1Flygt fra Jerusalem, benjaminitter! Blæs alarm i Tekoa, send advarselssignal fra Bet-ha-Kerem. En mægtig hær er på vej fra nord, parat til at angribe mit folk.2Jeg tilintetgør Jerusalem, den smukke og forfinede by.3Hære vil omringe byen, og de militære ledere vil slå deres kommandotelte op rundt omkring den. Hver især vil de angribe den del af byen, de har fået tildelt.4De gør sig parat til kamp for at slå til ved middagstid, men tiden går, og det bliver for sent.5‚Okay,’ siger de, ‚så lad os angribe i nat og ødelægge fæstningsværkerne.’6Jeg er Herren, den Almægtige, og jeg siger til fjenden: ‚Fæld træer og byg angrebsramper. Riv Jerusalems mure ned.’ Byen må tage sin straf, for den er fordærvet i bund og grund,7en uudtømmelig kilde af ondskab. I gaderne lyder voldsmændenes råb. Der er slagsmål og ødelæggelse overalt.8Lyt til min advarsel, Jerusalem! Ellers vender jeg ryggen til dig og udsletter dig totalt.9Som drueplukkeren, der går vinstokkene efter for at samle de sidste druer, sådan vil ingen af mit folk blive sparet,” siger Herren, den Almægtige.10Fortvivlet klagede jeg min nød: „Hvorfor er der ingen, der vil lytte til min advarsel? Alle folks ører er tilstoppede, de hører intet, de nægter at lade sig tale til fornuft, de afviser Herrens advarsel.11Jeg er så fuld af Herrens vrede, at jeg er ved at sprænges.” Herren svarede: „Godt, så udøs din vrede over børnene, som leger på gaden, og alle de unge, der morer sig. Straffen rammer både mænd og kvinder, unge og gamle.12Fremmede mennesker vil overtage deres huse, marker og koner. Jeg vil straffe alle landets indbyggere, siger Herren.13Både små og store lyver og bedrager. Selv profeterne og præsterne lyver.14De ser stort på folkets synd. ‚Det er helt i orden!’ forsikrer de, selvom det aldeles ikke er i orden.15Mon de skammer sig over de frygtelige synder, der begås i byen? Nej, de ved ikke, hvad det er at rødme af skam. Derfor skal de falde i kampen, når de rammes af min vrede og straf, siger Herren.16Jeg siger jer: I står ved en korsvej. Tænk over hvilken vej, I skal vælge. Spørg efter den rigtige vej, som jeg viste jer for længe siden. Hvis I følger den, vil I finde hvile for sjælen. Men I svarer: ‚Nej, den vej ønsker vi ikke at gå.’17Jeg sendte mine profeter for at advare jer, men I ville ikke høre på dem.18-19Så hør nu dommen over mit folk. Lad hele verden høre og bevidne det. Jeg bringer ulykke over mit folk. Det er konsekvensen af deres synd, fordi de forkastede mine love og nægtede at lytte til mig.20Det hjælper ikke, at I brænder kostbar og vellugtende røgelse fra Saba eller andre fjerne lande. Jeg kan ikke tage imod jeres ofringer, jeg glæder mig ikke over dem.21Jeg sender en mægtig hær imod mit folk, så både fædre og sønner falder, naboer og venner går i døden sammen.22Hæren skal komme fra nord, en stormagt fra jordens fjerneste egne.23Krigerne er fuldt bevæbnede, grusomme og ubarmhjertige. Larmen fra hestenes hove lyder som det oprørte hav. Bølge efter bølge vil skylle ind over Jerusalem.”24Da udbrød jeg: „Vi har hørt om de grusomme hære, og vi lammes af frygt. Vi fyldes af angst som en kvinde, der skal føde.25Gå ikke uden for de befæstede byer. Hold jer fra landevejene, for bevæbnede fjender vil sprede rædsel overalt.26Klæd dig i sæk, Jerusalem! Sæt dig i asken og sørg, som havde du mistet dit eneste barn. For pludselig er fjendens hære over os.”27Herren fortsatte: „Jeremias, jeg vil hjælpe dig til at vurdere kvaliteten af mit folk, som man vurderer ædle metaller. Læg mærke til deres opførsel.28Er de ikke alle oprørske, fordærvede og fulde af løgn og bedrag? De burde være ægte som guld og sølv, men er kun som jern og bronze.29Blæsebælgen arbejder for fuld kraft, ilden bliver varmere og varmere, men det hjælper intet. Deres ondskab kan ikke smeltes væk.30Mit folk er som slagger, der bare smides væk, og derfor må jeg smide dem væk.”
