1 O h that my head were waters, and mine eye 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 traveller's lodging-place, that I might leave my people, and go away from them! For they are all adulterers, an assembly of treacherous men.

3 A nd they bend their tongue, their bow of falsehood, and not for fidelity are they valiant in the land; for they proceed from evil to evil, and they know not me, saith Jehovah.

4 T ake ye heed every one of his friend, and confide not in any brother; for every brother only supplanteth, and every friend goeth about with slander.

5 A nd they act deceitfully every one with his neighbour, and speak not the truth: they teach their tongue to speak falsehood, they weary themselves with perverse dealing.

6 T hy habitation is in the midst of deceit; through deceit they refuse to know me, saith Jehovah.

7 T herefore thus saith Jehovah of hosts: Behold, I will melt them, and try them; for how else could I do for the daughter of my people?

8 T heir tongue is a murderous arrow; it speaketh deceit. speaketh peaceably to his neighbour with his mouth, but in his heart he layeth his ambush.

9 S hall I not visit them for these ? saith Jehovah; shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this?

10 F or the mountains will I take up weeping and wailing, and for the pastures of the wilderness, a lamentation; for they are burnt up, so that none passeth through them; and the voice of the cattle is not heard. Both the fowl of the heavens and the beasts are fled; they are gone.

11 A nd 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 a wise man, that he may understand this? and he to whom the mouth of Jehovah hath spoken, that he may declare it? Why is the land perished, burnt up like a wilderness, so that none passeth through?

13 A nd Jehovah saith, Because they have forsaken my law which I set before them, and have not hearkened unto my voice, nor walked in it,

14 b ut have walked after the stubbornness of their own heart, and after the Baals, as their fathers taught them;

15 t herefore thus saith Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel, Behold, I will feed this people with wormwood, and give them water of gall to drink,

16 a nd will scatter them among the nations, whom neither they nor their fathers have known; and I will send the sword after them, till I have consumed them.

17 T hus saith Jehovah of hosts: Consider, and call for the mourning women, that they may come, and send for the skilful 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 pour forth waters.

19 F or a voice of wailing is heard out of Zion, How are we spoiled, sorely put to shame! For we have forsaken the land, for they have cast down our dwellings.

20 H ear then the word of Jehovah, ye women, and let your ear receive the word of his mouth, and teach your daughters wailing, and each one her companion lamentation.

21 F or death is come up through our windows, is entered into our palaces, to cut off the children from the street, the young men from the broadways.

22 S peak, Thus saith Jehovah: Yea, the carcases of men shall fall as dung upon the open field, and as the handful after the reaper, and there shall be none to gather.

23 T hus saith Jehovah: Let not the wise glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty glory in his might; let not the rich glory in his riches:

24 b ut let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I Jehovah, who exercise loving-kindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth; for in these things I delight, saith Jehovah.

25 B ehold, days are coming, saith Jehovah, when I will visit all circumcised with the uncircumcised;

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