| Holman Christian Standard Bible | International Standard Version |
| 1If my head were a spring of water, my eyes a fountain of tears, I would weep day and night over the slain of my dear people. | 1 "Oh, that my head were a spring of water, and my eyes a fountain of tears, for then I would cry day and night for those of my people who have been killed. |
| 2If only I had a traveler's lodging place in the wilderness, I would abandon my people and depart from them, for they are all adulterers, a solemn assembly of treacherous people. | 2Oh, that I had a lodging place for travelers in the desert, so that I could leave my people and go away from them. For all of them are adulterers, a band of traitors. |
| 3They bent their tongues like their bows; lies and not faithfulness prevail in the land, for they proceed from one evil to another, and they do not take Me into account. This is the LORD's declaration. | 3They use their tongues like a bow. Lies rather than truth fly throughout the land. They progress from one evil to another, and they don't know me," declares the LORD. |
| 4Everyone has to be on guard against his friend. Don't trust any brother, for every brother will certainly deceive, and every friend spread slander. | 4"Beware of your neighbors, and don't trust any of your relatives. For all of your relatives act deceitfully, and every friend goes around as a slanderer. |
| 5Each one betrays his friend; no one tells the truth. They have taught their tongues to speak lies; they wear themselves out doing wrong. | 5People deceive their friends, and they don't tell the truth. They have taught their tongues to tell lies. They exhaust themselves practicing evil. |
| 6You live in a world of deception. In their deception they refuse to know Me. This is the LORD's declaration. | 6You yourself live in the midst of deception, and because they are deceived they do not know me," declares the LORD. |
| 7Therefore, this is what the LORD of Hosts says: I am about to refine them and test them, for what else can I do because of My dear people? | 7Therefore, this is what the LORD of the Heavenly Armies says: "Look, I'm about to refine and test them. Because they're my people, what else can I do? |
| 8Their tongues are deadly arrows-- they speak deception. With his mouth a man speaks peaceably with his friend, but inwardly he sets up an ambush. | 8Their tongue is a deadly arrow that speaks deceit. With his mouth a person says, 'Peace,' to his friend, but inwardly he sets a trap for him. |
| 9Should I not punish them for these things? This is the LORD's declaration. Should I not avenge Myself on such a nation as this? | 9Should I not punish them for these things?" asks the LORD, "and should I not avenge myself on a nation like this?" |
| 10I will raise weeping and a lament over the mountains, a dirge over the wilderness grazing land, for they have been so scorched that no one passes through. The sound of cattle is no longer heard. From the birds of the sky to the animals, everything has fled--they have gone away. | 10I'll weep and mourn for the mountains, and lament for the desert pastures, because they are desolate and no one passes through them. They don't hear the lowing of the cattle. Both the birds of the sky and the animals have fled. They're gone! |
| 11I will make Jerusalem a heap of rubble, a jackals' den. I will make the cities of Judah a desolation, an uninhabited place. | 11"I'll make Jerusalem a heap of ruins, a refuge for jackals. I'll make the towns of Judah desolate, without inhabitants." |
| 12Who is the man wise enough to understand this? Who has the LORD spoken to, that he may explain it? Why is the land destroyed and scorched like a wilderness, so no one can pass through? | 12Who is the wise person who understands this, and to whom has the LORD spoken so that he may declare it? Why is the land destroyed, ruined like the desert, without anyone passing through it? |
| 13The LORD said, "It is because they abandoned My instruction that I set in front of them and did not obey My voice or walk according to it. | 13The LORD said, "It is because they have forsaken my Law that I gave them. They didn't obey me and didn't live according to it. |
| 14Instead, they followed the stubbornness of their hearts and followed after the Baals as their fathers taught them." | 14Instead, they followed their rebellious hearts and the Baals, as their ancestors taught them." |
| 15Therefore, this is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: "I am about to feed this people wormwood and give them poisonous water to drink. | 15Therefore, this is what the LORD of the Heavenly Armies, the God of Israel, says: "Look, I'll make these people eat wormwood and drink poisoned water. |
| 16I will scatter them among the nations that they and their fathers have not known. I will send a sword after them until I have finished them off." | 16I'll scatter them among nations that neither they nor their ancestors have known, and I'll pursue them with the sword until I've finished them off." |
| 17This is what the LORD of Hosts says: Consider, and summon the women who mourn; send for the skillful women. | 17This is what the LORD of the Heavenly Armies says: "Think about what I'm saying! Indeed, call out the professional mourners! Send for the best of them to come. |
| 18Let them come quickly to raise a lament over us so that our eyes may overflow with tears, our eyelids soaked with weeping. | 18Let them hurry and lament for us. Let tears run down from our eyes, and let our eyelids flow with water. |
| 19For a sound of lamentation is heard from Zion: How devastated we are. We are greatly ashamed, for we have abandoned the land; our dwellings have been torn down. | 19For a sound of mourning is heard from Zion: 'How we're ruined! Our shame is very great, because we have left the land, because our houses are torn down.'" |
| 20Now hear the word of the LORD, you women. Pay attention to the word of His mouth. Teach your daughters a lament and one another a dirge, | 20"Now, you women, hear the message from the LORD; listen to what he has to say! Teach your daughters how to mourn, let every woman teach her friend how to lament. |
| 21for Death has climbed through our windows; it has entered our fortresses, cutting off children from the streets, young men from the squares. | 21For death comes up through our windows; it has come into our palaces to eliminate children from the streets and young men from the town squares. |
| 22Speak as follows: This is what the LORD says: Human corpses will fall like manure on the surface of the field, like newly cut grain after the reaper with no one to gather it. | 22Speak! 'This is what the LORD says: "The corpses of people will fall like dung on the surface of the field, and like a row of cut grain behind the harvester when there is no one to gather it."'" |
| 23This is what the LORD says: The wise man must not boast in his wisdom; the strong man must not boast in his strength; the wealthy man must not boast in his wealth. | 23This is what the LORD says: "The wise man is not to boast in his wisdom; the strong man is not to boast in his strength; and the rich man is not to boast in his riches. |
| 24But the one who boasts should boast in this, that he understands and knows Me-- that I am Yahweh, showing faithful love, justice, and righteousness on the earth, for I delight in these things. This is the LORD's declaration. | 24Rather, let the one who boasts, boast in this: that he understands and knows me, for I am the LORD who acts with gracious love, justice, and righteousness in the land. I delight in these things," declares the LORD. |
| 25"The days are coming"--the LORD's declaration--"when I will punish all the circumcised yet uncircumcised: | 25"Look, days are coming," declares the LORD, "when I'll punish all who are circumcised only in the flesh: |
| 26Egypt, Judah, Edom, the Ammonites, Moab, and all the inhabitants of the desert who clip the hair on their temples. All these nations are uncircumcised, and the whole house of Israel is uncircumcised in heart." | 26Egypt, Judah, Edom, the people of Ammon, Moab, all those who live in the desert and shave the corners of their beard; indeed all the other nations that are uncircumcised, and all the house of Israel that is uncircumcised of heart." |
|
