[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] the daughter of Zion and delicate [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. [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 [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 the remnant of Israel as a vine: turn back thine hand as a grapegatherer into the baskets. [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. [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. [12] And 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 my people slightly, saying, Peace, [15] Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? nay, they were not at all neither could they blush: therefore they shall fall at the time that I visit them they shall be cast down, saith the LORD. [16] Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, therein. [17] Also 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. [19] Hear, 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. [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. [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.