1 I f 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!

Oh, 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!

2 I f 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.

Oh, 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.

3 “ 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.

And 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.

4 “ 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.

Let 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.

5 E very 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.

And 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.

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

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

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

Therefore 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?

8 T heir 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.

Their 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.

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

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

10 “ 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.

For 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!

11 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.”

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 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?

Who 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?

13 A nd 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.

And 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

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

But have walked stubbornly after their own hearts and after the Baals, as their fathers taught them,

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

Therefore 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.

16 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

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.

17 T he 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.

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

18 L et 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.

Let 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.

19 F or 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.’”

For 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.

20 N ow 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.

Yet 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.

21 F or 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.

For 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.

22 S ay, “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.’”

Speak, 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.

23 T he 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.

Thus 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;

24 B ut 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.

But 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.

25 “ 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.

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

26 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.”

Egypt, 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.