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22 Thus says the LORD, “Behold, a people is coming from the north country, And a great nation shall be stirred up and put into action from the remote parts of the earth. 23 “They seize bow and spear; They are cruel and inhuman and have no mercy. Their voice sounds like the roaring sea; They ride [in formation] on horses, Arrayed as a man for battle Against you, O Daughter of Zion (Jerusalem)!” 24 We have heard the report of it; Our hands become limp and helpless. Anguish has gripped us, Pain like that of a woman in childbirth. 25 Do not go out into the field Nor walk on the road, For the enemy is armed with the sword; Terror is on every side. 26 O daughter of my people [says Jeremiah], Clothe yourself in sackcloth and wallow in ashes; Mourn [aloud] as for an only son, A most bitter cry [of sorrow and regret], For suddenly the destroyer will come upon us [on both prophet and people]. 27 “I [the LORD] have set you as an assayer [O Jeremiah] and as a tester [of the ore] of My people, That you may know and analyze their acts.” 28 They are all the worst [kind] of [stiff-necked, godless] rebels, Going around spreading slander. They are [not gold and silver ore, but] bronze and iron; They are all corrupt. 29 The bellows blow fiercely, The lead is consumed by the fire; In vain they continue refining, But the wicked are not separated and removed. 30 They call them rejected silver [only dross, without value], Because the LORD has rejected them. Jeremiah 6:22-30, Amplified Bible. Copyright © 2015 by The Lockman Foundation.
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