In place of perfume, there will be a stink; in place of belts, there will be ropes; in place of fancy hair styles, they will have bald heads. Instead of expensive clothes, they will wear sackcloth; instead of beauty, they will have ugly scars.
Jeremiah, go and tell the people how you feel about all this. So I told them: “Tears will flood my eyes both day and night, because my nation suffers from a deadly wound.
When disaster comes, the LORD will tell you people of Jerusalem, “I am sending a storm from the desert— not a welcome breeze. And it will sweep you away as punishment for your sins.
In a foreign land my people are crying. Listen! You'll hear them say, “Has the LORD deserted Zion? Is he no longer its king?” I hear the LORD reply, “Why did you make me angry by worshipping useless idols?”
I weep for the pasture land in the hill country. It's so barren and scorched that no one travels there. No cattle can be found there, and birds and wild animals have all disappeared.
Each night, bitter tears flood her cheeks. None of her former lovers are there to offer comfort; her friends have betrayed her and are now her enemies.
My eyes are red from crying, my stomach is in knots, and I feel sick all over. My people are being wiped out, and children lie helpless in the streets of the city.
Your festivals and joyful singing will turn into sorrow. You will wear sackcloth and shave your heads, as you would at the death of your only son. It will be a horrible day.
I, the LORD, will make the descendants of David and the people of Jerusalem feel deep sorrow and pray when they see the one they pierced with a spear. They will mourn and weep for him, as parents weep over the death of their only child or their firstborn.
As they came near the gate of the town, they saw people carrying out the body of a widow's only son. Many people from the town were walking along with her.