Jeremiah 9
1 If only my head could produce water, and my eyes be a fountain of tears! For I wish to weep day and night for those among the daughter of my people who have been killed.
Oh that my head were waters, and my eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people!
2 If only someone would give me a place for travelers in the wilderness to stay, where I could go to abandon my people. If only I could leave them, since all of them are adulterers, a band of traitors!
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 Yahweh declares, “They tread on their bows of lies with their tongues, but it is not because of any faithfulness of theirs that they grow strong on the earth. They go from one wicked act to another. They do not know me.”
And they bend their tongue-their bow-for falsehood, and they have grown strong in the land, but not for truth. For they proceed from evil to evil, and they do not know me, says Jehovah.
4 Each of you, be on guard against your neighbor and do not trust in any brother. For every brother is certainly a deceiver, and every neighbor walks in slander.
Take ye heed each one of his neighbor, and trust ye not in any brother, for every brother will utterly supplant, and every neighbor will go about with slanders.
5 Each man mocks his neighbor and does not speak the truth. Their tongues teach deceitful things. They are exhausted from committing iniquity.
And they will deceive each one his neighbor, and will not speak the truth. They have taught their tongue to speak lies. They weary themselves to commit iniquity.
6 Your dwelling is in the midst of deception; in their deceit they refuse to acknowledge me—this is Yahweh's declaration.”
Thy habitation is in the midst of deceit. Through deceit they refuse to know me, says Jehovah.
7 Yahweh of hosts says this, “See, I am about to refine them and test them, for what else can I do, because of what my people have done?
Therefore thus says Jehovah of hosts: Behold, I will melt them, and try them, for how else should I do, because of the daughter of my people?
8 Their tongues are sharpened arrows; they speak unfaithful things. With their mouths they proclaim peace with their neighbors, but with their hearts they lie in wait for them.
Their tongue is a deadly arrow; it speaks deceit. He speaks peaceably to his neighbor with his mouth, but in his heart he lies wait for him.
9 Should I not punish them because of these things—this is Yahweh's declaration— and should I not avenge myself on a nation that is like this?
Shall I not visit them for these things? says Jehovah. Shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this?
10 I will sing a song of mourning and wailing for the mountains, and a funeral song will be sung for the meadows. For they are burned so no one can pass through them. They will not hear the sound of any cattle. The birds of the skies and the animals have all fled away.
For the mountains I will take up a weeping and wailing, and for the pastures of the wilderness a lamentation, because they are burned up, so that none passes through, nor can men hear the voice of the cattle. Both the birds of the heavens and the beasts have fled; they are gone.
11 So I will turn Jerusalem into piles of ruins, a hideout for jackals. I will make Judah's cities ruined places without inhabitants.”
And I will make Jerusalem heaps, a dwelling-place of jackals. And I will make the cities of Judah a desolation, without inhabitant.
12 What man is wise enough to understand this? To whom has the mouth of Yahweh spoken, and he will declare it? Why has the land perished and been destroyed like the wilderness that no one can pass through?
Who is the wise man, who may understand this, and he to whom the mouth of Jehovah has spoken, that he may declare it? Why has the land perished and burned up like a wilderness, so that none passes through?
13 Yahweh says, “It is because they have abandoned my law that I set before them, because they do not listen to my voice or walk by it.
And Jehovah says, Because they have forsaken my law which I set before them, and have not obeyed my voice, nor walked in it,
14 It is because they have walked by their stubborn hearts and have followed the Baals as their fathers taught them to do.
but have walked after the stubbornness of their own heart, and after the Baalim, which their fathers taught them.
15 Therefore Yahweh of hosts, the God of Israel, says this, 'See, I am about to make this people eat wormwood and drink poisonous water.
Therefore thus says Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel: Behold, I will feed them, even this people, with wormwood, and give them water of gall to drink.
16 Then I will scatter them among the nations that they have not known, neither they nor their ancestors. I will send out a sword after them until I have completely destroyed them.'”
I will scatter them also 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 Yahweh of hosts says this, “Think about this: Summon funeral singers; let them come. Send out for women skilled at lamenting; let them come.
Thus says Jehovah of hosts, Consider ye, and call for the mourning women, that they may come, and send for the skilful women, that they may come.
18 Let them hurry and sing a mournful song over us, so our eyes may run with tears and our eyelids flow with water.
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 the sound of wailing is heard in Zion, 'How we are devastated. We are greatly ashamed, for we have abandoned the land since they tore down our houses.'
For a voice of wailing is heard out of Zion, How we are ruined! We are greatly confounded, because we have forsaken the land, because they have cast down our dwellings.
20 So you women, hear Yahweh's word; pay attention to the messages that come from his mouth. Then teach your daughters a mourning song, and each neighbor woman a funeral song.
Yet hear the word of Jehovah, O ye women, and let your ear receive the word of his mouth, and teach your daughters wailing, and each one her neighbor lamentation.
21 For death has come through our windows; it goes into our palaces. It destroys children from outside, and young men in the city squares.
For death has come up into our windows. It has entered into our palaces, to cut off the sons from outside, the young men from the streets.
22 Declare this, 'This is Yahweh's declaration—the corpses of men will fall like dung in the fields, and like grain stalks after the reapers, and there will be no one to gather them.'”
Speak, Thus says Jehovah: The dead bodies of men shall fall as dung upon the open field, and as the handful after the harvestman, and none shall gather.
23 Yahweh says this, “Do not let the wise man take pride in his wisdom, or the warrior in his might. Do not let the wealthy man take pride in his riches.
Thus says Jehovah: Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, nor let the mighty man glory in his might. Let not the rich man glory in his riches,
24 For if a man takes pride in anything, let it be in this, that he has insight and knows me. For I am Yahweh, who acts with covenant loyalty, justice and righteousness on earth. For it is in these that I take pleasure —this is Yahweh's declaration.”
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 “See, days are coming—this is Yahweh's declaration—when I will punish all the circumcised who are such only in their body.
Behold, the days come, says Jehovah, that I will punish all those who are circumcised in their uncircumcision:
26 I will punish Egypt and Judah, Edom, the people of Ammon, Moab, and all the people who cut the hair on their heads very short. For all these nations are uncircumcised, and all the house of Israel has an uncircumcised heart.”
Egypt, and Judah, and Edom, and the sons of Ammon, and Moab, and all who 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.
