Thussaysthe LORD,"A voiceis heardin Ramah,Lamentation[and] bitterweeping.Rachelis weepingfor her children;She refusesto be comfortedfor her children,Becausethey are nomore."
So Racheldiedand was buriedon the wayto Ephrath(that is, Bethlehem).
Then allhis sonsand allhis daughtersaroseto comforthim, but he refusedto be comforted.And he said,"SurelyI will godownto Sheolin mourningfor my son."So his fatherweptfor him.
But they said,"Your servantsare twelvebrothers[in all], the sonsof onemanin the landof Canaan;and behold,the youngestis with our fathertoday,and oneis nolongeralive."
Their fatherJacobsaidto them, "You have bereavedme of my children:Josephis nomore,and Simeonis nomore,and you would takeBenjamin;allthese things are againstme."
Enochwalkedwith God;and he was not, for Godtookhim.
"Whythen do You not pardonmy transgressionAnd takeawaymy iniquity?For nowI will liedownin the dust;And You will seekme, but I will not be."
Then he passedaway,and lo,he was nomore;I soughtfor him, but he could not be found.
In the dayof my troubleI soughtthe Lord;In the nightmy handwas stretchedout withoutweariness;My soulrefusedto be comforted.
They have gonethroughthe pass,[saying], "Gebawill be our lodgingplace."Ramahis terrified,and Gibeahof Saulhas fledaway.
ThereforeI say,"Turnyour eyesawayfrom me, Let me weepbitterly,Do not tryto comfortme concerningthe destructionof the daughterof my people."
My tentis destroyed,And allmy ropesare broken;My sonshave gonefrom me and are nomore.Thereis nooneto stretchout my tentagainOr to setup my curtains.
The wordwhichcameto Jeremiahfrom the LORDafterNebuzaradancaptainof the bodyguardhad releasedhim from Ramah,when he had takenhim boundin chainsamongallthe exilesof Jerusalemand Judahwho were being exiledto Babylon.
Our fatherssinned,[and] are nomore;It is we who have bornetheir iniquities.
When He spreadit out beforeme, it was writtenon the frontand back,and writtenon it were lamentations,mourningand woe.
Gibeonand Ramahand Beeroth,
She used to situnderthe palmtreeof DeborahbetweenRamahand Bethelin the hillcountryof Ephraim;and the sonsof Israelcameup to her for judgment.
Then his return[was] to Ramah,for his house[was] there,and therehe judgedIsrael;and he builttherean altarto the LORD.
