Thereforethussaysthe LORDGodof hosts,the Lord,"There is wailingin allthe plazas,And in allthe streetsthey say,'Alas!Alas!'They also callthe farmerto mourningAnd professionalmournersto lamentation.
Then Jeremiahchanteda lamentfor Josiah.And allthe male and female singersspeakaboutJosiahin their lamentationsto this day.And they madethem an ordinancein Israel;behold,they are also writtenin the Lamentations.
For the cryof distresshas gonearoundthe territoryof Moab,Its wail[goes] as faras Eglaimand its wailingeven to Beer-elim.
Therefore in that daythe LordGODof hostscalled[you] to weeping,to wailing,To shavingthe headand to wearingsackcloth.
"For thussaysthe LORD,I have hearda soundof terror,Of dread,and thereis nopeace.
For I hearda cryas of a woman in labor,The anguishas of one givingbirthto her firstchild,The cryof the daughterof Ziongaspingfor breath,Stretchingout her hands,[saying], "Ah,woeis me, for I faintbefore murderers."
"For the mountainsI will takeup a weepingand wailing,And for the pasturesof the wildernessa dirge,Becausethey are laidwastesothat noonepassesthrough,And the lowingof the cattleis not heard;Boththe birdsof the skyand the beastshave fled;they are gone.
"I will scatterthem among the nations,whomneitherthey northeir fathershave known;and I will sendthe swordafterthem untilI have annihilatedthem."
Thereforethe landmourns,And everyonewho livesin it languishesAlong with the beastsof the fieldand the birdsof the sky,And alsothe fishof the seadisappear.
Be ashamed,O farmers,Wail,O vinedressers,For the wheatand the barley;Becausethe harvestof the fieldis destroyed.
Consecratea fast,Proclaima solemnassembly;Gatherthe elders[And] allthe inhabitantsof the landTo the houseof the LORDyour God,And cryout to the LORD.
Alasfor the day!For the dayof the LORDis near,And it will comeas destructionfrom the Almighty.
Waillike a virgingirdedwith sackclothFor the bridegroomof her youth.
"Hearand testifyagainst the houseof Jacob,"Declaresthe LordGOD,the Godof hosts.
"Therefore, I will make you gointo exilebeyondDamascus,"saysthe LORD,whose nameis the Godof hosts.
"Then I will turnyour festivalsinto mourningAnd allyour songsinto lamentation;And I will bringsackclothon everyone'sloinsAnd baldnesson everyhead.And I will makeit like [a time of] mourningfor an onlyson,And the endof it will be like a bitterday.
"The songsof the palacewill turnto wailingin that day,"declaresthe LordGOD."Many[will be] the corpses;in everyplacethey will castthem forth in silence."
Becauseof thisI must lamentand wail,I must gobarefootand naked;I must makea lamentlike the jackalsAnd a mourninglike the ostriches.
"On that daythey will takeup againstyou a tauntAnd uttera bitterlamentation[and] say,'We are completelydestroyed!He exchangesthe portionof my people;HowHe removesit from me! To the apostateHe apportionsour fields.'
standingat a distancebecauseof the fearof her torment,saying,Woe,woe,the greatcity,Babylon,the strongcity!For in onehouryour judgmenthas come.'
"And they threwduston their headsand were cryingout, weepingand mourning,saying,Woe,woe,the greatcity,in whichallwho hadshipsat seabecame richby her wealth,for in onehourshe has been laid waste!'
