Jeremiah 9

1Who will give water to my head, and a fountain of tears to my eyes? then would I weep forthis my people day and night,even for the slain of the daughter of my people. 2Who would give me a most distant lodge in the wilderness, that I might leave my people,and depart from them? for they all commit adultery, an assembly of treacherous men. 3And they have bent their tongue like a bow: falsehood and not faithfulness has prevailedupon the earth; for they have gone on from evil to evil, and have not known me, says the Lord. 4Beware you⌃ each of his neighbor, and trust you⌃ not in your brethren: for every one willsurely supplant, and every friend will walk craftily. 5Every one will mock his friend; they will not speak truth: their tongue has learned tospeak falsehoods; they have committed iniquity, they ceased not, so as to return. 6There is usury upon usury, and deceit upon deceit: they would not know me, says the Lord. 7Therefore thus says the Lord, Behold, I will try them with fire, and prove them; for Iwill dothus because of the wickedness of the daughter of my people. 8Their tongue is a wounding arrow; the words of their mouth are deceitful:one speaks peaceably to his neighbor, but in himself retains enmity. 9Shall I not visit for these things? says the Lord: and shall not my soul be avenged onsuch a people as this? 10Take up a lamentation for the mountains, and a mournful dirge for the paths of the wilderness,for they are desolate for lack of men; they heard not the sound of life from the birds of the sky, northe cattle: they were amazed, they are gone. 11And I will remove the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and make it a dwelling-place of dragons;and I will utterly waste the cities of Juda, so that they shall not be inhabited. 12Who is the wise man, that he may understand this? and he that has the word of the mouthof the Lordaddressed to him, let him tell you wherefore the land has been destroyed, has been ravagedby fire like a desert, so that no one passes through it. 13And the Lord said to me, Because they have forsaken my law, which I set before them,and have not hearkened to my voice; 14but went after the lusts of their evil heart, and after the idols which their fatherstaught themto worship: 15therefore thus says the Lord God of Israel, Behold, I will feed them with trouble andwill cause them to drink water of gall: 16and I will scatter them among the nations, to them whom neither they nor their fathersknew; and I will send a sword upon them, until I have consumed them with it. 17Thus says the Lord, Call you⌃ the mourning women, and let them come; and send to thewise women, and let them utter their voice; 18and let them take up a lamentation for you, and let your eyes pour down tears, and youreyelids drop water. 19For a voice of lamentation has been heard in Sion, How are we become wretched! we aregreatly ashamed, for we have forsaken the land, and have abandoned our tabernacles! 20Hear now, you⌃ women, the word of God, and let your ears receive the words of his mouth,and teach your daughters lamentation, andevery woman her neighbor a dirge. 21For death has come up through your windows, it has entered into our land, to destroythe infants without, and the young men from the streets. 22And the carcases of the men shall be for an example on the face of the field of yourland, like grass after the mower, and there shall be none to gatherthem. 23Thus says the Lord, Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, and let not the strongman boast in his strength, and let not the rich man boast in his wealth; 24but let him that boasts boast in this, the understanding and knowing that I am the Lordthat exercise mercy, and judgment, and righteousness, upon the earth; for in these things is my pleasure,says the Lord. 25Behold, the days come, says the Lord, when I will visit upon all the circumcised theiruncircumcision; 26on Egypt, and on Idumea, and on Edom, and on the children of Ammon, and on the childrenof Moab, and on every one that shaves his face round about,even them that dwell in the wilderness; for all the Gentiles are uncircumcised in flesh, andall the house of Israel are uncircumcisedin their hearts.

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