1Flee for safety, O people of Benjamin, from the midst of Jerusalem! Blow the trumpet in Tekoa, and raise a signal on Beth-haccherem, for disaster looms out of the north, and great destruction. (Dom 1,21; 2.Sam 14,2; Neh 3,14; Jer 1,14)2The lovely and delicately bred I will destroy, the daughter of Zion.[1] (2.Kong 19,21)3Shepherds with their flocks shall come against her; they shall pitch their tents around her; they shall pasture, each in his place. (Jer 4,17; Jer 23,1)4“Prepare war against her; arise, and let us attack at noon! Woe to us, for the day declines, for the shadows of evening lengthen! (Jer 15,8; Jer 22,7; Jer 51,27; Joel 3,9)5Arise, and let us attack by night and destroy her palaces!”6For thus says the Lord of hosts: “Cut down her trees; cast up a siege mound against Jerusalem. This is the city that must be punished; there is nothing but oppression within her. (5.Mos 20,20; 2.Kong 19,32; Es 37,33; Ez 26,8; Luk 19,43; Luk 19,44)7As a well keeps its water fresh, so she keeps fresh her evil; violence and destruction are heard within her; sickness and wounds are ever before me. (Salm 55,9; Es 57,20; Ez 7,11; Ez 7,23)8Be warned, O Jerusalem, lest I turn from you in disgust, lest I make you a desolation, an uninhabited land.” (Jer 4,7; Ez 23,18; Hos 9,12)9Thus says the Lord of hosts: “They shall glean thoroughly as a vine the remnant of Israel; like a grape gatherer pass your hand again over its branches.” (5.Mos 24,21)10To whom shall I speak and give warning, that they may hear? Behold, their ears are uncircumcised, they cannot listen; behold, the word of the Lord is to them an object of scorn; they take no pleasure in it. (2.Mos 6,12; Es 28,9; Es 53,1; Jer 7,26; Jer 20,8; Ap G 7,51)11Therefore I am full of the wrath of the Lord; I am weary of holding it in. “Pour it out upon the children in the street, and upon the gatherings of young men, also; both husband and wife shall be taken, the elderly and the very aged. (Jer 8,9; Jer 9,21; Jer 20,9; Klag 2,21)12Their houses shall be turned over to others, their fields and wives together, for I will stretch out my hand against the inhabitants of the land,” declares the Lord. (Jer 8,10)13“For from the least to the greatest of them, everyone is greedy for unjust gain; and from prophet to priest, everyone deals falsely. (Es 56,11; Jer 5,31; Jer 14,18; Jer 23,11; Jer 31,34; Jer 44,12; Jonas 3,5; Mika 3,11)14They have healed the wound of my people lightly, saying, ‘Peace, peace,’ when there is no peace. (Es 48,22; Es 57,21; Jer 4,10; Jer 14,13; Jer 23,17; Ez 7,25; Ez 13,10; Mika 3,5; Joh 14,27)15Were they ashamed when they committed abomination? No, they were not at all ashamed; they did not know how to blush. Therefore they shall fall among those who fall; at the time that I punish them, they shall be overthrown,” says the Lord. (Jer 3,3; Jer 6,6; Jer 8,12)16Thus says the Lord: “Stand by the roads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is; and walk in it, and find rest for your souls. But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.’ (Salm 116,7; Es 8,20; Jer 18,15; Mal 4,4; Matt 11,29; Luk 16,29)17I set watchmen over you, saying, ‘Pay attention to the sound of the trumpet!’ But they said, ‘We will not pay attention.’ (Es 21,11; Es 56,10; Es 58,1; Jer 4,19; Jer 44,16)18Therefore hear, O nations, and know, O congregation, what will happen to them.19Hear, O earth; behold, I am bringing disaster upon this people, the fruit of their devices, because they have not paid attention to my words; and as for my law, they have rejected it. (Ord 1,31)20What use to me is frankincense that comes from Sheba, or sweet cane from a distant land? Your burnt offerings are not acceptable, nor your sacrifices pleasing to me. (1.Kong 10,1; Salm 40,6; Es 1,11; Es 43,23; Es 60,6; Jer 7,21; Jer 14,12; Amos 5,21)21Therefore thus says the Lord: ‘Behold, I will lay before this people stumbling blocks against which they shall stumble; fathers and sons together, neighbor and friend shall perish.’” (Ez 3,20)22Thus says the Lord: “Behold, a people is coming from the north country, a great nation is stirring from the farthest parts of the earth. (Jer 1,13; Jer 25,32; Jer 31,8; Jer 50,41)23They lay hold on bow and javelin; they are cruel and have no mercy; the sound of them is like the roaring sea; they ride on horses, set in array as a man for battle, against you, O daughter of Zion!” (Es 13,9; Es 13,18; Es 17,12)24We have heard the report of it; our hands fall helpless; anguish has taken hold of us, pain as of a woman in labor. (2.Sam 4,1; Es 13,8; Jer 38,4; Jer 49,24; Ez 7,17; Ez 21,7)25Go not out into the field, nor walk on the road, for the enemy has a sword; terror is on every side. (Job 18,11; Salm 31,13; Klag 2,22)26O daughter of my people, put on sackcloth, and roll in ashes; make mourning as for an only son, most bitter lamentation, for suddenly the destroyer will come upon us. (Ester 4,1; Jer 4,8; Jer 25,34; Klag 3,16; Ez 27,30; Amos 8,10; Mika 1,10; Zak 12,10)27“I have made you a tester of metals among my people, that you may know and test their ways. (Jer 1,18; Jer 9,7)28They are all stubbornly rebellious, going about with slanders; they are bronze and iron; all of them act corruptly. (3.Mos 19,16; Jer 5,23; Jer 9,4; Ez 22,18; Ez 22,20)29The bellows blow fiercely; the lead is consumed by the fire; in vain the refining goes on, for the wicked are not removed. (Es 1,25; Jer 6,28)30Rejected silver they are called, for the Lord has rejected them.” (Es 1,22; Ez 22,19)