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
耶路撒冷被圍
1「便雅憫人啊，你們要逃離耶路撒冷！
你們要在提哥亞吹響號角，
在伯·哈基琳發出警報，
因為有大災難從北方逼近。
2我要毀滅美麗嬌弱的錫安城。
3敵人必圍攻她，
在她周圍安營紮寨，
如同牧人帶著羊群在她四周搭起帳篷。
4他們喊道，『準備作戰！
我們中午攻城。』
他們後來說，
『唉！日已西沉，天色漸暗。
5起來吧，我們要乘夜攻打她，
毀滅她的宮殿。』」
6萬軍之耶和華說：
「你們要砍伐樹木，
修築高臺圍攻耶路撒冷，
因為這城充滿壓迫，
該受懲罰。
7她的邪惡如同泉水湧流不息，
暴力和毀滅層出不窮，
疾病和傷痛接連不斷。
8耶路撒冷啊，你要接受告誡，
否則我要離棄你，
使你荒無人煙。」
叛逆的以色列人
9萬軍之耶和華說：
「敵人要把以色列的餘民擄掠一空，
如同人摘葡萄摘得一個不剩。」
10我可以警告誰呢？誰會聽呢？
他們耳朵閉塞，什麼也聽不見！
看啊，耶和華的話逆耳，
他們毫不喜歡。
11耶和華啊，我怒你所怒，
無法容忍。
耶和華說：「你把我的怒氣發向街頭的孩童和聚集成群的青年。
丈夫、妻子和老人都要一同被擄。
12他們的房屋、田地和妻子都要被搶佔。
我要伸手攻擊這地方的居民。
這是耶和華說的。
13因為他們無論貴賤，
個個都貪圖不義之財；
無論是先知還是祭司，
都行為詭詐。
14他們敷衍了事地醫治我子民的傷痛，
說，『沒事了，沒事了！』
其實情況很糟。
15他們做可憎的事會羞愧嗎？
不！他們不知廉恥，
毫不臉紅。
因此，他們要與其他人一樣滅亡，
死在我的懲罰下。
這是耶和華說的。」
16耶和華說：
「你們要站在路口觀望，
尋訪古道，
找到正路並行在其上，
便會得到心靈的安寧。」
但你們卻說：「我們拒絕這樣做。」
17耶和華說：「我為你們設立守望者，
提醒你們要聽號角聲。」
但你們卻說：「我們不聽。」
18因此，耶和華說：
「列國啊，你們要聽！
眾見證人啊，要知道這些百姓的結局！
19地啊，聽著！
我要降災禍給這些百姓。
他們是自作自受，
因為他們沒有聽從我的話，
拒絕遵守我的律法。
20從示巴運來乳香，
從遠方帶來菖蒲獻給我，
有什麼用呢？
我不悅納他們的燔祭，
不喜歡他們的牲畜。」
21因此，耶和華說：
「我要把絆腳石放在他們前面，
使父子一同絆倒，
鄰居和朋友一同滅亡。」
22耶和華說：
「看啊，有一個民族從北方來，
有一個強國從地極發動進攻。
23他們殘酷無情，毫無憐憫，
手持弓箭長槍，
騎馬奔來，聲勢如狂濤怒吼。
錫安城啊，他們準備列陣攻擊你。」
24我們聽到這風聲，手腳發軟，
痛苦萬分，
如分娩的婦人。
25不要去田野，
不要在路上走，
因為外面危機四伏，
仇敵殺氣騰騰。
26百姓啊，你們要身披麻布，
在灰中打滾；
你們要悲傷痛哭，如喪獨子，
因為毀滅者將突然臨到我們。
27耶和華對我說：
「我派你考驗我的子民，
就像冶煉金屬一樣，
好察驗他們的行為。
28他們頑固不化，
如銅如鐵，
四處譭謗，
極其敗壞。
29風箱猛力吹火，鉛也會熔掉；
但他們被煉了又煉，終是徒然，
因為他們的邪惡仍未除去。
30他們被稱為廢棄的銀渣，
因為耶和華已丟棄他們。」
