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a1Oh that my head were waters, and my eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night for the slain of 2the daughter of my people!
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b Oh that I had in the desert a travelers' lodging place, that I might leave my people and go away from them! For they are all 3adulterers, a company of 4treacherous men.
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5They bend their tongue like a bow; falsehood and not truth has grown strongc in the land; for they proceed from evil to evil, 6and they do not know me, declares the LORD.
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7Let everyone beware of his neighbor, and put no trust in any brother, for every 8brother is a deceiver, and every neighbor 9goes about as a slanderer.
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Everyone deceives his neighbor, and no one speaks the truth; they have taught their tongue to speak lies; they weary themselves committing iniquity.
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Heaping oppression upon oppression, and deceit upon deceit, 10they refuse to know me, declares the LORD.
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Therefore thus says the LORD of hosts: "Behold, 11I will refine them and 12test them, for what else can I do, 13because of my people?
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14Their tongue is a deadly arrow; 15it speaks deceitfully; with his mouth 16each speaks peace to his neighbor, but in his heart 17he plans an ambush for him.
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18Shall I not punish them for these things? declares the LORD, and shall I not avenge myself on a nation such as this?
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"I will take up weeping and wailing for the mountains, and a lamentation for 19the pastures of the wilderness, 20because they are laid waste so that no one passes through, and the lowing of cattle is not heard; 21both the birds of the air and the beasts have fled and are gone.
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22I will make Jerusalem a heap of ruins, 23a lair of jackals, 24and I will make the cities of Judah a desolation, without inhabitant."
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25Who is the man so wise that he can understand this? To whom has the mouth of the LORD spoken, that he may declare it? Why is the land ruined 26and laid waste like a wilderness, so that no one passes through?
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And the LORD says: 27"Because they have forsaken my law that I set before them, and have not obeyed my voice or walked in accord with it,
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but 28have stubbornly followed their own hearts and have gone after the Baals, as their fathers taught them.
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Therefore thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: 29Behold, I will feed this people with bitter food, and give them 30poisonous water to drink.
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31I will scatter them among the nations 32whom neither they nor their fathers have known, and I will 33send the sword after them, until I have consumed them."
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Thus says the LORD of hosts: 34"Consider, and call for the mourning women to come; send for the skillful women to come;
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let them make haste 35and raise a wailing over us, 36that our eyes may run down with tears and our eyelids flow with water.
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For a sound of wailing is heard from Zion: 37'How we are ruined! We are utterly shamed, because we have left the land, because they have cast down our dwellings.'"
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Hear, O women, the word of the LORD, and let your ear receive the word of his mouth; teach to your daughters a lament, and each to her neighbor a dirge.
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For death has come up into our windows; it has entered our palaces, 38cutting off the children from the streets and the young men from the squares.
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Speak, "Thus declares the LORD: 39'The dead bodies of men shall fall like dung upon the open field, 40like sheaves after the reaper, and none shall gather them.'"
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Thus says the LORD: 41"Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches,
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but 42let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. 43For in these things I delight, declares the LORD."
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.
(English Standard Version - The Holy Bible Online)