For behold me! calling for all the families of the kingdoms of the North, Declareth Yahweh, - and they shall come, and set every one his throne at the opening of the gates of Jerusalem and against all her walls round about, and against all the cities of Judah!

I, therefore - lo! I have set thee to-day as a fortified city, and as a pillar of iron and as walls of bronze, over all the land, - against the kings of Judah, against her princes, against her priests and against the people of the land.

How canst thou say, I have not defiled myself, After the Baalim, have I not gone? See thy way, in the valley, Own what thou hast done, - A nimble young she-camel, crossing her own ways;

A wild ass, taught of the desert, In the desire of her soul, she snuffeth the wind, In her occasion, who can turn her back? None who seek her, will weary themselves, In her month, they shall find her!

Can, a virgin, forget, her ornaments, - A bride, her girdle? Yet, my people, have forgotten me, days without number.

He hath said, If a man send away his wife, and she go from him and become another man's, will he return unto her, again? would not that land be, utterly defiled? And, thou, hast been unchaste with many neighbours, and yet thinkest to return unto me! Declareth Yahweh.

And I said, after she had been doing all these things, Unto me, shall thou return? and she returned not, - and her treacherous sister Judah saw it!

Though she saw that for all this, apostate Israel having committed adultery, I had sent her away, and had given a scroll of divorcement unto her, yet her treacherous sister Judah feared not, but, she also, went and committed unchastity.

Yea though it had come to pass that through the levity of her unchastity, she had defiled the land, - and committed adultery with Stone and with Tree,

yet, in spite of all this, her treacherous sister Judah returned not unto me, with all her heart, - but, falsely, Declareth Yahweh.

At that time, shall they call Jerusalem, The throne of Yahweh, and there shall be gathered unto her all the nations - to the Name of Yahweh, to Jerusalem; and they shall walk no more after the stubbornness of their own wicked heart.

But indeed as a wife goeth treacherously from her husband, so, have ye acted treacherously with me, O house of Israel, Declareth Yahweh.

As the keepers of a field, have they come against her round about, - For against me, hath she rebelled, Declareth Yahweh.

For a voice as of a woman in pangs, have I heard Anguish as of her that is bearing her firstborn. The voice of the daughter of Zion! She gaspeth for breath, She spreadeth forth her palms, - Surely woe to me! For my soul fainteth before murderers.

Run ye to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem, And see I pray you and know and seek out in the broad places thereof, Whether ye can find, a man, Whether there is one Doing justice Demanding fidelity, - That I may pardon her.

Scale ye her walls and destroy, But a full end, do not make, - Remove her tendrils, For not to Yahweh, do, they, belong!

Then shall it eat thy harvest and thy bread which thy sons and thy daughters should eat, - It shall eat thy flock and thy herd, It shall eat thy vine and thy fig-tree, - It shall destroy thy defenced cities wherein thou, art trusting, with the sword.

The prophets, have prophesied, falsely, And the priests tread down by their means, And, my people, love it, so, - What then can ye do as to her latter end?

Against her, shall come shepherds with their flocks; They have pitched against her their tents, round about, They tend their flocks every one near at hand.

Hallow ye against her a war, Arise! and let us go up in broad noon. Woe to us, for the day, hath turned, for the shadows of evening, stretch along.

Arise! and let us go up in the night, And let us destroy her palaces.

For, Thus, saith Yahweh of hosts, Cut ye down timber, And cast up, against Jerusalem a mound, - That, is the city to be punished! There is, nothing, but oppression in her midst;

Like the casting forth by a wall of its waters, So, hath she cast forth her wickedness, - Violence and destruction, are heard in her, Before my face, continually, are suffering and smiting.

We have heard the report thereof, Relaxed are our hands, - Anguish, hath taken hold on us, Pangs, as on her that is giving birth.

Even the stork in the heavens knoweth her appointed times, And the turtle and the swallow and the crane, observe the season for coming; But my people know not the just sentence of Yahweh.

Lo! the voice of the cry for help of the daughter of my people from a land far away, Is, Yahweh, not in Zion? Is, her King, not within her? Why, have they provoked me with their carved images, with their foreign vanities?

