1Flee for safety, Benjaminites, from the midst of Jerusalem, and blow the shofar in Tekoa, and raise a signal over Beth-haccherem; for disaster has appeared from the north, and great destruction.2The pasture and the delight I have likened to the daughter of Zion.3To her they will come—evils and their flocks. They have pitched their tents all around her. He has pastured—a man—his hand.4Sanctify war against her! Arise, and let us go up at noon. Woe to us, for the day has turned; the shadows of evening stretch.5Arise, and let us go up in the night and let us corrupt her palaces.6For thus says the LORD of hosts: Cut a plan and pour out a siege-ramp against Jerusalem; she is the city visited completely—oppression in her midst.7As a cistern causes its waters to bubble up, so her city bubbles up her evil—violence and destruction are heard in her; wounds and blows are heard continually upon her streets.8Discipline Jerusalem, lest my vital life force be torn away from you, lest I set you as a desolation, an earth not inhabited.9Thus says the LORD of Hosts: Glean, glean the remnant of Israel like a vine; turn back your hand like a grape gatherer over the baskets.10To whom shall I speak and testify so they may hear? Look, their ears are uncircumcised; they are not able to listen. Look, the word of the LORD has become a reproach to them; they do not delight in it.11And I am filled with the wrath of the LORD. I am weary with holding it in; it will pour out on the suckling infant in the street and on the company of young men together. For even man and woman will be captured, elder with one full of days.12And their houses will be turned over to others, fields and wives together, for I will stretch out my hand against the inhabitants of the land—oracle of the LORD.13For from their small ones to their great ones, all of them are greedily pursuing greed, and from prophet to priest, all of them do falsehood.14They healed the fracture of my people lightly, saying, "Peace, peace," but there is no peace.15They were ashamed, for they did an abomination. Even they were ashamed—they did not know shame. Even the finished ones they did not know. Therefore they will fall among disasters; at the time of your visiting them they will stumble—oracle of the LORD.16The LORD says: Stand at the crossroads and see, and ask for the ancient paths, "Which is the good way?" and walk in it, and find rest for your souls. And they said, "No, we will not."17And I will set watchmen over you; listen to the voice of the shofar, but they said, "No, we will not listen."18Therefore, nations, hear, and you, assembly, know what is in them.19Hear, O earth: behold, I am bringing calamity against this people, the fruit of their thoughts; for they did not listen to my words, and my Torah—and they rejected it.20Why does frankincense from Sheba come to me, and the best incense from a distant land? Your burnt offerings are not acceptable, and your sacrifices do not please me.21Therefore the LORD says: See, I am bringing stumbling blocks to this people, and they will stumble over them; fathers and sons together, neighbor and friend, and they will perish.22This is what the LORD says: Look, a people comes from the land of the north, and a great nation stirs from the ends of the earth.23They will grasp bow and javelin; he is cruel and they will not have compassion. Their voice will roar like the sea, and they will ride on horses, arrayed like a man for battle against you, daughter Zion.24We have heard the report—our hands have grown slack. Distress has gripped us—strength—like a woman giving birth.25Do not go out into the field, and do not walk on the way, for the sword—enemy terror—is all around.26Daughter of my people, gird sackcloth and roll in ashes; make mourning for an only one, make for yourself a wailing of dirges, for suddenly the destroyer will come upon us.27I have given you a tester among my people, a fortress, and you will know and test their way.28They are all rebels, rebellious ones, slanderers, bronze and iron; they all are destroyers.29The bellows snort from the fire; the lead is finished in vain; the refiner refines in vain, and the wicked are not cleared.30They called them rejected silver, for the LORD has rejected them.