The Babylonians Will Attack Jerusalem
1The 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.
2I will destroy the city of Zion,
even though it is very beautiful.
3Shepherds will come against it with their flocks.
They will set up their tents around it.
All of them will take care of their own sheep.”
4The Babylonians say, “Prepare for battle against Judah!
Get up! Let’s attack them at noon!
But the daylight is fading.
The shadows of evening are getting longer.
5So get up! Let’s attack them at night!
Let’s destroy their strongest forts!”
6The Lord who rules over all speaks to the Babylonians. He says,
“Cut down some trees.
Use the wood to build ramps against Jerusalem’s walls.
I must punish that city.
It is filled with people who treat others badly.
7Wells keep giving fresh water.
And Jerusalem keeps on sinning.
Its people are always fighting and causing trouble.
When I look at them,
I see nothing but sickness and wounds.
8Jerusalem, listen to my warning.
If you do not, I will turn away from you.
Your land will become a desert.
No one will be able to live there.”
9The Lord rules over all. He says to me,
“People gather the few grapes left on a vine.
So let Israel’s enemies gather the few people left alive in the land
Look carefully at the branches again.
Do this like someone who gathers the last few grapes.”
10Who can I speak to? Who can I warn?
Who will even listen to me?
Their ears are closed
so they can’t hear.
The Lord’s message displeases them.
They don’t take any delight in it.
11But the Lord’s anger burns inside me.
I can no longer hold it in.
The Lord says to me, “Pour out my anger on the children in the street.
Pour it out on the young men who are gathered together.
Husband and wife alike will be caught in it.
So will those who are very old.
12I will reach out my hand
against those who live in the land,”
announces the Lord.
“Then their houses will be turned over to others.
So will their fields and their wives.
13Everyone wants to get richer and richer,
from the least important of them to the most important.
Prophets and priests alike
try to fool everyone they can.
14They bandage the wounds of my people
as if they were not very deep.
‘Peace, peace,’ they say.
But there isn’t any peace.
15Are they ashamed of their hateful actions?
No. They do not feel any shame at all.
They do not even know how to blush.
So they will fall like others who have already fallen.
They will be brought down when I punish them,”
says the Lord.
16The Lord tells the people of Judah,
“Stand where the roads cross, and look around.
Ask where the old paths are.
Ask for the good path, and walk on it.
Then your hearts will find rest in me.
But you said, ‘We won’t walk on it.’
17I appointed prophets to warn you. I said,
‘Listen to the sound of the trumpets!’
But you said, ‘We won’t listen.’
18So pay attention, you nations.
You are witnesses for me.
Watch what will happen to my people.
19Earth, pay attention.
I am going to bring trouble on them.
I will punish them because of the evil things they have done.
They have not listened to my words.
They have said no to my law.
20What do I care about incense from the land of Sheba?
Why should I bother with sweet-smelling cane from a land far away?
I do not accept your burnt offerings.
Your sacrifices do not please me.”
21So the Lord says,
“I will bring an army against the people of Judah.
Parents and children alike will trip and fall.
Neighbors and friends will die.”
22The Lord says to Jerusalem,
“Look! An army is coming
from the land of the north.
I am stirring up a great nation.
Its army is coming from a land that is very far away.
23Its soldiers are armed with bows and spears.
They are mean. They do not show any mercy at all.
They come riding in on their horses.
They sound like the roaring ocean.
They are lined up for battle.
They are marching out
to attack you, city of Zion.”
24We have heard reports about them.
And our hands can’t help us.
We are suffering greatly.
It’s like the pain of a woman having a baby.
25Don’t go out to the fields.
Don’t walk on the roads.
Our enemies have swords.
And there is terror on every side.
26My people, put on the clothes of sadness.
Roll among the ashes.
Mourn with bitter weeping
just as you would mourn for an only son.
The one who is going to destroy us
will come suddenly.
27The Lord says to me, “I have made you like one who tests metals.
My people are the ore.
I want you to watch them
and test the way they live.
28All of them are used to disobeying me.
They go around telling lies about others.
They are like bronze mixed with iron.
All of them do very sinful things.