For hear O ye women the word of Yahweh, And let your ear take in the word of his mouth, - And teach your daughters a wail, Yea leach woman - her neighbour, a dirge: -

I have forsaken mine own house, I have given up mine inheritance, - I have delivered the dearly beloved of my soul into the hand of her enemies:

Mine inheritance, hath become to me as a lion in a jungle, - She hath given forth against me her voice, For this cause, have I hated her.

Is it, a variegated bird of prey, that mine inheritance is to me? The birds of prey, are round about against her! Go ye, assemble all the beasts of the field bring them to devour.

Their widows have become multiplied to me, beyond the sand of the seas, I have brought against them - upon the mother of young men - the spoiler in the broad noon, - I have let fall upon her suddenly, excitement and terrors.

Languisheth! she who had given birth to seven, She hath breathed out her life Her sun hath gone in, while yet it was day, She hath turned pale and hath turned red, - And the remnant of them, to the sword, will I deliver before their enemies, Declareth Yahweh.

But, if ye will not hearken unto me - To hallow the sabbath day, And to bear no burden and bring in through the gates of Jerusalem, on the sabbath day, Then will I kindle a fire within her gates, And it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem, And shall not be quenched.

To make their land a desolation The hissings of age-abiding times, - Every one that passeth by her, shall be astonished and wag his head.

And I will give their dead bodies for food, to the bird of the heavens and to the beast of the earth; And I will make this city a desolation and a hissing, - every one that passeth by it, shall be astonished and hiss over all her wounds;

Thus, saith Yahweh of hosts, God of Israel, Behold me! brining in against this city, and upon all the cities thereof, The whole calamity which I have pronounced against her, - Because they stiffened their neck, that they might not hear my words.

And I will deliver up - All the wealth of this city, and All her labour, and All her precious things, - And all the treasures of the kings of Judah, will I deliver up into the hands of their enemies, and they will make of them a prey, and take them, and carry them into Babylon.

Because I was not slain from the womb, - Nor did my mother become my grave, Nor was her womb great for ever!

Yet will I bring punishment upon you according to the fruit of your doings, Declareth Yahweh, - and will kindle a fire in her forest, and it shall devour all things round about her.

O inhabitress of Lebanon that makest thy nest in the cedars, - How hast thou bemoaned thyself Now that pangs have overtaken thee, Anguish, as of her that giveth birth.

But among the prophets of Jerusalem, have I seen a horrible thing, - Committing adultery, And walking in falsehood, And so strengthening the hands of doers of wickedness, not to return any man from his wickedness: They have all of them become to me as Sodom, And her inhabitants as Gomorrah.

to wit said he - Jerusalem, and the cities of Judah, and her kings her princes, - making them a desolation, an astonishment, a hissing, and a contempt, as at this day;

Only, ye must, know, that If, ye, do put me, to death, verily innocent blood, are ye laying upon yourselves, and against this city, and against her inhabitants, - for of a truth, did Yahweh send me unto you, to speak in your ears lull these words.

And seek the welfare of the city whither I have caused you to be carried away captives, and pray for her unto Yahweh, - For in her welfare, shall ye have welfare.

For I will put a bandage upon thee, And from thy wounds, will I heal thee Declareth Yahweh, - Because An outcast, they called thee, -- Tis, Zion! who hath none to ask for her welfare,

Thus, saith Yahweh - Behold me! bringing back the captivity of the tents of Jacob, And on his habitations, will I have compassion, - So shall the city be built, upon her own mound, And the citadel, upon its own site, shall remain:

Thus, saith Yahweh - A voice, in Ramah, is heard, Wailing, bitter weeping, Rachel weeping for her children, - She refuseth to be comforted for her children, For they are not!

Behold me! laying upon her a bandage of healing, so will I heal them, - And will reveal to them abundance of prosperity and truth;

So shall she become to me - A name of joy, A praise and An adorning, To all the nations of the earth, - Who will hear all the good which I am doing them, And will dread and be deeply moved over all the good and over all the prosperity which I am causing her.

In those days, Judah shall be Saved, and I Jerusalem abide, securely, - And, this, is that which shall be proclaimed to her - Yahweh, our righteousness!

The word which came unto Jeremiah from Yahweh, - when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and all his force and all the kingdoms of the earth the dominion of his hand, and all the peoples were fighting against Jerusalem and against all her cities, saying:

but, we will certainly do, the whole thing that hath gone forth out of our own mouth, by burning incense to the queen of the heavens, and pouring out to her drink-offerings, just as we and our fathers, and our kings and our princes, did, in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem, then were we filled with bread and became prosperous, and calamity, saw we none;

whereas, from the very time we ceased burning incense to the queen of the heavens and pouring out to her drink-offerings, we have lacked everything, - and by sword and by famine, have we been consumed.

And, though we are burning incense to the queen of the heavens and pouring out to her drink-offerings, is it, without our men that we have made to her sacrificial cakes as images of her and poured out to her, drink-offerings?

Thus, saith Yahweh of hosts, God of Israel, saying, Ye and your wives, have both spoken with your mouth and with your hands, have ye fulfilled saying, We will, certainly perform, our vows which we have vowed, to burn incense to the queen of the heavens, and to pour out to her drink-offerings: the women will certainly confirm, your vows, and, certainly perform, your vows.

Let not the swift, flee, Nor let the hero, escape, - Northward, beside the river Euphrates, have they stumbled, and fallen.

The nations have heard of thy disgrace, And, thine outcry, hath filled the earth, - For hero against hero, have they stumbled, Together, have fallen, the twain!

Even her hirelings in her midst are like fatted calves, For, even they, have turned - have fled at once! have made no stand! For, their day of doom, hath come upon them, The time of their visitation.

Her noise, like a serpent, departeth, - For, with a force, they advance, And with axes, have they come against her, like them who fell trees:

They have cut down her forest Declareth Yahweh, Surely he cannot be searched out, - For they have outnumbered locusts, and cannot be counted.

Saith Yahweh of host God of Israel, - Behold me! bringing punishment - against Amon of No, and upon Pharaoh and upon Egypt, and upon her gods and upon her kings, - Even upon Pharaoh, and upon all that trust in him;

No more, is the praise of Moab, In Heshbon, have they devised against her, calamity, Come, and let us cut her off from being a nation, - Even thou, Madmen also, shalt be silenced, After thee, shall march the sword.

Moab is broken: Her little ones, have caused to be heard an outcry.

Give wing to Moab, For she must, fly away; And her cities To desolation, shall be turned, With no inhabitant therein.

Spoiled is Moab And her cities, hath he ascended, And the choice of his young men, have gone down to the slaughter, - Declareth The King, Yahweh of hosts, is his Name.

Near the way, take thy stand and keep outlook, O inhabitress of Aroer: Ask - him that fleeth, and Her that hath escaped, Say, What hath happened?

Leave ye the cities and dwell in the cliff, Ye inhabitants of Moab; And become ye as a dove, that maketh her nest in the further-side of the fissure mouth.

Upon all the housetops of Moab And in her broadways, it is all lamentation, - For I have broken Moab - Like a vessel wherein is no pleasure Declareth Yahweh.

Captured is Kerioth, And the fortresses, are seized, - Then shall the heart of the heroes of Moab become in that day, As the heart of a woman in her pains.

He that fleeth from the face of the terror, Shall fall into the pit, And, he that getteth up out of the pit, Shall be captured by the snare, - For I will bring against her - against Moab, The year of their visitation, Declareth Yahweh.

Therefore, lo! days are coming, Declareth Yahweh When I will cause to be heard against Rabbah of the sons of Ammon, an alarm of war, So shall she become a mound of desolation, And, her villages, with fire, shall blaze, - Then shall Israel, inherit them who inherited him, Saith Yahweh.

Why shouldst thou glory in the vales, The flowing of thy vale O apostate daughter? She who is trusting in her treasures, saying, Who shall invade, me?

or by myself, have I sworn, Declareth Yahweh, That, Bozrah shall become, an astonishment: a reproach and a desolation, and a contempt, - And all her cities shall become age-abiding desolations.

