1 O h that my head were waters, and my eyes a spring 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 of wayfaring men; that I might leave my people, and go from them! for they are all adulterers, an assembly 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 T hey bend their tongue, as their bow, for falsehood; and they are grown strong in the land, but not for truth: for they proceed from evil to evil, and they don’t know me, says Yahweh.

“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 T ake heed everyone of his neighbor, and don’t trust in any brother; for every brother will utterly supplant, and every neighbor will go about with slanders.

“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 T hey will deceive everyone his neighbor, and will not speak the truth: they have taught their tongue to speak lies; they weary themselves to commit 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 middle of deceit; through deceit they refuse to know me, says Yahweh.

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

7 T herefore Yahweh of Armies says, Behold, I will melt them, and try them; for how 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 deadly arrow; it speaks deceit: one speaks peaceably to his neighbor with his mouth, but in his heart he lays wait 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 visit them for these things? says Yahweh; shall not my soul be avenged 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 will I take up a weeping and wailing, and for the pastures of the wilderness a lamentation, because they are burned up, so that no one passes through; neither can men hear the voice of the livestock; both the birds of the sky and the animals are 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, that may understand this? Who is he to whom the mouth of Yahweh has spoken, that he may declare it? Why is the land perished and burned up like a wilderness, so that no one passes through?

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 Y ahweh says, Because they have forsaken my law which I set before them, and have not obeyed my voice, neither walked therein,

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 after the stubbornness of their own heart, and after the Baals, which 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 Yahweh of Armies, the God of Israel, says, Behold, I will feed them, even this people, with wormwood, and give them water of gall 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 the nations, whom neither they nor their fathers have known; and I will send the sword 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 Y ahweh of Armies says, Consider, and call for the mourning women, that they may come; and send for the skillful women, that they may 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 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 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 voice of wailing is heard out of Zion, How are we ruined! we are greatly confounded, 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 Yahweh’s word, you women, and let your ear receive the word of his mouth; and teach your daughters wailing, and everyone her neighbor lamentation.

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 is entered into our palaces; to cut off the children from outside, 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, Yahweh says, The dead bodies of men shall fall as dung on the open field, and as the handful after the harvester; and no one 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 Y ahweh says, Don’t let the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, don’t let the rich man glory 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 has understanding, and knows me, that I am Yahweh who exercises loving kindness, justice, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, says Yahweh.

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 come, says Yahweh, that I will punish all those who are circumcised in uncircumcision:

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

26 E gypt, and Judah, and Edom, and the children of Ammon, and Moab, and all that have the corners of their hair cut off, who dwell in the wilderness; for all the nations are uncircumcised, and all the house of Israel are 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.”