Be miserableand mournand weep;let your laughterbe turnedinto mourningand your joyto gloom.
"Blessedare thosewho mourn,for they shall be comforted.
Evenin laughterthe heartmay be in pain,And the endof joymay be grief.
"Woeto you who are well-fednow,for you shall be hungry.Woe[to you] who laughnow,for you shall mournand weep.
BeforeI was afflictedI wentastray,But nowI keepYour word.
so that you may rememberand be ashamedand neveropenyour mouthanymorebecauseof your humiliation,when I have forgivenyou for allthat you have done,"the LordGODdeclares.
Even when their survivorsescape,they will be on the mountainslike dovesof the valleys,allof them mourning,eachover his own iniquity.
"But Abrahamsaid,'Child,rememberthat duringyour lifeyou receivedyour good things,and likewiseLazarusbad things;but nowhe is being comfortedhere,and you are in agony.
"Therefore my harpis turnedto mourning,And my fluteto the soundof those who weep.
"Blessed[are] you who hungernow,for you shall be satisfied.Blessed[are] you who weepnow,for you shall laugh.
The joyof our heartshas ceased;Our dancinghas been turnedinto mourning.
"Thenthe virginwill rejoicein the dance,And the youngmenand the old,together,For I will turntheir mourninginto joyAnd will comfortthem and givethem joyfor their sorrow.
"With weepingthey will come,And by supplicationI will leadthem; I will make them walkby streamsof waters,On a straightpathin which they will not stumble;For I ama fatherto Israel,And Ephraimis My firstborn."
I saidof laughter,"It is madness,"and of pleasure,"Whatdoes it accomplish?"
It is goodfor me that I was afflicted,That I may learnYour statutes.
My eyesshedstreamsof water,Becausethey do not keepYour law.Tsadhe.
Then Nehemiah,whowas the governor,and Ezrathe priest[and] scribe,and the Leviteswho taughtthe peoplesaidto allthe people,"Thisdayis holyto the LORDyour God;do not mournor weep."For allthe peoplewere weepingwhen they heardthe wordsof the law.
They saidto Him, "He will bringthosewretchesto a wretchedend,and will rentout the vineyardto othervine-growerswhowill payhim the proceedsat the [proper] seasons."
