1 O ye children ofHe speaks to them chiefly because they should take heed by the example of their brethren the other half of their tribe, who were now carried away prisoners.Benjamin, gather yourselves to flee out of the midst of Jerusalem, and blow the trumpet inWhich was a city in Judah, six miles from Bethlehem, (2Ch_11:6).Tekoa, and set up a sign of fire inRead (Neh_3:14).Bethhaccerem: for evil appeareth out of the north, and great destruction.
2 I have likened the daughter of Zion toI have intreated her gently, and given her abundance of all things.a comely and delicate [woman].
3 The shepherds with their flocksShe will be so destroyed that the sheep may be fed in her.shall come to her; they shall pitch [their] tents against her on every side; they shall feed every one in his place.
4 He speaks this in the person of the Babylonians, who complain that the time fails them before they have brought their enterprises to pass.Prepare ye war against her; arise, and let us go up at noon. Woe to us! for the day departeth, for the shadows of the evening are lengthened.
5 Arise, and let vs goe vp by night, and destroy her palaces.
6 For thus hath the Lord of hostes said, Hewe downe wood, and cast a mounte against Ierusalem: this citie must be visited: all oppression is in the middes of it.
7 As a fountain casteth out her waters, so she casteth out her wickedness:He shows the reason why it would be destroyed, and how it comes from themselves.violence and destruction is heard in her; before me continually [are] grief and wounds.
8 Be thou instructed, OHe warns them to amend by his correction, and turn to him by repentance.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 thoroughly glean the remnant of Israel as a vine: turnHe exhorts the Babylonians to be diligent to search out all and to leave none.back thy hand as a grapegatherer into the baskets.
10 To whom shall I speak, and give warning, that they may hear? behold, their ear [is]They delight to hear vain things, and to shut up their ears to true doctrine.uncircumcised, and they cannot hearken: behold, the word of the LORD is to them a reproach; they have no delight in it.
11 Therefore I am full of the fury of the LORD; I am weary with holding in:As the Lord had given him his word to be as a fire of his indignation to burn the wicked, (Jer_5:14) so he kindles it now when he sees that all remedies are past.I will pour it out upon theNo one will be spared.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.
12 And their houses with their landes, & wiues also shalbe turned vnto strangers: for I will stretch out mine hande vpon the inhabitants of the land, sayeth the Lord.
13 For from the least of them, euen vnto the greatest of them, euery one is giuen vnto couetousnesse, and from the Prophet euen vnto the Priest, they all deale falsely.
14 They have healed also the hurt [of the daughter] of my people slightly, saying,When the people began to fear God's judgments, the false prophets comforted them by flatterings, showing that God would send peace and not war.Peace, peace; when [there is] no peace.
15 Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? nay, they were not ashamed, no neither coulde they haue any shame: therefore they shall fall among the slaine: when I shall visite them, they shall be cast downe, sayth the Lorde.
16 Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for theIn which the patriarchs and prophets walked, directed by the word of God: signifying that there is no true way, but that which God prescribes.old paths, where [is] the good way, and walk in it, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk [in it].
17 Also I setProphets who would warn you of the dangers that were at hand.watchmen over you, [saying], Hearken to the sound of the trumpet. But they said, We will not hearken.
18 Therefore hear, yeGod takes all the world to witness and the insensible creatures of the ingratitude of the Jews.nations, and know, O congregation, what [is] among them.
19 Heare, O earth, beholde, I will cause a plague to come vpon this people, euen the fruite of their owne imaginations: because they haue not taken heede vnto my woordes, nor to my Lawe, but cast it off.
20 To what purpose cometh there to meRead (Isa_1:11; Amo_5:21).incense from Sheba, and the sweet cane from a distant country? your burnt offerings [are] not acceptable, nor your sacrifices sweet to me.
21 Therefore thus sayeth the Lorde, Beholde, I will laie stumbling blockes before this people, and the fathers and the sonnes together shall fall vpon them: the neighbour and his friende shall perish.
22 Thus saith the LORD, Behold, a people cometh from theFrom Babylon by Dan, which was north of Jerusalem.north country, and a great nation shall be raised from the sides of the earth.
23 With bowe and shield shal they be weaponed: they are cruell and will haue no compassion: their voyce roareth like the sea, and they ride vpon horses, well appointed, like men of warre against thee, O daughter Zion.
24 We have heard the report of it: our hands becomeFor fear of the enemy: he speaks this in the person of the Jews.feeble: anguish hath taken hold of us, [and] pain, as of a woman in travail.
25 Goe not foorth into the fielde, nor walke by the way: for the sword of the enemie and feare is on euery side.
26 O daughter of my people, girde thee with sackecloth, and wallowe thy selfe in the ashes: make lamentation, and bitter mourning as for thine onely sonne: for the destroier shall suddenly come vpon vs.
27 I have setMeaning, Jeremiah, whom God had appointed to try out the godly from the wicked, as a founder does the pure metal from the dross.thee [for] a tower [and] a fortress among my people, that thou mayest know and try their way.
28 They are all rebellious traitours, walking craftily: they are brasse, and yron, they all are destroyers.
29 TheAll the pain and labour that has been taken with them is lost.bellows is burned, the lead is consumed by the fire; the founder melteth in vain: for the wicked are not plucked away.
30 They shall call them reprobate siluer, because the Lord hath reiected them.
