^bthe daughter of Zion, I will destroy.3 “^aShepherds and their flocks will come to her,They will ^bpitch their tents ¹around her,They will pasture, each in his ²place.4 ‘¹^aPrepare for war against her;Arise, and let’s ²attack at ^bnoon.Woe to us, for the day declines,For the shadows of the evening lengthen!5 ‘Arise, and let’s ¹attack by nightAnd ^adestroy her ²palaces!’”6 For this is what the LORD of armies says:“^aCut down her treesAnd pile up an ^bassault ramp against Jerusalem.This is the city to be punished,In whose midst there is only ^coppression.7 “^aAs a well ¹keeps its waters fresh,So she ²keeps fresh her wickedness.^bViolence and destruction are heard in her;^cSickness and wounds are constantly before Me.8 “^aBe warned, Jerusalem,Or ¹^bI shall be alienated from you,And make you a desolation,An uninhabited land.”

9 This is what the LORD of armies says:“They will ^athoroughly glean the ^bremnant of Israel like the vine;Pass your hand over the branches againLike a grape gatherer.”10 To whom shall I speak and give warning,That they may hear?Behold, their ^aears are ¹closedAnd they cannot listen.Behold, ^bthe word of the LORD has become for them a rebuke;They take no delight in it.11 But I am ^afull of the wrath of the LORD;I am ^bweary of holding it in.“^cPour it out on the children in the streetAnd on the ¹gathering of young men together;For both husband and wife shall be taken,The old ²and the very old.12 “Their ^ahouses shall be turned over to others,Their fields and their wives together;For I will ^bstretch out My handAgainst the inhabitants of the land,” declares the LORD.13 “For ^afrom the least of them to the greatest of them,Everyone is ^bgreedy for gain,And from the prophet to the priestEveryone deals falsely.14 “They have ^ahealed the brokenness of My people superficially,Saying, ‘Peace, peace,’But there is no peace.15 “Were they ^aashamed because of the abomination they had done?They were not ashamed at all,Nor did they know even how to be ashamed.Therefore they will fall among those who fall;At the time that I punish them,They will collapse,” says the LORD.

16 This is what the LORD says:“Stand by the ways and see and ask for the ^aancient paths,Where the good way is, and walk in it;Then ^byou will find a resting place for your souls.But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.’17 “And I set ^awatchmen over you, saying,‘Listen to the sound of the trumpet!’But they said, ‘We will not listen.’18 “Therefore hear, you nations,And know, you congregation, what is among them.19 “^aHear, earth: behold, I am bringing disaster on this people,The ^bfruit of their ¹plans,Because they have not listened to My words,And as for My Law, they have ^crejected it also.20 “^aFor what purpose does ^bfrankincense come to Me from Sheba,And the ¹^csweet cane from a distant land?^dYour burnt offerings are not acceptableAnd your sacrifices are not pleasing to Me.”21 Therefore, this is what the LORD says:“Behold, ^aI am ¹placing stumbling blocks before this people.And they will stumble against them,^bFathers and sons together;Neighbor and ²friend will perish.”

The Enemy from the North

22 This is what the LORD says:“Behold, there is ^aa people coming from the north land,And a great nation will be stirred up from the ^bremote parts of the earth.23 “They seize ^abow and spear;They are ^bcruel and have no mercy;Their voice ^croars like the sea,And they ride on horses,Lined up as a man for the battleAgainst you, daughter of Zion!”24 We have ^aheard the report of it;Our hands are limp.^bAnguish has seized us,Pain like that of a woman in childbirth.25 ^aDo not go out into the field,And ^bdo not walk on the road;For the enemy has a sword,^cTerror is on every side.26 Daughter of my people, ^aput on sackclothAnd ^broll in ashes;¹^cMourn as for an only son,A most bitter mourning.For suddenly the destroyerWill come against us.

27 “I have ^amade you an assayer and an examiner among My people,So that you may know and put their way to the test.”28 All of them are stubbornly rebellious,^aGoing about as a slanderer;They are ^bbronze and iron.They are, all of them, corrupt.29 The bellows blow fiercely,The lead is consumed by the fire;In vain the refining goes on,But the ^awicked are not ¹separated.30 ^aThey call them rejected silver,Because the ^bLORD has rejected them.

