(KJV) Jeremiah 9¹

⥃A Lament over Zion

[1] Oh that my head were waters, and mine eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep² day and night for the slain of the daughter³ of my people!⁴ [2] Oh that I had⁵ in the wilderness a lodging place of wayfaring men; that I might leave my people, and go from them! for⁶ they [be] all adulterers, an assembly⁷ of treacherous men. [3] And they bend⁸ their tongues [like] their bow [for] lies: but they are not valiant⁹ for the truth upon the earth; for they¹⁰ proceed from evil to evil, and they know¹¹ not me, saith the Lord. [4] Take ye heed¹² every one of his neighbour¹³, and trust ye not in any brother: for every brother¹⁴ will utterly supplant, and every neighbour will walk¹⁵ with slanders. [5] And they will¹⁶ deceive¹⁷ every one his neighbour, and will not speak the truth: they have taught¹⁸ their tongue to speak lies, [and] weary¹⁹ themselves to commit iniquity. [6] Thine habitation²⁰ [is] in the midst of deceit; through deceit they refuse²¹ to know me, saith the Lord. [7] Therefore thus saith the Lord of hosts, Behold, I will²² melt them, and try them; for how shall²³ I do for the daughter of my people? [8] Their tongue²⁴ [is as] an arrow shot out; it speaketh deceit: [one²⁵] speaketh peaceably to his neighbour with his mouth, but in heart²⁶ he layeth his wait²⁷.

[9] [¶]Shall I not visit them for these [things]? saith the Lord: shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this?²⁸ [10] For the mountains²⁹ will I take up a weeping and wailing, and for the habitations³⁰ of the wilderness a lamentation, because³¹ they are burned up³², so³³ that none can pass through [them]; neither can [men] hear the voice of the cattle; both³⁴ the fowl of the heavens and the beast are fled; they are gone. [11] And I will make Jerusalem³⁵ heaps, [and] a den³⁶ of dragons; and I will make the cities³⁷ of Judah desolate³⁸, without an inhabitant.

[12] Who [is] the wise³⁹ man, that may understand this? and [who is he] to whom the mouth of the Lord hath spoken, that he may declare it, for⁴⁰ what the land perisheth [and] is burned up like a wilderness, that none passeth through? [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;⁴¹ [14] But have walked⁴² after the imagination⁴³ of their own heart, and after Baalim, which⁴⁴ their fathers taught them: [15] Therefore thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will⁴⁵ feed them, [even] this people, with wormwood, and give them water of gall to drink. [16] I will scatter⁴⁶ them also among the heathen, whom neither they nor their fathers have known: and I⁴⁷ will send a sword after them, till I have consumed them.

[17] [¶]Thus saith the Lord of hosts, Consider ye, and call⁴⁸ for the mourning women⁴⁹, that they may come; and send for cunning [women], that they may come: [18] And let them make haste, and take⁵⁰ up a wailing for us, that our eyes⁵¹ may run down with tears, and our eyelids gush out with waters. [19] For a voice⁵² of wailing is heard out of Zion, How are we spoiled! we are⁵³ greatly confounded, because we have forsaken the land, because our⁵⁴ dwellings have cast [us] out. [20] Yet hear⁵⁵ the word of the Lord, O ye women, and let your ear receive⁵⁶ the word of his mouth, and teach⁵⁷ your daughters wailing, and every one her neighbour lamentation. [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.⁵⁸ [22] Speak, Thus saith the Lord, Even the carcases of men shall fall⁵⁹ as dung upon the open field, and as the handful after the harvestman, and none shall gather [them].

[23] Thus saith the Lord, Let not the wise⁶⁰ [man] glory in his wisdom, neither⁶¹ let the mighty [man] glory in his might, let not the rich⁶² [man] glory in his riches: [24] But let him⁶³ that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth⁶⁴ me, that I [am] the Lord which exercise lovingkindness⁶⁵, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for⁶⁶ in these [things] I delight, saith the Lord.

[25] [¶]Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that⁶⁷ I will punish⁶⁸ all [them which are] circumcised with the uncircumcised; [26] Egypt⁶⁹, and Judah⁷⁰, and Edom, and the children of Ammon, and Moab, and all [that are] in the utmost corners⁷¹, that dwell in the wilderness: for all [these] nations [are] uncircumcised, and all the house of Israel [are] uncircumcised in⁷² the heart.