1“You people in Jerusalem who are from the tribe of Benjamin,
2Jerusalem is like a beautiful pasture full of sheep,
3Enemy kings, not shepherds [MET], will come with their armies and set up their tents around the city,
4The kings will tell their troops,
5we will attack them at night
6Yahweh, the Commander of the armies of angels in heaven, says this:
7It is as though the wicked things that the people do
8Listen to what I am warning you, you people of [APO] Jerusalem,
9Yahweh, the Commander of the armies of angels in heaven, also says this:
10Then I said, “If I speak to the Israeli people to warn them,
11So now I am extremely angry, like Yahweh is angry,
12Tell the men that I will give their houses to their enemies,
13Everyone is trying to get money by tricking others,
14They act as though the sins of my people are like [MET] small wounds that they do not need to put bandages on.
15They should be [RHQ] ashamed about the disgusting things that they do,
16This is also what Yahweh said to the Israeli people:
17I sent my prophets who were like [MET] watchmen.
18Therefore, you people in the other nations, listen to this:
19Listen, all of you!
20You Israeli people, when you burn frankincense that came from far away in Sheba,
21Therefore, I will put obstacles on the roads on which my people will travel.
22Yahweh also says this:
23They have bows and arrows and spears;
24The people of Jerusalem say,
25So one person says to another,
26So I say, “My dear people, put on ◄sackcloth/rough clothes► and sit in ashes to show that you are sorry for your sins.
27Then Yahweh said to me,
28You will find out that they are very stubborn rebels,
29A metalworker causes the bellows to blow very hard to make the fire very hot to completely burn up the impurities [MET].
30I, Yahweh, have rejected them;