O daughterof my people,puton sackclothAnd rollin ashes;Mournas for an onlyson,A lamentationmostbitter.For suddenlythe destroyerWill comeupon us.
Then she wentand satdownoppositehim, about a bowshotaway,for she said,"Do not let me seethe boydie."And she satoppositehim, and liftedup her voiceand wept.
"Soundsof terrorare in his ears;While at peacethe destroyercomesupon him.
And he tooka potsherdto scrapehimself while he was sittingamongthe ashes.
Therefore in that daythe LordGODof hostscalled[you] to weeping,to wailing,To shavingthe headand to wearingsackcloth.
ThereforeI say,"Turnyour eyesawayfrom me, Let me weepbitterly,Do not tryto comfortme concerningthe destructionof the daughterof my people."
Now it will comeabout that insteadof sweetperfumethere will be putrefaction;Insteadof a belt,a rope;Insteadof well-sethair,a plucked-outscalp;Insteadof fineclothes,a donningof sackcloth;And brandinginsteadof beauty.
Thereforethisiniquitywill be to you Like a breachabout to fall,A bulgein a highwall,Whosecollapsecomessuddenlyin an instant,
Tremble,you [women] whoare at ease;Be troubled,you complacent[daughters]; Strip,undressand put[sackcloth] on [your] waist,
"On allthe bareheightsin the wildernessDestroyershave come,For a swordof the LORDis devouringFrom one endof the landeven to the other;Thereis nopeacefor anyone.
But ifyou will not listento it, My soulwill sobin secretfor [such] pride;And my eyeswill bitterlyweepAnd flowdownwith tears,Becausethe flockof the LORDhas been takencaptive.
"You will saythiswordto them, 'Let my eyesflowdownwith tearsnightand day,And let them not cease;For the virgindaughterof my peoplehas been crushedwith a mightyblow,With a sorelyinfectedwound.
"Their widowswill be morenumerousbefore Me Thanthe sandof the seas;I will bringagainst them, againstthe motherof a youngman,A destroyerat noonday;I will suddenlybringdownon her Anguishand dismay.
May an outcrybe heardfrom their houses,WhenYou suddenlybringraidersupon them; For they have duga pitto captureme And hiddensnaresfor my feet.
"For thussaysthe LORD,I have hearda soundof terror,Of dread,and thereis nopeace.
In that timeit will be saidto thispeopleand to Jerusalem,"A scorchingwindfrom the bareheightsin the wildernessin the directionof the daughterof My people--not to winnowand not to cleanse,
Disasteron disasteris proclaimed,For the wholelandis devastated;Suddenlymy tentsare devastated,My curtainsin an instant.
"For this,puton sackcloth,Lamentand wail;For the fierceangerof the LORDHas not turnedbackfrom us."
"They have healedthe brokennessof My peoplesuperficially,Saying,'Peace,peace,'But thereis nopeace.
Behold,listen!The cryof the daughterof my peoplefrom a distantland:"Is the LORDnot in Zion?Is her Kingnot within her?" "Whyhave they provokedMe with their gravenimages,with foreignidols?"
For the brokennessof the daughterof my peopleI am broken;I mourn,dismayhas takenholdof me.
Ohthat my headwere watersAnd my eyesa fountainof tears,That I might weepdayand nightFor the slainof the daughterof my people!
"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.
"For thesethingsI weep;My eyesrundownwith water;Becausefarfrom me is a comforter,One who restoresmy soul.My childrenare desolateBecausethe enemyhas prevailed."
She weepsbitterlyin the nightAnd her tearsare on her cheeks;She hasnoneto comforther Amongallher lovers.Allher friendshave dealttreacherouslywith her; They have becomeher enemies.
My eyesfailbecause of tears,My spiritis greatlytroubled;My heartis pouredout on the earthBecauseof the destructionof the daughterof my people,When littleonesand infantsfaintIn the streetsof the city.
He has brokenmy teethwith gravel;He has made me cowerin the dust.
My eyesrundownwith streamsof waterBecauseof the destructionof the daughterof my people.
The handsof compassionatewomenBoiledtheir own children;They becamefoodfor them Because of the destructionof the daughterof my people.
Evenjackalsofferthe breast,They nursetheir young;[But] the daughterof my peoplehas become cruelLike ostrichesin the wilderness.
For the iniquityof the daughterof my peopleIs greaterthanthe sinof Sodom,Which was overthrownas in a moment,And nohandswere turnedtoward her.
"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.
When the wordreachedthe kingof Nineveh,he arosefrom his throne,laidasidehis robefrom him, covered[himself] with sackclothand saton the ashes.
"I will pourout on the houseof Davidand on the inhabitantsof Jerusalem,the Spiritof graceand of supplication,so that they will lookon Me whomthey have pierced;and they will mournfor Him, as one mournsfor an onlyson,and they will weepbitterlyoverHim like the bitterweepingovera firstborn.
Nowas He approachedthe gateof the city,a deadman was being carriedout, the onlysonof his mother,and she was a widow;and a sizeablecrowdfrom the citywas with her.
Be miserableand mournand weep;let your laughterbe turnedinto mourningand your joyto gloom.
Comenow,you rich,weepand howlfor your miserieswhich are comingupon you.
