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 For 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: and 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 To 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.