The Lord warns the people of Jerusalem
1The Lord says:
‘People of the tribe of Benjamin,
you have to flee from Jerusalem.
You must blow a trumpet in the city of Tekoa
and warn the people in the city of Beth-Hakkerem,
because the enemies are coming from the north
and will destroy everything.
2Jerusalem is a very beautiful city,
3but kings are going there with their soldiers
like shepherds who come
with their flocks of sheep.
They put up their tents around the fields
and each one camps where he wants to.
4The kings say:
“Get ready to fight against Jerusalem.
We must attack them at noon.”
But if it is getting late in the day
and evening comes, they will say:
5“Get ready. We will attack them at night
and destroy their cities that have strong walls.” ’
6Yes, the Lord who rules over all says:
‘Cut down the trees and build a ramp
against the wall so that the soldiers
can climb over the wall and get into the city.
I want to punish the people of Jerusalem
because they made people suffer a lot.
7They keep on doing things that are wrong,
like a water-well that keeps on giving water.
I hear how they make people suffer
and how they hurt people.
I always see wounds and people who are sick.
8I am warning you, people of Jerusalem,
if you keep on doing this,
I will leave you and go away.
I will make your land an empty desert
where no one can live.’
9The Lord who rules over all says:
‘It is only the people of Judah who are still_alive,
but the Assyrians will come
and kill even more of them.
The Assyrians will kill them
like people who cut off branches in a vineyard.’
10To whom must I talk?
Who will listen to me when I warn him?
The people of Jerusalem
do not want to listen to what I say.
They don't want to know what I want to tell them.
They do not like the words of the Lord,
and they laugh at his words.
11But I must tell them that the Lord is angry.
I can not keep quiet.
The Lord says: ‘Talk to the children
in the streets and to the young people
where they are together.
Talk to men and women and older people,
and also to the people who are very old.
12Other people will come and take their homes,
and their land and their wives.
Yes, I want to punish the people of Jerusalem
13because everyone, children and adults,
wants to become rich by taking things
from other people.
The prophets and priests deceive my people
14because they think they can
make everything right when they say:
“There will be peace, there will be peace.”
But there is no peace.
15They did bad things which I hate,
but they are not ashamed,
and they are not sorry.
That is why they will also die in war.
I will punish them and they will die.’
This is what the Lord said. 16The Lord also says:
‘When you see there is more than one way
where you can walk and you ask
where the good old ways are,
then you must choose the right way and walk on it.
Then you will find peace
and all will be well with you.
But the people of Jerusalem said:
“No, we will not walk on that way.”
17I have sent prophets
to be like guards who must warn you,
but when they blew the trumpet,
the people of Jerusalem said:
“No, we will not listen.”
18Nations from other lands,
that is why you must listen,
and my people who are among the other nations,
you must know,
19and everyone in the land,
you must listen: I am now going
to punish my people.
They will have trouble because
they have done a lot of bad things
and they did not want to listen to my words.
They have not obeyed my laws.
20Why do you bring Me incense
from the land of Sheba?
Why do you bring Me spices from lands
far from here? I do not accept them.
I do not like your burnt-offerings.
I do not want your offerings.’
21This is why the Lord says:
‘I will now make something happen
so that these people will die.
A father and his son, a neighbour
and his friend, will all die together.’
22The Lord says:
‘A nation will come
from a land in the north.
It is a big nation from a land far away.
23Each one of them has a bow_and_arrow
and a spear in his hand.
They are cruel people,
and they don't feel sorry for anyone.
When they shout, it sounds like the sea
that makes a very loud_noise.
They ride on horses and they are ready
to go to war_against you, people of Zion.’
24The people of Jerusalem said:
‘When we heard the enemies coming,
we became afraid and were like
people who could not walk.
We were afraid like a woman
before she has a baby.
25Do not go out of the city,
and don't walk on the roads,
because the enemies are coming with swords,
and they will be everywhere.
26My people, you must put on sack-cloth
and roll on the ash-heaps.
You must cry and mourn
like people who mourn
when their only child has died.
You must mourn because
the enemies will come soon
and will destroy everything.’
27The Lord said to me:
‘I have sent you to test my people
like they test metal when they melt it.
I have made you strong so that you
can see what they do when you test them.
28All of them are stubborn
and rebellious people
who say bad things about other people.
They are dishonest when they must judge,
and they are as hard as bronze or iron.
29When people put lead
into a hot furnace to melt it,
the dirt comes out of it.
But that does not happen with my people.
The bad parts do not come out. The bad parts are still in them.
30My people are like silver
that can not become pure,
and I am going to throw them away.’
