1 O h that my head were waters, and mine eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people!

If only my head were a well of water, and my eyes a well of tears, that I might cry day and night for my people who have been killed!

2 O h that I had in the wilderness a lodging place of wayfaring men; that I might leave my people, and go from them! for they be all adulterers, an assembly of treacherous men.

If only I had a place in the desert for travelers to stay, that I might leave my people, and go away from them! For none of them are faithful. They are a gathering of men who cannot be trusted.

3 A nd they bend their tongues like their bow for lies: but they are not valiant for the truth upon the earth; for they proceed from evil to evil, and they know not me, saith the Lord.

“They use their tongue like their bow. Lies, and not truth, rule the land. For they go from sin to sin, and they do not know Me,” says the Lord.

4 T ake ye heed every one of his neighbour, and trust ye not in any brother: for every brother will utterly supplant, and every neighbour will walk with slanders.

“Let every one watch his neighbor. Do not trust any brother. Because every brother sets traps, and every neighbor goes about hurting people with his talk.

5 A nd they will deceive every one his neighbour, and will not speak the truth: they have taught their tongue to speak lies, and weary themselves to commit iniquity.

Every one fools his neighbor, and does not tell the truth. They have taught their tongue to tell lies. They become tired doing so many sins.

6 T hine habitation is in the midst of deceit; through deceit they refuse to know me, saith the Lord.

You live in the center of false ways. In their false ways they are not willing to know Me,” says the Lord.

7 T herefore thus saith the Lord of hosts, Behold, I will melt them, and try them; for how shall I do for the daughter of my people?

So the Lord of All says, “See, I will make them pure and test them. For what else can I do with My people?

8 T heir tongue is as an arrow shot out; it speaketh deceit: one speaketh peaceably to his neighbour with his mouth, but in heart he layeth his wait.

Their tongue is an arrow that kills. It lies. A man speaks peace to his neighbor with his mouth, but in his heart he plans to trap him.

9 S hall I not visit them for these things? saith the Lord: shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this?

Should I not punish them for these things?” says the Lord. “Should I not make a nation such as this pay for its sins?

10 F or the mountains will I take up a weeping and wailing, and for the habitations of the wilderness a lamentation, because they are burned up, so that none can pass through them; neither can men hear the voice of the cattle; both the fowl of the heavens and the beast are fled; they are gone.

“I will cry with a loud voice for the mountains. I will cry out in sorrow for the fields, because they are laid waste. No one passes through them. The sound of the cattle is not heard. The birds of the sky and the wild animals have run away. They are gone.

11 A nd I will make Jerusalem heaps, and a den of dragons; and I will make the cities of Judah desolate, without an inhabitant.

I will break down Jerusalem into pieces, a place where wild dogs live. And I will lay waste the cities of Judah. No people will live there.”

12 W ho is the wise man, that may understand this? and who is he to whom the mouth of the Lord hath spoken, that he may declare it, for what the land perisheth and is burned up like a wilderness, that none passeth through?

Who is the man wise enough to understand this? To whom has the mouth of the Lord spoken, that he may make it known? Why is the land destroyed and laid waste like a desert, so that no one passes through?

13 A nd the Lord saith, Because they have forsaken my law which I set before them, and have not obeyed my voice, neither walked therein;

And the Lord said, “They have turned away from My Law that I have given them. They have not obeyed My voice and would not be led by it.

14 b ut have walked after the imagination of their own heart, and after Baalim, which their fathers taught them:

But they have followed the strongwill of their own hearts, and have gone after the false gods of Baal, as their fathers taught them.”

15 t herefore thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will feed them, even this people, with wormwood, and give them water of gall to drink.

So the Lord of All, the God of Israel, says, “See, I will feed these people with wormwood and put poison in their drinking water.

16 I will scatter them also among the heathen, whom neither they nor their fathers have known: and I will send a sword after them, till I have consumed them.

I will spread them out among the nations whom they and their fathers have not known. And I will go after them with the sword until I have put an end to them.” Jerusalem Cries for Help

17 T hus saith the Lord of hosts, Consider ye, and call for the mourning women, that they may come; and send for cunning women, that they may come:

The Lord of All says, “Take thought and call for the women who are filled with sorrow, that they may come. Call for the women who cry for the dead, that they may come.

18 a nd let them make haste, and take up a wailing for us, that our eyes may run down with tears, and our eyelids gush out with waters.

Let them hurry and cry in a loud voice for us, that tears may come from our eyes, and that our eyes will flow with water.

19 F or a voice of wailing is heard out of Zion, How are we spoiled! we are greatly confounded, because we have forsaken the land, because our dwellings have cast us out.

For a sound of loud crying is heard from Zion: ‘How we are destroyed! We are filled with shame, for we have left the land because they have broken down our houses.’”

20 Y et hear the word of the Lord, O ye women, and let your ear receive the word of his mouth, and teach your daughters wailing, and every one her neighbour lamentation.

Now hear the Word of the Lord, O you women. Let your ear receive the Word of His mouth. Teach your daughters a song of sorrow. Every one teach her neighbor a song for the dead.

21 F or death is come up into our windows, and is entered into our palaces, to cut off the children from without, and the young men from the streets.

For death has come in through our windows. It has come into our beautiful houses of kings. It has cut off the children from the streets, and the young men from the open spaces of the city.

22 S peak, Thus saith the Lord, Even the carcases of men shall fall as dung upon the open field, and as the handful after the harvestman, and none shall gather them.

Say, “This is what the Lord says: ‘The dead bodies of men will fall like animal waste on the open field, and like grain after the gatherer. But no one will gather them.’”

23 T hus saith the Lord, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches:

The Lord says, “Let not a wise man speak with pride about his wisdom. Let not the strong man speak with pride about his strength. And let not a rich man speak with pride about his riches.

24 b ut let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the Lord which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the Lord.

But let him who speaks with pride speak about this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord who shows loving-kindness and does what is fair and right and good on earth. For I find joy in these things,” says the Lord.

25 B ehold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will punish all them which are circumcised with the uncircumcised;

“See, the days are coming,” says the Lord, “when I will punish all who have gone through the religious act of the Jews, but have not had the sin cut from their heart.

26 E gypt, and Judah, and Edom, and the children of Ammon, and Moab, and all that are in the utmost corners, that dwell in the wilderness: for all these nations are uncircumcised, and all the house of Israel are uncircumcised in the heart.

I will punish Egypt, Judah, Edom, the sons of Ammon, Moab, and all those who live in the desert. For none of these nations have had their flesh cut. And none of the people of Israel have had the sin cut from their heart.”