“And it shall be, when they say to you, ‘Where do we go?’ then you shall say to them, ‘Thus said יהוה, “Those for death, to death. And those for the sword, to the sword. And those for scarcity of food, to scarcity of food. And those for captivity, to captivity.” ’
“And I shall make them to eat the flesh of their sons and the flesh of their daughters, and eat one another’s flesh in the siege and in the distress with which their enemies and those who seek their lives distress them.” ’
“Whoever stays in this city dies by the sword, by scarcity of food, and by pestilence. But whoever goes out and shall go over to the Chaldeans who besiege you, is going to live, and his life shall be as a prize to him.
‘And I shall banish from them the voice of rejoicing and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the sound of the millstones and the light of the lamp.
“My master the sovereign, these men have done evil in all that they have done to Yirmeyahu the prophet, whom they have thrown into the dungeon, and he is likely to die from hunger in the place where he is, for there is no more bread in the city.”
All her people are sighing, seeking bread. They have given their precious matters For food, to bring back life. “See, O יהוה, and look, For I have become despised.”
“Son of man, when a land sins against Me to commit a trespass, and I shall stretch out My hand against it, and cut off its supply of bread and send scarcity of food on it, and cut off man and beast from it,
For thus said the Master יהוה, “How much more it shall be when I send My four evil judgments on Yerushalayim: the sword and scarcity of food and evil beasts and pestilence, to cut off man and beast from it?
‘When I send against them the evil arrows of scarcity of food which shall be for their destruction, which I send to destroy you, I shall increase the scarcity of food upon you and cut off your supply of bread.
‘The sword is outside, and the pestilence and the scarcity of food inside. He who is in the field dies by the sword, and he who is in a city, scarcity of food and pestilence devour him,
‘When I have cut off your supply of bread, ten women shall bake your bread in one oven, and they shall bring back to you your bread by weight, and you shall eat and not be satisfied.
“Thus said יהוה of hosts, ‘The fast of the fourth, and the fast of the fifth, and the fast of the seventh, and the fast of the tenth months, are to be joy and gladness, and pleasant appointed times for the house of Yehuḏ
“Wasted by scarcity of food, And consumed by heat and bitter destruction, And the teeth of beasts I send upon them, With the poison of serpents of the dust.