New American Standard Bible 1995

Holman Christian Standard Bible

1"Flee for safety, O sons of Benjamin, From the midst of Jerusalem! Now blow a trumpet in Tekoa And raise a signal over Beth-haccerem; For evil looks down from the north, And a great destruction.

1"Run for cover, Benjaminites, out of Jerusalem! Sound the ram's horn in Tekoa; raise a smoke signal over Beth-haccherem, for disaster threatens from the north, even great destruction.

2"The comely and dainty one, the daughter of Zion, I will cut off.

2Though she is beautiful and delicate, I will destroy Daughter Zion.

3"Shepherds and their flocks will come to her, They will pitch their tents around her, They will pasture each in his place.

3Shepherds and their flocks will come against her; they will pitch their tents all around her. Each will pasture his own portion.

4"Prepare war against her; Arise, and let us attack at noon. Woe to us, for the day declines, For the shadows of the evening lengthen!

4Set them apart for war against her; rise up, let's attack at noon. Woe to us, for the day is passing; the evening shadows grow long.

5"Arise, and let us attack by night And destroy her palaces!"

5Rise up, let's attack by night. Let us destroy her fortresses."

6For thus says the LORD of hosts, "Cut down her trees And cast up a siege against Jerusalem. This is the city to be punished, In whose midst there is only oppression.

6For this is what the LORD of Hosts says: Cut down the trees; raise a siege ramp against Jerusalem. This city must be punished. There is nothing but oppression within her.

7"As a well keeps its waters fresh, So she keeps fresh her wickedness. Violence and destruction are heard in her; Sickness and wounds are ever before Me.

7As a well gushes out its water, so she pours out her evil. Violence and destruction resound in her. Sickness and wounds keep coming to My attention.

8"Be warned, O Jerusalem, Or I shall be alienated from you, And make you a desolation, A land not inhabited."

8Be warned, Jerusalem, or I will turn away from you; I will make you a desolation, a land without inhabitants.

9Thus says the LORD of hosts, "They will thoroughly glean as the vine the remnant of Israel; Pass your hand again like a grape gatherer Over the branches."

9This is what the LORD of Hosts says: Glean the remnant of Israel as thoroughly as a vine. Pass your hand once more like a grape gatherer over the branches.

10To whom shall I speak and give warning That they may hear? Behold, their ears are closed And they cannot listen. Behold, the word of the LORD has become a reproach to them; They have no delight in it.

10Who can I speak to and give such a warning that they will listen? Look, their ear is uncircumcised, so they cannot pay attention. See, the word of the LORD has become contemptible to them-- they find no pleasure in it.

11But I am full of the wrath of the LORD; I am weary with holding it in. "Pour it out on the children in the street And on the gathering of young men together; For both husband and wife shall be taken, The aged and the very old.

11But I am full of the LORD's wrath; I am tired of holding it back. Pour it out on the children in the street, on the gang of young men as well. For both husband and wife will be captured, the old with the very old.

12"Their houses shall be turned over to others, Their fields and their wives together; For I will stretch out My hand Against the inhabitants of the land," declares the LORD.

12Their houses will be turned over to others, their fields and wives as well, for I will stretch out My hand against the inhabitants of the land. This is the LORD's declaration.

13"For from the least of them even to the greatest of them, Everyone is greedy for gain, And from the prophet even to the priest Everyone deals falsely.

13For from the least to the greatest of them, everyone is making profit dishonestly. From prophet to priest, everyone deals falsely.

14"They have healed the brokenness of My people superficially, Saying, 'Peace, peace,' But there is no peace.

14They have treated My people's brokenness superficially, claiming, "Peace, peace," when there is no peace.

15"Were they ashamed because of the abomination they have done? They were not even ashamed at all; They did not even know how to blush. Therefore they shall fall among those who fall; At the time that I punish them, They shall be cast down," says the LORD.

15Were they ashamed when they acted so abhorrently? They weren't at all ashamed. They can no longer feel humiliation. Therefore, they will fall among the fallen. When I punish them, they will collapse, says the LORD.

16Thus says the LORD, "Stand by the ways and see and ask for the ancient paths, Where the good way is, and walk in it; And you will find rest for your souls. But they said, 'We will not walk in it.'

16This is what the LORD says: Stand by the roadways and look. Ask about the ancient paths: Which is the way to what is good? Then take it and find rest for yourselves. But they protested, "We won't!"

17"And I set watchmen over you, saying, 'Listen to the sound of the trumpet!' But they said, 'We will not listen.'

17I appointed watchmen over you and said: Listen for the sound of the ram's horn. But they protested, "We won't listen!"

18"Therefore hear, O nations, And know, O congregation, what is among them.

18Therefore listen, you nations and you witnesses, learn what the charge is against them.

19"Hear, O earth: behold, I am bringing disaster on this people, The fruit of their plans, Because they have not listened to My words, And as for My law, they have rejected it also.

19Listen, earth! I am about to bring disaster on these people, the fruit of their own plotting, for they have paid no attention to My word. They have rejected My instruction.

20"For what purpose does frankincense come to Me from Sheba And the sweet cane from a distant land? Your burnt offerings are not acceptable And your sacrifices are not pleasing to Me."

20What use to Me is frankincense from Sheba or sweet cane from a distant land? Your burnt offerings are not acceptable; your sacrifices do not please Me.

21Therefore, thus says the LORD, "Behold, I am laying stumbling blocks before this people. And they will stumble against them, Fathers and sons together; Neighbor and friend will perish."

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; friends and neighbors will also perish.

22Thus says the LORD, "Behold, a people is coming from the north land, And a great nation will be aroused from the remote parts of the earth.

22This is what the LORD says: Look, an army is coming from a northern land; a great nation will be awakened from the remote regions of the earth.

23"They seize bow and spear; They are cruel and have no mercy; Their voice roars like the sea, And they ride on horses, Arrayed as a man for the battle Against you, O daughter of Zion!"

23They grasp bow and javelin. They are cruel and show no mercy. Their voice roars like the sea, and they ride on horses, lined up like men in battle formation against you, Daughter Zion.

24We have heard the report of it; Our hands are limp. Anguish has seized us, Pain as of a woman in childbirth.

24We have heard about it, and we are discouraged. Distress has seized us-- pain like a woman in labor.

25Do not go out into the field And do not walk on the road, For the enemy has a sword, Terror is on every side.

25Don't go out to the fields; don't walk on the road. For the enemy has a sword; terror is on every side.

26O daughter of my people, put on sackcloth And roll in ashes; Mourn as for an only son, A lamentation most bitter. For suddenly the destroyer Will come upon us.

26My dear people, dress yourselves in sackcloth and roll in the dust. Mourn as you would for an only son, a bitter lament, for suddenly the destroyer will come on us.

27"I have made you an assayer and a tester among My people, That you may know and assay their way."

27I have appointed you to be an assayer among My people-- a refiner-- so you may know and assay their way of life.

28All of them are stubbornly rebellious, Going about as a talebearer. They are bronze and iron; They, all of them, are corrupt.

28All are stubborn rebels spreading slander. They are bronze and iron; all of them are corrupt.

29The bellows blow fiercely, The lead is consumed by the fire; In vain the refining goes on, But the wicked are not separated.

29The bellows blow, blasting the lead with fire. The refining is completely in vain; the evil ones are not separated out.

30They call them rejected silver, Because the LORD has rejected them.

30They are called rejected silver, for the LORD has rejected them.

New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit //www.lockman.org

Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission.