1. O you children of Benjamin, gather yourselves to flee out of the midst of Jerusalem, and blow the trumpet in Tekoa, and set up a signal of fire in Beth-haccherem: for evil appears out of the north, and great destruction.
2. I have likened the daughter of Zion to a lovely and delicate woman.
3. The shepherds with their flocks shall come unto her; they shall pitch their tents against her round about; they shall feed everyone in his own place.
4. Prepare you war against her; arise, and let us go up at noon. Woe unto us! for the day goes away, for the shadows of the evening are lengthening.
5. Arise, and let us go by night, and let us destroy her palaces.
6. For thus has the LORD of hosts said,
7. As a fountain casts out her waters, so she casts out her wickedness: violence and plundering are heard in her; before me continually are grief and wounds.
8. Be you instructed, O Jerusalem, lest my soul depart from you; lest I make you desolate, a land not inhabited.
9. Thus says the LORD of hosts,
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:
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,
13. For from the least of them even unto the greatest of them everyone is given to covetousness; and from the prophet even unto the priest everyone deals falsely.
14. They have healed also the hurt of the daughter of my people lightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace.