Jeremiah 6 - Christian Standard Bible (CSB)

Threatened Siege of Jerusalem

6 “Run for cover^(A)
out of Jerusalem, Benjaminites.
Sound the ram’s horn^(B) in Tekoa;^(C)
raise a smoke signal^(D) over Beth-haccherem,^[a]
for disaster threatens from the north,^(E)
even a crushing blow.
²Though she is beautiful and delicate,
I will destroy^[b] Daughter Zion.
³Shepherds and their flocks will come against her;
they will pitch their tents all around her.^(F)
Each will pasture his own portion.
⁴Set them apart for war^(G) against her;
rise up, let’s attack at noon.
Woe to us, for the day is passing;
the evening shadows grow long.
⁵Rise up, let’s attack by night.
Let’s destroy her fortresses.”

⁶For this is what the Lord of Armies says:

Cut down the trees;^(H)
raise a siege ramp against Jerusalem.
This city must be punished.
There is nothing but oppression within her.^(I)
⁷As a well gushes out its water,
so she pours out her evil.^[c]
Violence and destruction^(J) resound in her.
Sickness and wounds keep coming to my attention.
⁸Be warned, Jerusalem,
or I will turn away from you;^(K)
I will make you a desolation,
a land without inhabitants.^(L)

Wrath on Israel

⁹This is what the Lord of Armies says:

Glean the remnant of Israel^(M)
as thoroughly as a vine.
Pass your hand once more like a grape gatherer
over the branches.

¹⁰Who can I speak to and give such a warning^[d]
that they will listen?
Look, their ear is uncircumcised,^[e]^(N)
so they cannot pay attention.
See, the word of the Lord has become contemptible to them—
they find no pleasure in it.^(O)
¹¹But I am full of the Lord’s wrath;
I am tired of holding it back.^(P)
Pour it out on the children in the street,^(Q)
on the gathering of young men as well.
For both husband and wife will be captured,
the old with the very old.^[f]
¹²Their houses will be turned over to others,^(R)
their fields and wives as well,
for I will stretch out my hand^(S)
against the inhabitants of the land.
This is the Lord’s declaration.

¹³For from the least to the greatest of them,^(T)
everyone is making profit dishonestly.^(U)
From prophet to priest,
everyone deals falsely.^(V)
¹⁴They have treated my people’s brokenness superficially,
claiming, “Peace, peace,”^(W)
when there is no peace.
¹⁵Were they ashamed when they acted so detestably?
They weren’t at all ashamed.
They can no longer feel humiliation.^(X)
Therefore, they will fall among the fallen.
When I punish them, they will collapse,^(Y)
says the Lord.

Disaster because of Disobedience

¹⁶This is what the Lord says:

Stand by the roadways and look.
Ask about the ancient paths,^(Z)
“Which is the way to what is good?”
Then take it
and find rest for yourselves.^(AA)
But they protested, “We won’t!”
¹⁷I appointed watchmen over you^(AB)
and said, “Listen for the sound of the ram’s horn.”
But they protested, “We won’t listen!”

¹⁸Therefore listen, you nations
and you witnesses,
learn what the charge is against them.
¹⁹Listen, earth!
I am about to bring disaster on these people,
the fruit of their own plotting,^(AC)
for they have paid no attention to my words.
They have rejected my instruction.^(AD)
²⁰What use to me is frankincense from Sheba^(AE)
or sweet cane^(AF) from a distant land?
Your burnt offerings are not acceptable;
your sacrifices do not please me.^(AG)
²¹Therefore, this is what the Lord says:
I am going to place stumbling blocks before these people;
fathers and sons together will stumble over them;^(AH)
friends and neighbors will also perish.

A Cruel Nation from the North

²²This is what the Lord says:

Look,^(AI) an army is coming from a northern land;^(AJ)
a great nation will be stirred up
from the remote regions of the earth.^(AK)
²³They grasp bow and javelin.
They are cruel and show no mercy.^(AL)
Their voice roars like the sea,^(AM)
and they ride on horses,
lined up like men in battle formation
against you, Daughter Zion.

²⁴We have heard about it,
and our hands have become weak.
Distress has seized us—
pain, like a woman in labor.^(AN)
²⁵Don’t go out to the fields;
don’t walk on the road.
For the enemy has a sword;
terror is on every side.^(AO)

²⁶My dear^[g] people, dress yourselves in sackcloth
and roll in the dust.^(AP)
Mourn as you would for an only son,^(AQ)
a bitter lament,
for suddenly the destroyer^(AR) will come on us.^(AS)

Jeremiah Appointed as an Examiner

²⁷I have appointed you to be an assayer among my people—
a refiner^[h]—
so you may know and assay their way of life.^(AT)
²⁸All are stubborn rebels
spreading slander.^(AU)
They are bronze and iron;
all of them are corrupt.^(AV)
²⁹The bellows blow,
blasting the lead with fire.
The refining is completely in vain;
the evil ones are not separated out.
³⁰They are called rejected silver,
for the Lord has rejected them.^(AW)

Footnotes

6:1 = House of the Vineyard
6:2 Or silence
6:7 Or well keeps its water fresh, so she keeps her evil fresh
6:10 Or and bear witness
6:10 They are unresponsive to God.
6:11 Lit with fullness of days
6:26 Lit Daughter of my
6:27 Text emended; MT reads fortress

Cross references

Jeremiah 6 - Young's Literal Translation (YLT)

