1 If only my head was a stream of waters and my eyes fountains of weeping, so that I might go on weeping day and night for the dead of the daughter of my people!
1 (a)(A)Oh that my head were watersAnd my eyes a fountain of tears,That I might weep day and nightFor the slain of the (B)daughter of my people!
1 Oh that my head were waters, and mine eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people!
1 (a)If my head were a spring of water,my eyes a fountain of tears,I would weep day and night(A)over the slain of my dear(b) 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.
2 If only I had in the waste land a night's resting-place for travellers, so that I might go away, far from my people! for they are all untrue, a band of false men.
2 (b)(C)Oh that I had in the desertA wayfarers’ lodging place;That I might leave my peopleAnd go from them!For all of them are (D)adulterers,An assembly of (E)treacherous men.
2 Oh that I had in the wilderness a lodging place of wayfaring men; that I might leave my people, and go from them! for they be all adulterers, an assembly of treacherous men.
2 (c)If only I had a traveler’s lodging placein the wilderness,I would abandon my peopleand depart from them,for they are all adulterers,(B)a solemn assembly of treacherous people.(C)
2 Oh, 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.
3 Their tongues are bent like a bow to send out false words: they have become strong in the land, but not for good faith: they go on from evil to evil, and they have no knowledge of me, says the Lord.
3 “They (F)bend their tongue like their bow;Lies and not truth prevail in the land;For they (G)proceed from evil to evil,And they (H)do not know Me,” declares the Lord.
3 And they bend their tongues like their bow for lies: but they are not valiant for the truth upon the earth; for they proceed from evil to evil, and they know not me, saith the LORD.
3 They 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.(D)This is the Lord’s declaration.
3 They 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.
4 Let everyone keep watch on his neighbour, and put no faith in any brother: for every brother will certainly be tricking his brother, and every neighbour will go about saying evil.
4 “Let everyone (I)be on guard against his neighbor,And (J)do not trust any brother;Because every (K)brother deals (c)craftily,And every neighbor (L)goes about as a slanderer.
4 Take ye heed every one of his neighbour, and trust ye not in any brother: for every brother will utterly supplant, and every neighbour will walk with slanders.
4 Everyone has to be on guard against his friend.Don’t trust any brother,for every brother will certainly deceive,and every friend spread slander.(E)
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.
5 Everyone will make sport of his neighbour with deceit, not saying what is true: their tongues have been trained to say false words; they are twisted, hating to come back.
5 “Everyone (M)deceives his neighborAnd does not speak the truth,They have taught their tongue to speak lies;They (N)weary themselves committing iniquity.
5 And they will deceive every one his neighbour, and will not speak the truth: they have taught their tongue to speak lies, and weary themselves to commit iniquity.
5 Each one betrays his friend;no one tells the truth.They have taught their tongues to speak lies;they wear themselves out doing wrong.
5 People deceive their friends, and they don't tell the truth. They have taught their tongues to tell lies. They exhaust themselves practicing evil.
6 There is wrong on wrong, deceit on deceit; they have given up the knowledge of me, says the Lord.
6 “Your (O)dwelling is in the midst of deceit;Through deceit they (P)refuse to know Me,” declares the Lord.
6 Thine habitation is in the midst of deceit; through deceit they refuse to know me, saith the LORD.
6 You live in a world of deception.(d)In their deception they refuse to know Me.(F)This is the Lord’s declaration.
6 You yourself live in the midst of deception, and because they are deceived they do not know me," declares the LORD.
7 So the Lord of armies has said, See, I will make them soft in the fire and put them to the test; this I will do because of their evil-doing.
7 Therefore thus says the Lord of hosts,“Behold, I will refine them and (Q)assay them;For (R)what else can I do, because of the daughter of My people?
7 Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts, Behold, I will melt them, and try them; for how shall I do for the daughter of my people?
7 Therefore, this is what the Lord of Hosts says:I am about to refine them and test them,(G)for what else can I dobecause of My dear(e) people?(f)
7 Therefore, 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?
8 His tongue is an arrow causing death; the words of his mouth are deceit: he says words of peace to his neighbour, but in his heart he is waiting secretly for him.
8 “Their (S)tongue is a deadly arrow;It speaks deceit;With his mouth one (T)speaks peace to his neighbor,But inwardly he (U)sets an ambush for him.
8 Their tongue is as an arrow shot out; it speaketh deceit: one speaketh peaceably to his neighbour with his mouth, but in heart he layeth his wait.
8 Their tongues are deadly arrows—they speak deception.(H)With his moutha man speaks peaceably with his friend,but inwardly he sets up an ambush.
8 Their 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.
9 Am I not to send punishment for these things? says the Lord: will not my soul take payment from such a nation as this?
9 “(V)Shall I not punish them for these things?” declares the Lord.“On a nation such as thisShall I not avenge Myself?
9 Shall I not visit them for these things? saith the LORD: shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this?
9 Should I not punish them for these things?This is the Lord’s declaration.Should I not avenge Myself(I)on such a nation as this?
