1 I wish that my eyeswere fountains of tears,so I could cry day and nightfor my peoplewho were killed.
2 I wish I could go into the desertand find a hiding placefrom all who are treacherousand unfaithful to God.
3 The Lord replied:Lies come from the mouthsof my people,like arrows from a bow.With each dishonest deedtheir power increases,and not one of them will admitthat I am God.
4 Jeremiah, all your friendsand relativestell lies about you,so don't trust them.
5 They wear themselves out,always looking for a new wayto cheat their friends.
6 Everyone takes advantageof everyone else,and no one will admitthat I am God.
7 And so I will purifythe hearts of my peoplejust as gold is purifiedin a furnace.I have no other choice.
8 They say they want peace,but this lie is deadly,like an arrow that strikeswhen you least expect it.
9 Give me one good reasonnot to punish themas they deserve.I, the Lord All-Powerful,have spoken.
10 I weep for the pasturelandin the hill country.It's so barren and scorchedthat no one travels there.No cattle can be found there,and birds and wild animalshave all disappeared.
11 I heard the Lord reply,“When I am finished,Jerusalem and the towns of Judahwill be piles of ruinswhere only jackals live.”
12 I said to the Lord, “None of us can understand why the land has become like an uncrossable desert. Won't you explain why?”
13 The Lord said:I destroyed the land because the people disobeyed me and rejected my laws and teachings.
14 They were stubborn and worshiped Baal, just as their ancestors did.
15 So I, the Lord All-Powerful, the God of Israel, promise them poison to eat and drink.
16 I'll scatter them in foreign countries that they and their ancestors have never even heard of. Finally, I will send enemy soldiers to kill every last one of them.
17 The Lord All-Powerful said,“Make arrangements nowfor the women who are paidto weep at funerals,especially the womenwho can cry the loudest.”
18 The people answered,“Let them come quicklyand cry for us,until our own eyesare flooded with tears.
19 Now those of us on Zion cry,‘We are ruined!We can't stand the shame.Our homes have been destroyed,and we must leave our land.’
20 “We ask you womento pay attentionto what the Lord says.We will teach you a funeral songthat you can teachyour daughters and friends:
21 ‘We were in our fortress,but death sneaked inthrough our windows.It even struck downchildren at playand our strongest young men.’
22 “The Lord has told usthe ground will be coveredwith dead bodies,like ungathered stalks of grainor manure in a field.”
23 The Lord says:Don't brag about your wisdomor strength or wealth.
24 If you feel you must brag,then have enough senseto brag about worshiping me,the Lord.What I like bestis showing kindness,justice, and mercyto everyone on earth.
25-26 Someday I will punish the nations of Egypt, Edom, Ammon, and Moab, and the tribes of the desert. The men of these nations are circumcised, but they don't worship me. And it's the same with you people of Judah. Your bodies are circumcised, but your hearts are unchanged.