Their ear is uncircumcised
1
O 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
Bethhaccerem: for evil appeareth out of the north, and great destruction.
2
I have likened the daughter of Zion to a comely and delicate woman.
3
The 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.
4
Prepare 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.
5
Arise, and let us go by night, and let us destroy her palaces.
Run for your lives from Jerusalem!
Blow the trumpet in Tekoa!
Because evil has come from the north.
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.
7
As 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.
8
Be thou instructed, O Jerusalem, lest my soul depart from thee; lest I
make thee desolate, a land not inhabited.
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.
God says,
Cut down the trees in Jerusalem.
10
To 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.
Who will listen to my warning?
They all have uncircumcised ears.
I will bring evil upon this people
11
Therefore 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.
I am full of the fury of God.
I am tired of holding it in.
I will pour it out on children, young men, husbands, wives, and old people.
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.
13
For 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.
14
They have healed also the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly,
saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace.
I'll give their houses and fields to other people.
I'll give them their wives, as well.
15
Were 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.
They weren't ashamed when they committed their abominations.
They didn't even blush.
16
Thus 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.
Stand for the old ways, walk on the old paths, and find rest for your souls.
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.
I'll set a watchmen over you, saying "Listen to the sound of the trumpet."
But they'll say, "We won't listen."
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.
Listen earth!
I will do evil things to these people because they won't listen to me. [1]
20
To 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.
Your burnt offerings aren't acceptable to me anymore,
and your sacrifices don't smell sweet. [2]
21
Therefore 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.
I will lay stumbling blocks before them, causing the deaths of fathers and sons, friends and neighbors.
[3]
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.
I'm sending a nation from the north to attack you.
23
They 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.
24
We have heard the fame thereof: our hands wax feeble: anguish hath taken
hold of us, and pain, as of a woman in travail.
25
Go not forth into the field, nor walk by the way; for the sword of the
enemy and fear is on every side.
They are cruel and will have no mercy.
Their voices roar like the sea, and they ride on horses.
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.
27
I have set thee for a tower and a fortress among my people, that thou
mayest know and try their way.
28
They are all grievous revolters, walking with slanders: they are brass and
iron; they are all corrupters.
29
The bellows are burned, the lead is consumed of the fire; the founder
melteth in vain: for the wicked are not plucked away.
30
Reprobate silver shall men call them, because the LORD hath rejected them.