29The fire is made very hot
so the lead will burn away.
But it is impossible to make these people pure.
Those who are evil are not removed.
30They are like silver that is thrown away.
That is because I have not accepted them.”
耶路撒冷被围
1“便雅悯人啊，你们要逃离耶路撒冷！
你们要在提哥亚吹响号角，
在伯·哈基琳发出警报，
因为有大灾难从北方逼近。
2我要毁灭美丽娇弱的锡安城。
3敌人必围攻她，
在她周围安营扎寨，
如同牧人带着羊群在她四周搭起帐篷。
4他们喊道，‘准备作战！
我们中午攻城。’
他们后来说，
‘唉！日已西沉，天色渐暗。
5起来吧，我们要乘夜攻打她，
毁灭她的宫殿。’”
6万军之耶和华说：
“你们要砍伐树木，
修筑高台围攻耶路撒冷，
因为这城充满压迫，
该受惩罚。
7她的邪恶如同泉水涌流不息，
暴力和毁灭层出不穷，
疾病和伤痛接连不断。
8耶路撒冷啊，你要接受告诫，
否则我要离弃你，
使你荒无人烟。”
叛逆的以色列人
9万军之耶和华说：
“敌人要把以色列的余民掳掠一空，
如同人摘葡萄摘得一个不剩。”
10我可以警告谁呢？谁会听呢？
他们耳朵闭塞，什么也听不见！
看啊，耶和华的话逆耳，
他们毫不喜欢。
11耶和华啊，我怒你所怒，
无法容忍。
耶和华说：“你把我的怒气发向街头的孩童和聚集成群的青年。
丈夫、妻子和老人都要一同被掳。
12他们的房屋、田地和妻子都要被抢占。
我要伸手攻击这地方的居民。
这是耶和华说的。
13因为他们无论贵贱，
个个都贪图不义之财；
无论是先知还是祭司，
都行为诡诈。
14他们敷衍了事地医治我子民的伤痛，
说，‘没事了，没事了！’
其实情况很糟。
15他们做可憎的事会羞愧吗？
不！他们不知廉耻，
毫不脸红。
因此，他们要与其他人一样灭亡，
死在我的惩罚下。
这是耶和华说的。”
16耶和华说：
“你们要站在路口观望，
寻访古道，
找到正路并行在其上，
便会得到心灵的安宁。”
但你们却说：“我们拒绝这样做。”
17耶和华说：“我为你们设立守望者，
提醒你们要听号角声。”
但你们却说：“我们不听。”
18因此，耶和华说：
“列国啊，你们要听！
众见证人啊，要知道这些百姓的结局！
19地啊，听着！
我要降灾祸给这些百姓。
他们是自作自受，
因为他们没有听从我的话，
拒绝遵守我的律法。
20从示巴运来乳香，
从远方带来菖蒲献给我，
有什么用呢？
我不悦纳他们的燔祭，
不喜欢他们的牲畜。”
21因此，耶和华说：
“我要把绊脚石放在他们前面，
使父子一同绊倒，
邻居和朋友一同灭亡。”
22耶和华说：
“看啊，有一个民族从北方来，
有一个强国从地极发动进攻。
23他们残酷无情，毫无怜悯，
手持弓箭长枪，
骑马奔来，声势如狂涛怒吼。
锡安城啊，他们准备列阵攻击你。”
24我们听到这风声，手脚发软，
痛苦万分，
如分娩的妇人。
25不要去田野，
不要在路上走，
因为外面危机四伏，
仇敌杀气腾腾。
26百姓啊，你们要身披麻布，
在灰中打滚；
你们要悲伤痛哭，如丧独子，
因为毁灭者将突然临到我们。
27耶和华对我说：
“我派你考验我的子民，
就像冶炼金属一样，
好察验他们的行为。
28他们顽固不化，
如铜如铁，
四处毁谤，
极其败坏。
29风箱猛力吹火，铅也会熔掉；
但他们被炼了又炼，终是徒然，
因为他们的邪恶仍未除去。
30他们被称为废弃的银渣，
因为耶和华已丢弃他们。”
