1
Oh that[H5414] my head[H7218] were waters[H4325], and mine eyes[H5869] a fountain[H4726] of tears[H1832], that[H5414] I might weep[H1058]day[H3119] and night[H3915] for the slain[H2491] of the daughter[H1323] of my people[H5971]!
2
Oh that[H5414] I had in the wilderness[H4057] a lodging place[H4411] of wayfaring men[H732]; that[H5414] I might leave[H5800] my people[H5971], and go[H3212] from them! for they be all adulterers[H5003], an assembly[H6116] of treacherous men[H898].
3
And they bend[H1869] their tongues[H3956] like their bow[H7198] for lies[H8267]: but they are not valiant[H1396] for the truth[H530] upon the earth[H776]; for they proceed[H3318] from evil[H7451] to evil[H7451], and they know[H3045] not me, saith[H5002] the LORD[H3068].
4
Take ye heed[H8104] every one[H376] of his neighbour[H7453], and trust[H982] ye not in any brother[H251]: for every brother[H251] will utterly[H6117]supplant[H6117], and every neighbour[H7453] will walk[H1980] with slanders[H7400].
5
And they will deceive[H2048] every one[H376] his neighbour[H7453], and will not speak[H1696] the truth[H571]: they have taught[H3925] their tongue[H3956] to speak[H1696]lies[H8267], and weary[H3811] themselves to commit iniquity[H5753].
6
Thine habitation[H3427] is in the midst[H8432] of deceit[H4820]; through deceit[H4820] they refuse[H3985] to know[H3045] me, saith[H5002] the LORD[H3068].
7
Therefore thus saith[H559] the LORD[H3068] of hosts[H6635], Behold, I will melt[H6884] them, and try[H974] them; for[H6440] how shall I do[H6213]for[H6440] the daughter[H1323] of my people?[H5971]
8
Their tongue[H3956] is as an arrow[H2671] shot out[H7819]; it speaketh[H1696]deceit[H4820]: one speaketh[H1696]peaceably[H7965] to his neighbour[H7453] with his mouth[H6310], but in heart[H7130] he layeth[H7760] his wait[H696].
9
Shall I not visit[H6485] them for these things? saith[H5002] the LORD[H3068]: shall not my soul[H5315] be avenged[H5358] on such a nation[H1471] as this?
10
For the mountains[H2022] will I take up[H5375] a weeping[H1065] and wailing[H5092], and for the habitations[H4999] of the wilderness[H4057] a lamentation[H7015], because they are burned up[H3341], so that none[H376] can pass[H5674] through them; neither can men hear[H8085] the voice[H6963] of the cattle[H4735]; both the fowl[H5775] of the heavens[H8064] and the beast[H929] are fled[H5074]; they are gone[H1980].
11
And I will make[H5414]Jerusalem[H3389]heaps[H1530], and a den[H4583] of dragons[H8577]; and I will make[H5414] the cities[H5892] of Judah[H3063]desolate[H8077], without an inhabitant[H3427].
12
Who is the wise[H2450]man[H376], that may understand[H995] this? and who is he to whom the mouth[H6310] of the LORD[H3068] hath spoken[H1696], that he may declare[H5046] it, for what the land[H776]perisheth[H6] and is burned up[H3341] like a wilderness[H4057], that none passeth through?[H5674]
13
And the LORD[H3068]saith[H559], Because they have forsaken[H5800] my law[H8451] which I set[H5414]before[H6440] them, and have not obeyed[H8085] my voice[H6963], neither walked[H1980] therein;
14
But have walked[H3212]after[H310] the imagination[H8307] of their own heart[H3820], and after[H310]Baalim[H1168], which their fathers[H1]taught[H3925] them:
15
Therefore thus saith[H559] the LORD[H3068] of hosts[H6635], the God[H430] of Israel[H3478]; Behold, I will feed[H398] them, even this people[H5971], with wormwood[H3939], and give them water[H4325] of gall[H7219] to drink[H8248].
16
I will scatter[H6327] them also among the heathen[H1471], whom neither they nor their fathers[H1] have known[H3045]: and I will send[H7971] a sword[H2719]after[H310] them, till I have consumed[H3615] them.
17
Thus saith[H559] the LORD[H3068] of hosts[H6635], Consider[H995] ye, and call[H7121] for the mourning women[H6969], that they may come[H935]; and send[H7971] for cunning[H2450]women[H6969], that they may come[H935]:
18
And let them make haste[H4116], and take up[H5375] a wailing[H5092] for us, that our eyes[H5869] may run down[H3381] with tears[H1832], and our eyelids[H6079] gush out[H5140] with waters[H4325].
19
For a voice[H6963] of wailing[H5092] is heard[H8085]out[H7993] of Zion[H6726], How are we spoiled[H7703]! we are greatly[H3966]confounded[H954], because we have forsaken[H5800] the land[H776], because our dwellings[H4908] have cast us out[H7993].
20
Yet hear[H8085] the word[H1697] of the LORD[H3068], O ye women[H802], and let your ear[H241]receive[H3947] the word[H1697] of his mouth[H6310], and teach[H3925] your daughters[H1323]wailing[H5092], and every one[H802] her neighbour[H7468]lamentation[H7015].
21
For death[H4194] is come up[H5927] into our windows[H2474], and is entered[H935] into our palaces[H759], to cut off[H3772] the children[H5768] from without[H2351], and the young men[H970] from the streets[H7339].
22Speak[H1696], Thus saith[H5002] the LORD[H3068], Even the carcases[H5038] of men[H120] shall fall[H5307] as dung[H1828] upon the open[H6440]field[H7704], and as the handful[H5995]after[H310] the harvestman[H7114], and none shall gather[H622] them.
23
Thus saith[H559] the LORD[H3068], Let not the wise[H2450] man glory[H1984] in his wisdom[H2451], neither let the mighty[H1368] man glory[H1984] in his might[H1369], let not the rich[H6223] man glory[H1984] in his riches[H6239]:
24
But let him that glorieth[H1984]glory[H1984] in this, that he understandeth[H7919] and knoweth[H3045] me, that I am the LORD[H3068] which exercise[H6213]lovingkindness[H2617], judgment[H4941], and righteousness[H6666], in the earth[H776]: for in these things I delight[H2654], saith[H5002] the LORD[H3068].
25
Behold, the days[H3117]come[H935], saith[H5002] the LORD[H3068], that I will punish[H6485] all them which are circumcised[H4135] with the uncircumcised[H6190];
26Egypt[H4714], and Judah[H3063], and Edom[H123], and the children[H1121] of Ammon[H5983], and Moab[H4124], and all that are in the utmost[H7112]corners[H6285], that dwell[H3427] in the wilderness[H4057]: for all these nations[H1471] are uncircumcised[H6189], and all the house[H1004] of Israel[H3478] are uncircumcised[H6189] in the heart[H3820].