For my people have committed two evils: They have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water.

They lay hold on bow and spear. They are cruel, and have no mercy. Their voice roars like the sea, and they ride upon horses. Each one set in array, as a man to the battle, against thee, O daughter of Zion.

We have heard the report of it. Our hands grow feeble. Anguish has taken hold of us, [and] pangs as of a woman in travail.

Why then has this people of Jerusalem slid back by a perpetual backsliding? They hold firm deceit. They refuse to return.

For the hurt of the daughter of my people I am hurt. I mourn. Dismay has taken hold on me.

What will thou say when he shall set over thee as head those whom thou thyself have taught to be friends to thee? Shall not sorrows take hold of thee as of a woman in travail?

And it came to pass, when Jeremiah had made an end of speaking all that LORD had commanded him to speak to all the people, that the priests and the prophets and all the people laid hold on him, saying, Thou shall surely die.

And when he was in the gate of Benjamin, a captain of the ward was there, whose name was Irijah, the son of Shelemiah, the son of Hananiah. And he laid hold on Jeremiah the prophet, saying, Thou are falling away to the Chaldeans.

Then Jeremiah said, It is false. I am not falling away to the Chaldeans. But he did not hearken to him. So Irijah laid hold on Jeremiah, and brought him to the rulers.

As for thy formidableness, the pride of thy heart has deceived thee, O thou who dwells in the clefts of the rock, who holds the height of the hill. Though thou should make thy nest as high as the eagle, I will bring thee down from

Damascus has grown feeble. She turns herself to flee, and trembling has seized on her. Anguish and sorrows have taken hold of her, as of a woman in travail.

Thus says LORD of hosts: The sons of Israel and the sons of Judah are oppressed together, and all who took them captive hold them firm; they refuse to let them go.

They lay hold on bow and spear. They are cruel, and have no mercy. Their voice roars like the sea, and they ride upon horses, each one set in array, as a man to the battle, against thee, O daughter of Babylon.

The king of Babylon has heard the news of them, and his hands grow feeble. Anguish has taken hold of him, [and] pangs as of a woman in travail.

Make sharp the arrows. Hold firm the shields. LORD has stirred up the spirit of the kings of the Medes, because his purpose is against Babylon, to destroy it. For it is the vengeance of LORD, the vengeance of his temple.