Jeremiah 9

Grief over Zion

112OhH4310H5414, that my headH7218 were watersH4325 And my eyesH5869 a fountainH4726 of tearsH1832, That I might weepH1058 dayH3119 and nightH3915 For those slainH2491 of the 3daughterH1323 of my peopleH5971!245OhH4310 that I hadH5414 in the desertH4057 A travelers’H732 lodgingH4411 placeH4411; So that I might leaveH5800 my peopleH5971 And goH1980 awayH4480 from them! For allH3605 of them are 6adulterersH5003, An assemblyH6116 of 7treacherousH898 peopleH898.3“They 8bendH1869 their tonguesH3956 like their bowsH7198; LiesH8267 and not truthH530 prevailH1396 in the landH776; For they 9proceedH3318 from evilH7463 to evilH7463, And they 10do not knowH3045 Me,” declaresH5002 the LordH3068.4“Let everyoneH376 11be on guardH8104 againstH4480 his neighborH7453, And 12do not trustH982 anyH3605 brotherH251; BecauseH3588 everyH3605 13brotherH251 utterlyH6117 14betraysH6117, And everyH3605 neighborH7453 15goesH1980 aboutH1980 as a slandererH7400.5EveryoneH376 16deceivesH8524 his neighborH7453 And does not speakH1696 the truthH571. They have taughtH3925 their tongueH3956 to speakH1696 liesH8267; They 17wearyH3811 themselves committingH5753 wrongdoingH5753.6Your 18dwellingH3427 is in the midstH8432 of deceitH4820; Through deceitH4820 they 19refuseH3985 to knowH3045 Me,” declaresH5002 the LordH3068.

7ThereforeH3651 thisH3541 isH3541 whatH3541 the LordH3068 of armiesH6635 saysH559: “BeholdH2009, I will refineH6884 them and 20putH974 them toH974 theH974 testH974; For 21whatH349 else can I doH6213, becauseH4480H6440 of the daughterH1323 of My peopleH5971?8Their 22tongueH3956 is a deadlyH7819 arrowH2671; It speaksH1696 deceitH4820; With his mouthH6310 one 23speaksH1696 peaceH7965 to his neighborH7453, But inwardlyH7130 he 24setsH7760 an ambushH696 for him.925Shall I not punishH6485 them for theseH428 thingsH428?” declaresH5002 the LordH3068. “Shall I not avengeH5358 MyselfH5315 On a nationH1471 suchH834 as thisH2088?

10“I will takeH5375 upH5375 a weepingH1065 and wailingH5092 for the 26mountainsH2022, And for the pasturesH4999 of the 27wildernessH4057 a songH7015 ofH7015 mourningH7015, BecauseH3588 they are 28laidH5327 wasteH5327 soH4480H1097 that noH1097 oneH376 passesH5674 throughH5674, And the soundH6963 of the livestockH4735 is not heardH8085; BothH4480 the 29birdsH5775 of the skyH8064 and the animalsH929 have fledH5074; they are goneH1980.11I will makeH5414 JerusalemH3389 a 30heapH1530 of ruins, A hauntH4583 of 31jackalsH8565; And I will makeH5414 the citiesH5892 of JudahH3063 a 32desolationH8077 withoutH1097 inhabitantH3427.”

12WhoH4310 is the 33wiseH2450 personH376 who may understandH995 thisH2088? And who is he to whomH834 34the mouthH6310 of the LordH3068 has spokenH1696, that he may declareH5046 it? 35WhyH5921H4100 is the landH776 destroyedH6, laidH5327 wasteH5327 like the desertH4057, soH4480H1097 that noH1097 oneH1097 passesH5674 throughH5674? 13The LordH3068 saidH559, “BecauseH5921 they have 36abandonedH5800 My LawH8451 whichH834 I putH5414 beforeH6440 them, and have not obeyedH8085 My voiceH6963 norH3808 walkedH1980 according to it, 14but have 37followedH1980H310 the stubbornnessH8307 of their heartH3820 and the 38BaalsH1168, 39as their 40fathersH1 taughtH3925 them,” 15thereforeH3651 thisH3541 isH3541 whatH3541 the LordH3068 of armiesH6635, the GodH430 of IsraelH3478 saysH559: “BeholdH2009, 41I will feedH398 thisH2088 peopleH5971 wormwoodH3939; and I will giveH8248 them 42poisonedH7219 waterH4325 toH8248 drinkH8248. 16I will also 43scatterH6327 them among the nationsH1471, whomH834 neitherH3808 they norH3808 their fathersH1 have knownH3045; and I will sendH7971 the 44swordH2719 afterH310 them untilH5704 I have putH3615 anH3615 endH3615 toH3615 them.”

17ThisH3541 isH3541 whatH3541 the LordH3068 of armiesH6635 saysH559: “ConsiderH995 and callH7121 for the 45mourningH6969 womenH6969, that they may comeH935; And sendH7971 for the 4647skillfulH2450 womenH2450, that they may comeH935!18Have them hurryH4116 and takeH5375 upH5375 a wailingH5092 for us, So that our 48eyesH5869 may shedH3381 tearsH1832, And our eyelidsH6079 flowH5140 with waterH4325.19For a voiceH6963 of 49wailingH5092 is heardH8085 from ZionH6726: ‘50HowH349 devastatedH7703 we are! We are putH954 toH954 greatH3966 shameH954, For we have 51abandonedH5800 the landH776 BecauseH3588 they have tornH7993 downH7993 our homesH4908.’”20NowH3588 hearH8085 the wordH1697 of the LordH3068, you 52womenH802, And let your earsH241 receiveH3947 the wordH1697 of His mouthH6310; TeachH3925 your daughtersH1323 wailingH5092, And have every womanH802 teach her neighborH7468 a songH7015 ofH7015 mourningH7015.21For 53deathH4194 has comeH5927 upH5927 through our windowsH2474; It has enteredH935 our palacesH759 To eliminateH3772 the 54childrenH5768 from the streetsH2351, The youngH970 menH970 from the publicH7339 squaresH7339.22SpeakH1696, “ThisH3541 isH3541 whatH3541 the LordH3068 saysH5002: ‘The corpsesH5038 of peopleH120 will fallH5307 55like dungH1828 on the openH6440 fieldH7704, And like the sheafH5995 afterH4480H310 the reaperH7114, But noH369 oneH369 will gatherH622 them.’”

23ThisH3541 isH3541 whatH3541 the LordH3068 saysH559: “56Let noH408 wiseH2450 manH2450 boastH1984 of his wisdomH2451, norH408 let the 57mightyH1368 manH1368 boastH1984 of his mightH1369, norH408 a 58richH6223 manH6223 boastH1984 of his richesH6239; 24but let the one who boastsH1984 59boastH1984 of thisH2088, that he understandsH7919 and knowsH3045 Me, that I am the LordH3068 who 60exercisesH6213 61mercyH2617, justiceH4941, and righteousnessH6666 on the earthH776; for I 62delightH2654 in theseH428 thingsH428,” declaresH5002 the LordH3068.

25“BeholdH2009, the daysH3117 are comingH935,” declaresH5002 the LordH3068, “that I will punishH6485 allH3605 who are circumcisedH4135 and yet 63uncircumcisedH6190-- 26EgyptH4714, JudahH3063, EdomH112, the sonsH1121 of AmmonH5983, MoabH4124, and 64allH3605 those inhabitingH3427 the desertH4057 who trimH7112 the hair on their templesH6285; for allH3605 the nationsH1471 are uncircumcisedH6189, and allH3605 the houseH1004 of IsraelH3478 are 65uncircumcisedH6189 of heartH3820.”