15 Therefore, this is what the Lord of heavenly forces, the God of Israel, says: I’m going to feed this people bitter food and give them poison to drink.
16 I will scatter them among nations about whom neither they nor their ancestors have ever heard. I will pursue them with the sword until all are gone.
17 The Lord of heavenly forces proclaims:Pay attention!Summon the women who mourn,let them come;send for those best trained,let them come.
18 Hurry!Let them weep for usso that our eyes fill up with tearsand water streams down.
19 The sound of sobbingis heard from Zion:"We’re devastated!We’re so ashamed!We have to leave the landand abandon our homes!"
20 Women, hear the Lord’s word. Listen closely to the wordfrom his mouth:teach your daughters to mourn;teach each other to grieve.
21 Death has climbed through our windows;it has entered our fortressesto eliminate children from the streets,the youth from the squares.