9 Should I not punish them for these things?" asks the LORD, "and should I not avenge myself on a nation like this?"
10 Give yourselves to weeping, crying out in sorrow for the mountains; and for the fields of the waste land send up a song of grief, because they are burned up, so that no one goes through; there is no sound of cattle; the bird of the heavens and the beast are in flight and are gone.
10 “For the (W)mountains I will take up a weeping and wailing,And for the pastures of the (X)wilderness a dirge,Because they are (Y)laid waste so that no one passes through,And the lowing of the cattle is not heard;Both the (Z)birds of the sky and the beasts have fled; they are gone.
10 For the mountains will I take up a weeping and wailing, and for the habitations of the wilderness a lamentation, because they are burned up, so that none can pass through them; neither can men hear the voice of the cattle; both the fowl of the heavens and the beast are fled; they are gone.
10 I will raise weeping and a lamentover the mountains,a dirge over the wilderness grazing land,for they have been so scorchedthat no one passes through.The sound of cattle is no longer heard.From the birds of the sky to the animals,(J)everything has fled—they have gone away.
10 I'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!
11 And I will make Jerusalem a mass of broken stones, the living-place of jackals; and I will make the towns of Judah a waste, with no man living there.
11 “I will make Jerusalem a (AA)heap of ruins,A haunt of (AB)jackals;And I will make the cities of Judah a (AC)desolation, without inhabitant.”
11 And I will make Jerusalem heaps, and a den of dragons; and I will make the cities of Judah desolate, without an inhabitant.
11 I will make Jerusalem a heap of rubble,(K)a jackals’ den.(L)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."
12 Who is the wise man able to see this? who is he to whom the word of the Lord has come, so that he may make it clear? why is the land given to destruction and burned up like a waste place, so that no one goes through?
12 Who is the (AD)wise man that may understand this? And who is he to whom (AE)the mouth of the Lord has spoken, that he may declare it? (AF)Why is the land ruined, laid waste like a desert, so that no one passes through?
12 Who is the wise man, that may understand this? and who is he to whom the mouth of the LORD hath spoken, that he may declare it, for what the land perisheth and is burned up like a wilderness, that none passeth through?
12 Who is the man wise enough to understand this?(M) 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?
12 Who 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?
13 And the Lord said, Because they have given up my law which I put before them, giving no attention to my voice and not being guided by it;
13 The Lord said, “Because they have (AG)forsaken My law which I set before them, and have not obeyed My voice nor walked according to it,
13 And the LORD saith, Because they have forsaken my law which I set before them, and have not obeyed my voice, neither walked therein;
13 The Lord said, “It is because they abandoned My instruction(N) that I set in front of them and did not obey My voice or walk according to it.
13 The 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.
14 But they have been walking in the pride of their hearts, going after the Baals, as their fathers gave them teaching.
14 but have (AH)walked after the stubbornness of their heart and after the (AI)Baals, as their (AJ)fathers taught them,”
14 But have walked after the imagination of their own heart, and after Baalim, which their fathers taught them:
14 Instead, they followed the stubbornness of their hearts(O) and followed after the Baals as their fathers taught them.”(P)
14 Instead, they followed their rebellious hearts and the Baals, as their ancestors taught them."
15 So the Lord of armies, the God of Israel, has said, I will give them, even this people, bitter plants for food and bitter water for drink.
15 therefore thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, “behold, (AK)I will feed them, this people, with wormwood and give them (AL)poisoned water to drink.
15 Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will feed them, even this people, with wormwood, and give them water of gall to drink.
15 Therefore, this is what the Lord of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: “I am about to feed this people wormwood(Q) and give them poisonous water to drink.(R)
15 Therefore, 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.
16 And I will send them wandering among the nations, among people strange to them and to their fathers: and I will send the sword after them till I have put an end to them.
16 I will (AM)scatter them among the nations, whom neither they nor their fathers have known; and I will send the (AN)sword after them until I have annihilated them.”
16 I will scatter them also among the heathen, whom neither they nor their fathers have known: and I will send a sword after them, till I have consumed them.
16 I will scatter them among the nations(S) that they and their fathers have not known. I will send a sword after them until I have finished them off.”
16 I'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."
17 This is what the Lord of armies has said: Take thought and send for the weeping women, so that they may come; and send for the wise women, so that they may come:
17 Thus says the Lord of hosts,“Consider and call for the (AO)mourning women, that they may come;And send for the (d)(AP)wailing women, that they may come!
17 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, Consider ye, and call for the mourning women, that they may come; and send for cunning women, that they may come:
17 This is what the Lord of Hosts says:Consider, and summon the women who mourn;(T)send for the skillful women.
17 This 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.
18 Let them quickly make cries of sorrow for us, so that drops may be flowing from our eyes till they are streaming with water.
18 “Let them make haste and take up a wailing for us,That our (AQ)eyes may shed tearsAnd our eyelids flow with water.