6 Strengthen yourselves, sons of Benjamin, From the midst of Jerusalem, And in Tekoa blow ye a trumpet, And over Beth-Haccerem lift ye up a flame, For evil hath been seen from the north, And great destruction. 2 The comely and the delicate one I have cut off, The daughter of Zion. 3 Unto her come do...
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Jeremiah 6 - Wycliffe Bible (WYC)

6 Sons of Benjamin, be ye comforted in the middle of Jerusalem, and make ye noise with a clarion in Tekoa, and raise ye a banner on Bethhaccerem; for why evil and great sorrow is seen from the north. (Sons of Benjamin, escape ye from the midst of Jerusalem, and make ye a sound with a trumpet in Teko...
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Jeremiah 6 - World English Bible (WEB)

6 “Flee for safety, you children of Benjamin, out of the middle of Jerusalem! Blow the trumpet in Tekoa and raise up a signal on Beth Haccherem, for evil looks out from the north with a great destruction. 2 I will cut off the beautiful and delicate one, the daughter of Zion. 3 Shepherds with their...
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Jeremiah 6 - The Voice (VOICE)

God, through His prophet, speaks about the ills of a greedy people who have forgotten how much the poor and orphaned matter to Him. The stench of injustice has become unbearable. For God, it is time to act.As the swirling clouds gather to form a storm only Jeremiah sees on the horizon, the destructi...
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Jeremiah 6 - Tree of Life Version (TLV)

Jerusalem Under Siege6 Flee for refuge, children of Benjamin, from the midst of Jerusalem! Blow the shofar in Tekoa and raise a signal in Beth-cherem! For disaster looms from the north, even terrible destruction. 2 “The lovely, delicate Daughter of Zion I will cut off.” 3 Shepherds with their flocks...
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Jeremiah 6 - Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE)

The Imminence and Horror of the Invasion6 Flee for safety, O people of Benjamin, from the midst of Jerusalem!Blow the trumpet in Teko′a, and raise a signal on Beth-hacche′rem;for evil looms out of the north, and great destruction.2 The comely and delicately bred I will destroy, the daughter of Zion....
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Jeremiah 6 - Revised Standard Version (RSV)

Jeremiah 6 - New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE)

The Imminence and Horror of the Invasion6 Flee for safety, O children of Benjamin, from the midst of Jerusalem!Blow the trumpet in Tekoa, and raise a signal on Beth-haccherem;for evil looms out of the north, and great destruction.2 I have likened daughter Zion to the loveliest pasture.[a]3 Shepherds...
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Jeremiah 6 - New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised Catholic Edition (NRSVACE)

Jeremiah 6 - New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised (NRSVA)

Jeremiah 6 - New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

The Imminence and Horror of the Invasion6 Flee for safety, O children of Benjamin, from the midst of Jerusalem!Blow the trumpet in Tekoa, and raise a signal on Beth-haccherem,for evil looms out of the north and great destruction.(A)2 I have likened daughter Zion to the loveliest pasture.[a](B)3 Shep...
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Jeremiah 6 - New Living Translation (NLT)

Jerusalem’s Last Warning6 “Run for your lives, you people of Benjamin! Get out of Jerusalem!Sound the alarm in Tekoa! Send up a signal at Beth-hakkerem!A powerful army is coming from the north, coming with disaster and destruction.2 O Jerusalem,[a] you are my beautiful and delicate daughter— but I w...
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Jeremiah 6 - New Life Version (NLV)

Armies around Jerusalem6 “Run away to be safe, O sons of Benjamin! Run from Jerusalem! Blow the horn in Tekoa, and light a fire in Beth-haccerem. For a sinful power is coming down from the north, that will destroy much. 2 I will cut off the beautiful and fine ones, the people of Zion. 3 Shepherds ...
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Jeremiah 6 - New King James Version (NKJV)

Impending Destruction from the North6 “O you children of Benjamin,Gather yourselves to flee from the midst of Jerusalem!Blow the trumpet in Tekoa,And set up a signal-fire in (A)Beth Haccerem;(B)For disaster appears out of the north,And great destruction.2 I have likened the daughter of ZionTo a love...
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Jeremiah 6 - New International Version - UK (NIVUK)

Jerusalem under siege6 ‘Flee for safety, people of Benjamin! Flee from Jerusalem!Sound the trumpet in Tekoa! Raise the signal over Beth Hakkerem!For disaster looms out of the north, even terrible destruction.2 I will destroy Daughter Zion, so beautiful and delicate.3 Shepherds with their flocks will...
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Jeremiah 6 - New International Version (NIV)

Jerusalem Under Siege6 “Flee for safety, people of Benjamin! Flee from Jerusalem!Sound the trumpet(A) in Tekoa!(B) Raise the signal over Beth Hakkerem!(C)For disaster looms out of the north,(D) even terrible destruction.2 I will destroy Daughter Zion,(E) so beautiful and delicate.(F)3 Shepherds(G) w...
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Jeremiah 6 - New International Reader's Version (NIRV)

The Babylonians Will Attack Jerusalem6 The Lord says, “People of Benjamin, run for safety! Run away from Jerusalem!Blow trumpets in the city of Tekoa! Warn everyone in Beth Hakkerem!Horrible trouble is coming from the north. The Babylonians will destroy everything with awful power.2 I will destroy t...
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Jeremiah 6 - New English Translation (NET)

The Destruction of Jerusalem Depicted6 “Run for safety, people of Benjamin!Get out of Jerusalem![a]Sound the trumpet[b] in Tekoa!Light the signal fires at Beth Hakkerem!For disaster lurks[c] out of the north;it will bring great destruction.[d]2 I will destroy[e] Daughter Zion,[f]who is as delicate a...
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