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 ^note comely and delicate woman.

3   The shepherds with their flocks shall come to her; they shall pitch their tents against her on every side; they shall feed every one in his place.

4   Prepare ye war against her; arise, and let us go up at noon. Woe to us! for the day departeth, for the shadows of the evening are lenghtened.

5   Arise, and let us go by night, and let us destroy her palaces.

6   ¶2; For thus hath the Lord of hosts said, Hew ye down trees, and ^note cast a mount against Jerusalem: this is the city to be visited; she is wholly oppression in the midst of her.

7    ^noteAs a fountain casteth out her waters, so she casteth out her wickedness: violence and devastation is heard in her; before me continually are grief and wounds.

8   Be thou instructed, O Jerusalem, lest my soul ^note depart from thee; lest I make thee desolate, a land not inhabited.

9   ¶2; Thus saith the Lord of hosts, They shall thoroughly glean the remnant of Israel as a vine: turn back thy hand as a grape-gatherer into the baskets.

10   To whom shall I speak, and give warning, that they may hear? Behold, their ^note ear is uncircumcised, and they cannot hearken: behold, the word of the Lord is to 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

Before CHRIST, 600. 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 to 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 to the greatest of them every one is given to ^note covetousness; and from the prophet even to the priest every one dealeth falsely.

14   They have ^note healed also the ^note hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace.

15   Were they ^note ashamed when they had committed abomination? no, 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 ^note the old paths, where is the good way, and walk in it, and ye shall find ^note rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk in it.

17   Also I set watchmen over you, saying, Hearken to the sound of the trumpet. But they said, We will not hearken.

18   ¶2; 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 to my words, nor to my law, but have rejected it.

20    ^noteTo what purpose cometh there to me incense from Sheba, and the sweet cane from a distant country? your burnt-offerings are not acceptable, nor your sacrifices sweet to me.

21   Therefore thus saith the Lord, Behold, I will lay stumbling-blocks before this people, and the fathers and the sons together shall fall upon them; the neighbor and his friend shall perish.

22   Thus saith the Lord, Behold, a people cometh from the ^note 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 of it: our hands become 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   ¶2; O daughter of my people, gird thee with ^note 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 ^note a fortress among my people, that thou mayest know and try their way.

28   They are all grievous revolters, walking with slanders: they are ^note brass and iron; they are all corrupters.

29   The bellows is burned, the lead is consumed by the fire; the founder melteth in vain: for the wicked are not plucked away.

30    ^{note note}Reprobate silver shall men call them, because the Lord hath rejected them.

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