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

Oh, that my head were waters, And my eyes a fountain of tears, That I might weep day and night For the slain of the daughter of my people!

2 O h, that I had in the wilderness a lodging place (a mere shelter) for wayfaring men, that I might leave my people and go away from them! For they are all adulterers; they are a gang of treacherous men.

Oh, that I had in the wilderness A lodging place for travelers; That I might leave my people, And go from them! For they are all adulterers, An assembly of treacherous men.

3 A nd they bend their tongue, their bow for the lies. And not according to faithfulness do they rule and become strong in the land; for they proceed from evil to evil, and they do not know and understand and acknowledge Me, says the Lord.

“And like their bow they have bent their tongues for lies. They are not valiant for the truth on the earth. For they proceed from evil to evil, And they do not know Me,” says the Lord.

4 L et everyone beware of his neighbor and put no trust in any brother. For every brother is an utter and complete supplanter (one who takes by the heel and trips up, a deceiver, a Jacob), and every neighbor goes about as a slanderer.

“Everyone take heed to his neighbor, And do not trust any brother; For every brother will utterly supplant, And every neighbor will walk with slanderers.

5 A nd they deceive and mock every one his neighbor and do not speak the truth. They have taught their tongues to speak lies; they weary themselves committing iniquity.

Everyone will deceive his neighbor, And will not speak the truth; They have taught their tongue to speak lies; They weary themselves to commit iniquity.

6 Y our habitation is in the midst of deceit; through deceit they refuse to know and understand Me, says the Lord.

Your dwelling place is in the midst of deceit; Through deceit they refuse to know Me,” says the Lord.

7 T herefore thus says the Lord of hosts: Behold, I will melt them and test them, for how else should I deal with the daughter of My people?

Therefore thus says the Lord of hosts: “Behold, I will refine them and try them; For how shall I deal with the daughter of My people?

8 T heir tongue is a murderous arrow; it speaks deceitfully; one speaks peaceably to his neighbor with his mouth, but in his heart he lays snares and waits in ambush for him.

Their tongue is an arrow shot out; It speaks deceit; One speaks peaceably to his neighbor with his mouth, But in his heart he lies in wait.

9 S hall I not punish them for these things? says the Lord. Shall I not avenge Myself on such a nation as this?

Shall I not punish them for these things? ” says the Lord. “Shall I not avenge Myself on such a nation as this?”

10 F or the mountains I will take up a weeping and wailing and for the pastures of the wilderness a lament, because they are burned up and desolated, so that no one passes through; neither can men hear the lowing of cattle. Both the fowls of the air and the beasts have fled, they are gone!

I will take up a weeping and wailing for the mountains, And for the dwelling places of the wilderness a lamentation, Because they are burned up, So that no one can pass through; Nor can men hear the voice of the cattle. Both the birds of the heavens and the beasts have fled; They are gone.

11 I will make Jerusalem heaps, a dwelling place of jackals; and I will make the cities of Judah a desolation, without inhabitant.

“I will make Jerusalem a heap of ruins, a den of jackals. I will make the cities of Judah desolate, without an inhabitant.”

12 W ho is the wise man who may understand this? To whom has the mouth of the Lord spoken, that he may declare it? Why is the land ruined and laid waste like a wilderness, so that no one passes through it?

Who is the wise man who may understand this? And who is he to whom the mouth of the Lord has spoken, that he may declare it? Why does the land perish and burn up like a wilderness, so that no one can pass through?

13 A nd the Lord says, Because they have forsaken My law, which I set before them, and have not listened to and obeyed My voice or walked in accordance with it

And the Lord said, “Because they have forsaken My law which I set before them, and have not obeyed My voice, nor walked according to it,

14 B ut have walked stubbornly after their own hearts and after the Baals, as their fathers taught them,

but they have walked according to the dictates of their own hearts and after the Baals, which their fathers taught them,”

15 T herefore thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Behold, I will feed them, even this people, with wormwood and give them bitter and poisonous water to drink.

therefore thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: “Behold, I will feed them, this people, with wormwood, and give them water of gall to drink.

16 I will scatter them also among nations that neither they nor their fathers have known, and I will send the sword among them and after them until I have consumed them.

I will scatter them also among the Gentiles, whom neither they nor their fathers have known. And I will send a sword after them until I have consumed them.” The People Mourn in Judgment

17 T hus says the Lord of hosts: Consider and call for the mourning women to come; send for the skillful women to come.

Thus says the Lord of hosts: “Consider and call for the mourning women, That they may come; And send for skillful wailing women, That they may come.

18 L et them make haste and raise a wailing over us and for us, that our eyes may run down with tears and our eyelids gush with water.

Let them make haste And take up a wailing for us, That our eyes may run with tears, And our eyelids gush with water.

19 F or a sound of wailing is heard out of Zion: How we are plundered and ruined! We are greatly confounded and utterly put to shame, because we have forsaken the land, because they have cast down our dwellings.

For a voice of wailing is heard from Zion: ‘How we are plundered! We are greatly ashamed, Because we have forsaken the land, Because we have been cast out of our dwellings.’”

20 Y et hear the word of the Lord, O you women, and let your ears receive the word of His mouth; teach your daughters a lament, and each one her neighbor a dirge.

Yet hear the word of the Lord, O women, And let your ear receive the word of His mouth; Teach your daughters wailing, And everyone her neighbor a lamentation.

21 F or death has come up into our windows; it has entered into our palaces, cutting off the children from outdoors and the young men from the streets.

For death has come through our windows, Has entered our palaces, To kill off the children— no longer to be outside! And the young men— no longer on the streets!

22 S peak, Thus says the Lord: The dead bodies of men shall fall like dung on the open field and like sheaves behind the reaper, and none shall gather them.

Speak, “Thus says the Lord: ‘Even the carcasses of men shall fall as refuse on the open field, Like cuttings after the harvester, And no one shall gather them. ’”

23 T hus says the Lord: Let not the wise and skillful person glory and boast in his wisdom and skill; let not the mighty and powerful person glory and boast in his strength and power; let not the person who is rich glory and boast in his riches;

Thus says the Lord: “Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, Let not the mighty man glory in his might, Nor let the rich man glory in his riches;

24 B ut let him who glories glory in this: that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord, Who practices loving-kindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth, for in these things I delight, says the Lord.

But let him who glories glory in this, That he understands and knows Me, That I am the Lord, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight,” says the Lord.

25 B ehold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will punish all who though circumcised are still uncircumcised —

“Behold, the days are coming,” says the Lord, “that I will punish all who are circumcised with the uncircumcised—

26 E gypt, Judah, Edom, the children of Ammon, Moab, and all who live in the desert and who clip off the corners of their hair and beards; for all these nations are uncircumcised, and all the house of Israel is uncircumcised in heart.

Egypt, Judah, Edom, the people of Ammon, Moab, and all who are in the farthest corners, who dwell in the wilderness. For all these nations are uncircumcised, and all the house of Israel are uncircumcised in the heart.”