1Ohthat my headwere watersAnd my eyesa fountainof tears,That I might weepdayand nightFor the slainof the daughterof my people!
2Ohthat I hadin the desertA wayfarers'lodgingplace;That I might leavemy peopleAnd gofrom them! For allof them are adulterers,An assemblyof treacherousmen.
3"They bendtheir tongue[like] their bow;Liesand not truthprevailin the land;For they proceedfrom evilto evil,And they do not knowMe," declaresthe LORD.
4"Let everyonebe on guardagainsthis neighbor,And do not trustanybrother;Becauseeverybrotherdealscraftily,And everyneighborgoesabout as a slanderer.
5"Everyonedeceiveshis neighborAnd does not speakthe truth,They have taughttheir tongueto speaklies;They wearythemselves committinginiquity.
6"Your dwellingis in the midstof deceit;Through deceitthey refuseto knowMe," declaresthe LORD.
7Thereforethussaysthe LORDof hosts,"Behold,I will refinethem and assaythem; For what[else] can I do,becauseof the daughterof My people?
8"Their tongueis a deadlyarrow;It speaksdeceit;With his mouthone speakspeaceto his neighbor,But inwardlyhe setsan ambushfor him.
9"Shall I not punishthem for thesethings?"declaresthe LORD."On a nationsuchas thisShall I not avengeMyself?
10"For the mountainsI will takeup a weepingand wailing,And for the pasturesof the wildernessa dirge,Becausethey are laidwastesothat noonepassesthrough,And the lowingof the cattleis not heard;Boththe birdsof the skyand the beastshave fled;they are gone.
11"I will makeJerusalema heapof ruins, A hauntof jackals;And I will makethe citiesof Judaha desolation,withoutinhabitant."
12Whois the wisemanthat may understandthis?And [who is] he to whomthe mouthof the LORDhas spoken,that he may declareit? Whyis the landruined,laidwastelike a desert,sothat noonepassesthrough?13The LORDsaid,"Becausethey have forsakenMy lawwhichI setbeforethem, and have not obeyedMy voicenorwalkedaccording to it,14but have walkedafterthe stubbornnessof their heartand afterthe Baals,as their fatherstaughtthem,"15thereforethussaysthe LORDof hosts,the Godof Israel,"behold,I will feedthem, thispeople,with wormwoodand givethem poisonedwaterto drink.16"I will scatterthem among the nations,whomneitherthey northeir fathershave known;and I will sendthe swordafterthem untilI have annihilatedthem."
17Thussaysthe LORDof hosts,"Considerand callfor the mourningwomen,that they may come;And sendfor the wailingwomen,that they may come!
18"Let them makehasteand takeup a wailingfor us, That our eyesmay shedtearsAnd our eyelidsflowwith water.
19"For a voiceof wailingis heardfrom Zion,Howare we ruined!We are putto greatshame,For we have leftthe land,Becausethey have castdownour dwellings.'"
20Nowhearthe wordof the LORD,O you women,And let your earreceivethe wordof His mouth;Teachyour daughterswailing,And everyoneher neighbora dirge.
21For deathhas comeup through our windows;It has enteredour palacesTo cutoffthe childrenfrom the streets,The youngmenfrom the townsquares.
22Speak,"Thussaysthe LORD,'The corpsesof menwill falllike dungon the openfield,And like the sheafafterthe reaper,But noonewill gather[them].'"
23Thussaysthe LORD,"Let not a wisemanboastof his wisdom,and let not the mightymanboastof his might,let not a richmanboastof his riches;24but let him who boastsboastof this,that he understandsand knowsMe, that I am the LORDwho exerciseslovingkindness,justiceand righteousnesson earth;for I delightin thesethings,"declaresthe LORD.
25"Behold,the daysare coming,"declaresthe LORD,"that I will punishallwho are circumcisedand yet uncircumcised--26Egyptand Judah,and Edomand the sonsof Ammon,and Moaband allthose inhabitingthe desertwho clipthe hair on their temples;for allthe nationsare uncircumcised,and allthe houseof Israelare uncircumcisedof heart."