18 And let them make haste, and take up a wailing for us, that our eyes may run down with tears, and our eyelids gush out with waters.
18 Let them come quickly to raise a lament over usso that our eyes may overflow with tears,our eyelids soaked with weeping.
18 Let them hurry and lament for us. Let tears run down from our eyes, and let our eyelids flow with water.
19 For a sound of weeping goes up from Zion, a cry, How has destruction come on us? we are overcome with shame because we have gone away from our land; he has sent us out from our house.
19 “For a voice of (AR)wailing is heard from Zion,‘(AS)How are we ruined!We are put to great shame,For we have (AT)left the land,Because they have cast down our dwellings.’”
19 For a voice of wailing is heard out of Zion, How are we spoiled! we are greatly confounded, because we have forsaken the land, because our dwellings have cast us out.
19 For a sound of lamentation is heard from Zion:How devastated we are.We are greatly ashamed,(U)for we have abandoned the land;our dwellings have been torn down.
19 For 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.'"
20 But even now, give ear to the word of the Lord, O you women; let your ears be open to the word of his mouth, training your daughters to give cries of sorrow, everyone teaching her neighbour a song of grief.
20 Now hear the word of the Lord, O you (AU)women,And let your ear receive the word of His mouth;Teach your daughters wailing,And everyone her neighbor a dirge.
20 Yet hear the word of the LORD, O ye women, and let your ear receive the word of his mouth, and teach your daughters wailing, and every one her neighbour lamentation.
20 Now hear the word of the Lord, you women.Pay attention to(g) the word of His mouth.Teach your daughters a lamentand 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.
21 For death has come up into our windows, forcing its way into our great houses; cutting off the children in the streets and the young men in the wide places.
21 For (AV)death has come up through our windows;It has entered our palacesTo cut off the (AW)children from the streets,The young men from the town squares.
21 For death is come up into our windows, and is entered into our palaces, to cut off the children from without, and the young men from the streets.
21 for Death(V) has climbed through our windows;it has entered our fortresses,cutting off children from the streets,young men from the squares.
21 For 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.
22 The bodies of men will be falling like waste on the open fields, and like grain dropped by the grain-cutter, and no one will take them up.
22 Speak, “Thus says the Lord,‘The corpses of men will fall (AX)like dung on the open field,And like the sheaf after the reaper,But no one will gather them.’”
22 Speak, Thus saith the LORD, Even the carcases of men shall fall as dung upon the open field, and as the handful after the harvestman, and none shall gather them.
22 Speak as follows:This is what the Lord says:Human corpses will falllike manure on the surface of the field,like newly cut grain(W) after the reaperwith no one to gather it.
22 Speak! "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."'"
23 This is the word of the Lord: Let not the wise man take pride in his wisdom, or the strong man in his strength, or the man of wealth in his wealth:
23 Thus says the Lord, “(AY)Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the (AZ)mighty man boast of his might, let not a (BA)rich man boast of his riches;
23 Thus saith the LORD, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches:
23 This 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.
23 This 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.
24 But if any man has pride, let it be in this, that he has the wisdom to have knowledge of me, that I am the Lord, working mercy, giving true decisions, and doing righteousness in the earth: for in these things I have delight, says the Lord.
24 but let him who boasts (BB)boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord who (BC)exercises lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on earth; for I (BD)delight in these things,” declares the Lord.
24 But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD.
24 But the one who boasts should boast in this,that he understands and knows Me(X)—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.
24 Rather, 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 See, the day is coming, says the Lord, when I will send punishment on all those who have circumcision in the flesh;
25 “Behold, the days are coming,” declares the Lord, “that I will punish all who are circumcised and yet (BE)uncircumcised—
25 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will punish all them which are circumcised with the uncircumcised;
25 “The days are coming”—the Lord’s declaration—“when I will punish all the circumcised yet uncircumcised:(Y)
25 "Look, days are coming," declares the LORD, "when I'll punish all who are circumcised only in the flesh:
26 On Egypt and on Judah and on Edom and on the children of Ammon and on Moab and on all who have the ends of their hair cut, who are living in the waste land: for all these nations and all the people of Israel are without circumcision in their hearts.
26 Egypt and Judah, and Edom and the sons of Ammon, and Moab and (BF)all those inhabiting the desert who clip the hair on their temples; for all the nations are uncircumcised, and all the house of Israel are (BG)uncircumcised of heart.”
26 Egypt, and Judah, and Edom, and the children of Ammon, and Moab, and all that are in the utmost corners, that dwell in the wilderness: for all these nations are uncircumcised, and all the house of Israel are uncircumcised in the heart.
26 Egypt, Judah, Edom, the Ammonites, Moab, and all the inhabitants of the desert who clip the hair on their temples.(h) All these nations are uncircumcised, and the whole house of Israel is uncircumcised in heart.”(Z)
26 Egypt, 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."
Basic English, produced by Mr C. K. Ogden of the Orthological Institute - public domain
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