1 O h 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!

Oh that my head were waters, and mine eye 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 desert A wayfarers’ lodging place; That I might leave my people And go from them! For all of them are adulterers, An assembly of treacherous men.

Oh that I had in the wilderness a traveller's lodging-place, that I might leave my people, and go away from them! For they are all adulterers, an assembly of treacherous men.

3 “ They bend their tongue like their bow; Lies and not truth prevail in the land; For they proceed from evil to evil, And they do not know Me,” declares the Lord.

And they bend their tongue, their bow of falsehood, and not for fidelity are they valiant in the land; for they proceed from evil to evil, and they know not me, saith Jehovah.

4 “ Let everyone be on guard against his neighbor, And do not trust any brother; Because every brother deals craftily, And every neighbor goes about as a slanderer.

Take ye heed every one of his friend, and confide not in any brother; for every brother only supplanteth, and every friend goeth about with slander.

5 “ Everyone deceives his neighbor And does not speak the truth, They have taught their tongue to speak lies; They weary themselves committing iniquity.

And they act deceitfully every one with his neighbour, and speak not the truth: they teach their tongue to speak falsehood, they weary themselves with perverse dealing.

6 “ Your dwelling is in the midst of deceit; Through deceit they refuse to know Me,” declares the Lord.

Thy habitation is in the midst of deceit; through deceit they refuse to know me, saith Jehovah.

7 T herefore thus says the Lord of hosts, “Behold, I will refine them and assay them; For what else can I do, because of the daughter of My people?

Therefore thus saith Jehovah of hosts: Behold, I will melt them, and try them; for how else could I do for the daughter of my people?

8 “ Their tongue is a deadly arrow; It speaks deceit; With his mouth one speaks peace to his neighbor, But inwardly he sets an ambush for him.

Their tongue is a murderous arrow; it speaketh deceit. speaketh peaceably to his neighbour with his mouth, but in his heart he layeth his ambush.

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

Shall I not visit them for these ? saith Jehovah; shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this?

10 “ For the mountains I will take up a weeping and wailing, And for the pastures of the wilderness a dirge, Because they are laid waste so that no one passes through, And the lowing of the cattle is not heard; Both the birds of the sky and the beasts have fled; they are gone.

For the mountains will I take up weeping and wailing, and for the pastures of the wilderness, a lamentation; for they are burnt up, so that none passeth through them; and the voice of the cattle is not heard. Both the fowl of the heavens and the beasts are fled; they are gone.

11 “ I will make Jerusalem a heap of ruins, A haunt of jackals; And I will make the cities of Judah a desolation, without inhabitant.”

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

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

Who is a wise man, that he may understand this? and he to whom the mouth of Jehovah hath spoken, that he may declare it? Why is the land perished, burnt up like a wilderness, so that none passeth through?

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

And Jehovah saith, Because they have forsaken my law which I set before them, and have not hearkened unto my voice, nor walked in it,

14 b ut have walked after the stubbornness of their heart and after the Baals, as their fathers taught them,”

but have walked after the stubbornness of their own heart, and after the Baals, as their fathers taught them;

15 t herefore thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, “behold, I will feed them, this people, with wormwood and give them poisoned water to drink.

therefore thus saith Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel, Behold, I will feed this people with wormwood, and give them water of gall to drink,

16 I will scatter them among the nations, whom neither they nor their fathers have known; and I will send the sword after them until I have annihilated them.”

and will scatter them among the nations, whom neither they nor their fathers have known; and I will send the sword after them, till I have consumed them.

17 T hus says the Lord of hosts, “Consider and call for the mourning women, that they may come; And send for the wailing women, that they may come!

Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: Consider, and call for the mourning women, that they may come, and send for the skilful women, that they may come;

18 “ Let them make haste and take up a wailing for us, That our eyes may shed tears And our eyelids flow with water.

and let them make haste, and take up a wailing for us, that our eyes may run down with tears, and our eyelids pour forth waters.

19 “ For a voice of wailing is heard from Zion, ‘ How are we ruined! We are put to great shame, For we have left the land, Because they have cast down our dwellings.’”

For a voice of wailing is heard out of Zion, How are we spoiled, sorely put to shame! For we have forsaken the land, for they have cast down our dwellings.

20 N ow hear the word of the Lord, O you women, And let your ear receive the word of His mouth; Teach your daughters wailing, And everyone her neighbor a dirge.

Hear then the word of Jehovah, ye women, and let your ear receive the word of his mouth, and teach your daughters wailing, and each one her companion lamentation.

21 F or death has come up through our windows; It has entered our palaces To cut off the children from the streets, The young men from the town squares.

For death is come up through our windows, is entered into our palaces, to cut off the children from the street, the young men from the broadways.

22 S peak, “Thus says the Lord, ‘The corpses of men will fall like dung on the open field, And like the sheaf after the reaper, But no one will gather them.’”

Speak, Thus saith Jehovah: Yea, the carcases of men shall fall as dung upon the open field, and as the handful after the reaper, and there shall be none to gather.

23 T hus says the Lord, “ Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches;

Thus saith Jehovah: Let not the wise glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty glory in his might; let not the rich glory in his riches:

24 b ut let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord who exercises lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things,” declares the Lord.

but let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I Jehovah, who exercise loving-kindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth; for in these things I delight, saith Jehovah.

25 “ Behold, the days are coming,” declares the Lord, “that I will punish all who are circumcised and yet uncircumcised—

Behold, days are coming, saith Jehovah, when I will visit all circumcised with the uncircumcised;

26 E gypt and Judah, and Edom and the sons of Ammon, and Moab and all those inhabiting the desert who clip the hair on their temples; for all the nations are uncircumcised, and all the house of Israel are uncircumcised of heart.”

Egypt, and Judah, and Edom, and the children of Ammon, and Moab, and all that have the corners cut off, that dwell in the wilderness: for all the nations are uncircumcised, and all the house of Israel are uncircumcised in heart.