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
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 the
7 As a fountain casteth out her waters, so she casteth out her wickedness: violence and spoil is heard in her; before me continually
8 Be thou instructed, O Jerusalem, lest my soul depart from thee; lest I make thee desolate, a land not inhabited.
9 Thus saith the
10 To whom shall I speak, and give warning, that they may hear? behold, their ear
11 Therefore I am full of the fury of the
12 And their houses shall be turned unto others,
13 For from the least of them even unto the greatest of them every one
14 They have healed also the hurt
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
16 Thus saith the
17 Also I set watchmen over you,
18 Therefore hear, ye nations, and know, O congregation, what
19 Hear, O earth: behold, I will bring evil upon this people,
20 To what purpose cometh there to me incense from Sheba, and the sweet cane from a far country? your burnt offerings
21 Therefore thus saith the
22 Thus saith the
23 They shall lay hold on bow and spear; they
24 We have heard the fame thereof: our hands wax feeble: anguish hath taken hold of us,
25 Go not forth into the field, nor walk by the way; for the sword of the enemy
26 O daughter of my people, gird
27 I have set thee
28 They
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