Jeremiah 9

1 Oh 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.

2 Oh 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."

3 "They bend their tongue as a bow. Falsehood and not truth has grown strong in the land; for they proceed from evil to evil, and they do not know me," says Jehovah.

4 "Everyone be on guard against his neighbor, and do not trust any brother; for every brother is a deceiver, and every neighbor will go about with slanders.

5 Everyone deceives his neighbor, and does not speak the truth. They have taught their tongue to speak lies; they do evil, they do not cease so as to return.

6 Oppression upon oppression, and deceit upon deceit. They refuse to know me," says Jehovah.

7 Therefore thus says Jehovah of hosts, "Look, I will melt them, and try them; for how should I deal with the wickedness of the daughter of my people?

8 Their tongue is a deadly arrow; it speaks deceit: one speaks peaceably to his neighbor with his mouth, but in his heart he lies in wait for him.

9 Shall I not visit them for these things?" says Jehovah; "shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this?"

10 "For the mountains I will take up weeping and wailing, and for the pastures of the wilderness a lamentation, because they are laid waste so that no one passes through; nor can men hear the voice of the cattle. Both the birds of the sky and the animals 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."

12 "Who is the wise man, that may understand this? Who is he to whom the mouth of Jehovah has spoken, that he may declare it? Why is the land perished and burned up like a wilderness, so that none passes through?"

13 Jehovah says, "Because they have forsaken my law which I set before them, and have not obeyed my voice, neither walked in it,

14 but have walked after the stubbornness of their own heart, and after the Baals, which their fathers taught them;

15 therefore thus says Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel, 'Look, I will feed them, even 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.'"

17 Thus says Jehovah of hosts, "Consider, and call for the mourning women, that they may come; and send for the skillful women, that they may come:"

18 "and 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.

19 For 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.'"

20 "Yet hear the word of Jehovah, you women, and let your ear receive the word of his mouth; and teach your daughters wailing, and everyone her neighbor lamentation.

21 'For 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.'

22 Speak, 'Thus says Jehovah, "The dead bodies of men shall fall as dung on the open field, and as the handful after the harvester; and none shall gather them."'"

23 Thus says Jehovah, "Do not let the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, do not let the rich man glory in his riches;

24 but let him who boasts boast in this, that he has understanding, and knows me, that I am Jehovah who exercises loving kindness, justice, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight," says Jehovah.

25 "Look, the days come," says Jehovah, "that I will punish all those who are circumcised in uncircumcision:

26 Egypt, and Judah, and Edom, and the people 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."