1O 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. 2I have likened the daughter of Zion to a comely and delicate woman.6.2 comely: or, dwelling at home 3The shepherds with their flocks shall come unto her; they shall pitch their tents against her round about; they shall feed every one in his place. 4Prepare 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. 5Arise, and let us go by night, and let us destroy her palaces.
6¶ For thus hath the LORD of hosts said, Hew ye down trees, and cast a mount against Jerusalem: this is the city to be visited; she is wholly oppression in the midst of her.6.6 cast…: or, pour out the engine of shot 7As a fountain casteth out her waters, so she casteth out her wickedness: violence and spoil is heard in her; before me continually is grief and wounds. 8Be thou instructed, O Jerusalem, lest my soul depart from thee; lest I make thee desolate, a land not inhabited.6.8 depart: Heb. be loosed, or, disjointed
9¶ Thus saith the LORD of hosts, They shall throughly glean the remnant of Israel as a vine: turn back thine hand as a grapegatherer into the baskets. 10To whom shall I speak, and give warning, that they may hear? behold, their ear is uncircumcised, and they cannot hearken: behold, the word of the LORD is unto them a reproach; they have no delight in it. 11Therefore 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 men together: for even the husband with the wife shall be taken, the aged with him that is full of days. 12And their houses shall be turned unto others, with their fields and wives together: for I will stretch out my hand upon the inhabitants of the land, saith the LORD. 13For from the least of them even unto the greatest of them every one is given to covetousness; and from the prophet even unto the priest every one dealeth falsely. 14They have healed also the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace.6.14 hurt: Heb. bruise, or, breach 15Were 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 that I visit them they shall be cast down, saith the LORD. 16Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein. 17Also I set watchmen over you, saying, Hearken to the sound of the trumpet. But they said, We will not hearken.
18¶ Therefore hear, ye nations, and know, O congregation, what is among them. 19Hear, O earth: behold, I will bring evil upon this people, even the fruit of their thoughts, because they have not hearkened unto my words, nor to my law, but rejected it. 20To what purpose cometh there to me incense from Sheba, and the sweet cane from a far country? your burnt offerings are not acceptable, nor your sacrifices sweet unto me. 21Therefore thus saith the LORD, 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. 22Thus saith the LORD, Behold, a people cometh from the north country, and a great nation shall be raised from the sides of the earth. 23They 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. 24We have heard the fame thereof: our hands wax feeble: anguish hath taken hold of us, and pain, as of a woman in travail. 25Go not forth into the field, nor walk by the way; for the sword of the enemy and fear is on every side.
26¶ O daughter of my people, gird thee with 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. 27I have set thee for a tower and a fortress among my people, that thou mayest know and try their way. 28They are all grievous revolters, walking with slanders: they are brass and iron; they are all corrupters. 29The bellows are burned, the lead is consumed of the fire; the founder melteth in vain: for the wicked are not plucked away. 30Reprobate silver shall men call them, because the LORD hath rejected them.6.30 Reprobate…: or, Refuse silver
Sidste advarsel til Jerusalem
1Flygt fra Jerusalem, benjaminitter! Blæs alarm i Tekoa, send advarselssignal fra Bet-ha-Kerem. En mægtig hær er på vej fra nord, parat til at angribe mit folk. 2Jeg tilintetgør Jerusalem, den smukke og forfinede by. 3Hære vil omringe byen, og de militære ledere vil slå deres kommandotelte op rundt omkring den. Hver især vil de angribe den del af byen, de har fået tildelt. 4De gør sig parat til kamp for at slå til ved middagstid, men tiden går, og det bliver for sent. 5‚Okay,’ siger de, ‚så lad os angribe i nat og ødelægge fæstningsværkerne.’
6Jeg er Herren, den Almægtige, og jeg siger til fjenden: ‚Fæld træer og byg angrebsramper. Riv Jerusalems mure ned.’ Byen må tage sin straf, for den er fordærvet i bund og grund, 7en uudtømmelig kilde af ondskab. I gaderne lyder voldsmændenes råb. Der er slagsmål og ødelæggelse overalt.
8Lyt til min advarsel, Jerusalem! Ellers vender jeg ryggen til dig og udsletter dig totalt. 9Som drueplukkeren, der går vinstokkene efter for at samle de sidste druer, sådan vil ingen af mit folk blive sparet,” siger Herren, den Almægtige.
10Fortvivlet klagede jeg min nød: „Hvorfor er der ingen, der vil lytte til min advarsel? Alle folks ører er tilstoppede, de hører intet, de nægter at lade sig tale til fornuft, de afviser Herrens advarsel. 11Jeg er så fuld af Herrens vrede, at jeg er ved at sprænges.”
Herren svarede: „Godt, så udøs din vrede over børnene, som leger på gaden, og alle de unge, der morer sig. Straffen rammer både mænd og kvinder, unge og gamle. 12Fremmede mennesker vil overtage deres huse, marker og koner. Jeg vil straffe alle landets indbyggere, siger Herren. 13Både små og store lyver og bedrager. Selv profeterne og præsterne lyver. 14De ser stort på folkets synd. ‚Det er helt i orden!’ forsikrer de, selvom det aldeles ikke er i orden. 15Mon de skammer sig over de frygtelige synder, der begås i byen? Nej, de ved ikke, hvad det er at rødme af skam. Derfor skal de falde i kampen, når de rammes af min vrede og straf, siger Herren.
16Jeg siger jer: I står ved en korsvej. Tænk over hvilken vej, I skal vælge. Spørg efter den rigtige vej, som jeg viste jer for længe siden. Hvis I følger den, vil I finde hvile for sjælen. Men I svarer: ‚Nej, den vej ønsker vi ikke at gå.’
17Jeg sendte mine profeter for at advare jer, men I ville ikke høre på dem.
18-19Så hør nu dommen over mit folk. Lad hele verden høre og bevidne det. Jeg bringer ulykke over mit folk. Det er konsekvensen af deres synd, fordi de forkastede mine love og nægtede at lytte til mig. 20Det hjælper ikke, at I brænder kostbar og vellugtende røgelse fra Saba eller andre fjerne lande. Jeg kan ikke tage imod jeres ofringer, jeg glæder mig ikke over dem. 21Jeg sender en mægtig hær imod mit folk, så både fædre og sønner falder, naboer og venner går i døden sammen. 22Hæren skal komme fra nord, en stormagt fra jordens fjerneste egne. 23Krigerne er fuldt bevæbnede, grusomme og ubarmhjertige. Larmen fra hestenes hove lyder som det oprørte hav. Bølge efter bølge vil skylle ind over Jerusalem.”
24Da udbrød jeg: „Vi har hørt om de grusomme hære, og vi lammes af frygt. Vi fyldes af angst som en kvinde, der skal føde. 25Gå ikke uden for de befæstede byer. Hold jer fra landevejene, for bevæbnede fjender vil sprede rædsel overalt. 26Klæd dig i sæk, Jerusalem! Sæt dig i asken og sørg, som havde du mistet dit eneste barn. For pludselig er fjendens hære over os.”
27Herren fortsatte: „Jeremias, jeg vil hjælpe dig til at vurdere kvaliteten af mit folk, som man vurderer ædle metaller. Læg mærke til deres opførsel. 28Er de ikke alle oprørske, fordærvede og fulde af løgn og bedrag? De burde være ægte som guld og sølv, men er kun som jern og bronze. 29Blæsebælgen arbejder for fuld kraft, ilden bliver varmere og varmere, men det hjælper intet. Deres ondskab kan ikke smeltes væk. 30Mit folk er som slagger, der bare smides væk, og derfor må jeg smide dem væk.”