A report, have I heard from Yahweh, Yea, an envoy, throughout the nations, hath been sent, - Gather yourselves together and come against her, And arise to the battle.

So shall, Edom, become an astonishment, - Every one passing by her, will be astonished and hiss, over all her plagues:

Like the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah and her neighbours, Saith Yahweh, - There shall not dwell there - a man, Nor sojourn therein - any son of the earth-born.

Lo! as an eagle, he shall mount and dart, and spread his wings over Bozrah, - So shall the heart of the heroes of Edom, in that day, become as the heart of a woman in her pain.

Enfeebled is Damascus She hath turned to flee But terror, hath seized her, - Anguish and pangs, have seized her as a woman in childbirth.

Therefore shall her young men fail in her broadways, - And, all her men of war, shall be silent in that day, Declareth Yahweh of hosts;

Tell ye among the nations And let it be heard And lift ye up a standard, Let it be heard do not conceal: Say ye - Captured is Babylon, Confounded is Bel, Broken in pieces is Merodach, Confounded are her images, Broken down her manufactured gods;

For there hath come up against her - a nation out of the North The same, shall make her land an astonishment, And there shall be none to dwell therein, - Both man and beast, have removed - have gone.

For lo! I am rousing and bringing up against Babylon a gathered host of great nations, out of the land of the North, And they shall array themselves against her, From thence, shall she be captured, - His arrows, are as of a hero making childless, None shall return empty.

So shall the Chaldeans become a spoil, - All her spoilers, shall be satisfied, Declareth Yahweh;

Because of the vexation of Yahweh, she shall not be inhabited, But Shall become a complete desolation, - Every one passing by Babylon, shall be astonished and hiss, over all her plagues.

Set yourselves in array against Babylon round about All ye who tread the bow, Shoot at her, do not spare so much as an arrow, - For against Yahweh, hath she sinned.

Raise a shout against her round about She hath stretched forth her hand, Fallen are her buttresses, Torn down are her walls, - Because, the avenging of Yahweh it is, Take ye vengeance upon her, As she hath done, do ye, unto her.

A sheep all alone, is Israel Lions, have driven him away, - At the first, the king of Assyria devoured him, And here, at the last, I Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon hath broken his bones!

Against the land of Merathaim, go thou up against her, And against the inhabitants of Pekod, - Lay waste and devote to destruction after them Declareth Yahweh, And do according to all which I have commanded thee.

Come ye against her from farthest parts, Throw open her granaries, Cast her up as heaps, and devote her to destruction, - Do not let her have a remnant.

Cut up all her bullocks, Let them go down to the slaughter, - Alas for them! For their day, hath come, Their time for punishment.

Publish against Babylon ye chiefs of all who tread the bow - Encamp against her round about Let there be none to escape, Recompense to her according to her work, According to all which she did, do ye to her, - For Against Yahweh, hath she acted presumptuously, Against the Holy One of Israel.

Therefore, shall her young men fall in her broadways, - And, all her men of war, be silenced in that day, Declareth Yahweh.

A sword, is over the Chaldeans, Declareth Yahweh, - And against the inhabitants of Babylon, And against her princes, And against her wise men:

A sword, is against the praters, And they shall be shewn to be foolish, A sword, is against her heroes And they shall be dismayed:

A sword, is against his hopes and against his chariots and, against all the rabble that are in her midst And they shall become women, - A sword, is against her treasures And they shall be made a prey:

A drought, is against her waters, And they shall be dried up, - For a land of images, it is, And with their shocking things, they act as men who are mad:

Like the divine overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah and her neighbours, Declareth Yahweh, - There shall not dwell there - a man, Nor sojourn therein - a son of the earth-born.

And I will send to Babylon winnowers, And they shall winnow her, And shall empty her land, - For they are against her round about in the day of calamity.

Let not the archer tread his bow, Nor lift himself up in his coat of mail, - And do not spare her young men, Devote to destruction all her host.

So shall they fall wounded in the land of Chaldea, - Yea thrust through, in her streets,