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.

3. The shepherds with their flocks shall come unto her; they shall pitch 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 יְהוָ֥ה of hosts said, Hew ye down trees, and cast a mount against Jerusalem: this the city to be visited; she 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 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 יְהוָ֥ה 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 uncircumcised, and they cannot hearken: behold, the word of יְהוָ֥ה is unto them a reproach; they have no delight in it.

11. Therefore I am full of the fury of יְהוָ֥ה; 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 full of days.

12. And their houses shall be turned unto others, fields and wives together: for I will stretch out my hand upon the inhabitants of the land, saith יְהוָ֥ה.

13. For from the least of them even unto the greatest of them every one given to covetousness; and from the prophet even unto the priest every one dealeth falsely.

14. They have healed also the hurt of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when 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 I visit them they shall be cast down, saith יְהוָ֥ה.

16. Thus saith יְהוָ֥ה, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk.

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

18. Therefore hear, ye nations, and know, O congregation, what among them.

19. Hear, O earth: behold, I will bring evil upon this people, 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 not acceptable, nor your sacrifices sweet unto me.

21. Therefore thus saith יְהוָ֥ה, 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 יְהוָ֥ה, 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 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, 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 fear on every side.

26. O daughter of my people, gird with sackcloth, and wallow thyself in ashes: make thee mourning, an only son, most bitter lamentation: for the spoiler shall suddenly come upon us.

27. I have set thee a tower a fortress among my people, that thou mayest know and try their way.

28. They all grievous revolters, walking with slanders: brass and iron; they 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 call them, because יְהוָ֥ה hath rejected them.