Yahweh Disciplines Israel

“Flee for safety, O sons of ^aBenjamin,From the midst of Jerusalem!Now blow a trumpet in TekoaAnd raise a signal over ¹^bBeth-haccerem,For evil looks down from the ^cnorth,As well as great destruction.2 “The comely and ^adelicate one, ^bthe daughter of Zion, I will ruin.3 “^aShepherds and their flocks will come to her;They will ^bpitch their tents ¹around her;They will pasture each in his ²place.4 “^aSet yourselves apart for war against her;Arise, and let us go up at ^bnoon.Woe to us, for the day declines,For the shadows of the evening stretch out!5 “Arise, and let us go up by nightAnd ¹^adestroy her ²palaces!”6 For thus says Yahweh of hosts,“^aCut down her treesAnd cast up a ^bsiege against Jerusalem.This is the city to be punished,In whose midst there is only ^coppression.7 “^aLike a well ¹keeps its waters fresh,So she ²keeps fresh her evil.^bViolence and devastation are heard in her;^cSickness and wounds are continually before Me.8 “^aHeed discipline, O Jerusalem,Lest ^bMy soul become disgusted at you,Lest I make you a desolation,A land not inhabited.”

9 Thus says Yahweh of hosts,“They will ^athoroughly glean as the vine the ^bremnant of Israel;Pass your hand again like a grape gathererOver the branches.”

10 To whom shall I speak and give warningThat they may hear?Behold, their ^aears are uncircumcised,And they cannot give heed.Behold, ^bthe word of Yahweh has become a reproach to them;They have no delight in it.11 But I am ^afull of the wrath of Yahweh;I am ^bweary of holding it in.“^cPour it out on the infants in the streetAnd on the ¹gathering of choice men together;For both husband and wife shall be captured,The aged with the one full of days.12 “Their ^ahouses shall be turned over to others,Their fields and their wives together,For I will ^bstretch out My handAgainst the inhabitants of the land,” declares Yahweh.13 “For ^afrom the least of them even to the greatest of them,Everyone is ^bgreedy for gain,And from the prophet even to the priestEveryone practices lying.14 “They have ^ahealed the brokenness of My people superficially,Saying, ‘Peace, peace,’But there is no peace.15 “Were they ^aashamed because of the abomination they have done?They were not even ashamed at all;They did not even know how to feel dishonor.Therefore they shall fall among those who fall;At the time that I punish them,They shall be cast down,” says Yahweh.

16 Thus says Yahweh,“Stand by the ways and see and ask for the ^aancient paths,Where the good way is, and walk in it;And ^byou will find rest for your souls.But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.’

17 “And I set ^awatchmen over you, saying,‘Give heed to the sound of the trumpet!’But they said, ‘We will not give heed.’18 “Therefore hear, O nations,And know, O congregation, what is among them.19 “^aHear, O earth: behold, I am bringing evil on this people,The ^bfruit of their ¹plans,Because they have not given heed to My words,And as for My law, they have ^crejected it also.20 “^aFor what purpose does ^bfrankincense come to Me from ShebaAnd the ¹^csweet cane from a distant land?^dYour burnt offerings are not acceptable,And your sacrifices are not pleasing to Me.”21 Therefore, thus says Yahweh,“Behold, ^aI am ¹laying stumbling blocks before this people.And they will stumble against them,^bFathers and sons together;Neighbor and ²friend will perish.”

Mourn the Coming Destroyer

22 Thus says Yahweh,“Behold, ^aa people is coming from the land of the north,And a great nation will be aroused from the ^bremote parts of the earth.

23 “They take hold of ^abow and spear;They are ^bcruel and have no compassion;Their voice ^croars like the sea,And they ride on horses,Arranged as a man for the battleAgainst you, O daughter of Zion!”24 We have ^aheard the report of it;Our hands are limp.^bDistress has taken hold of us,Pain as of a woman in childbirth.25 ^aDo not go out into the fieldAnd ^bdo not walk on the road,For the enemy has a sword;^cTerror is on every side.26 O daughter of my people, ^agird yourself with sackclothAnd ^broll in ashes;¹^cMourn as for an only son,A lamentation most bitter.For suddenly the destroyerWill come upon us.

27 “I have ^amade you a tester of metals and ¹an assayer among My people,That you may know and test their way.”28 All of them are rebelliously stubborn,^aGoing about as a slanderer.They are ^bbronze and iron;They, all of them, are corrupt.29 The bellows blow fiercely;The lead ¹is consumed by the fire;In vain the refining goes on,But the ^aevil ones are not ²separated.30 ^aThey call them rejected silverBecause ^bYahweh has rejected them.