“What troubles you,
    now that you’ve all gone up
        to the rooftops,
² you who are full of commotion,
    you passionate city,
        you rollicking town?
Your slain weren’t killed by the sword,
    nor are they dead in battle.
³ All your leaders have fled together;
    she is captured^[c] without using bows.
All of you who were caught were captured together,
although they had fled
        while the enemy was still^[d] far away.
⁴ Therefore I said:
    “Look away from me;
        and let me weep bitter tears;
don’t try to console^[e] me
    over the destruction of the daughter of my people.”^[f]
5 For to the Lord God of the Heavenly Armies
    belongs the day of tumult, trampling, and confusion
        in the Valley of Vision,^[g]
and the pulling down of his Temple on^[h] its mountain.
⁶ Elam takes up the quiver
    with chariots and cavalry,
        while Kir unsheathes the shield.
⁷ And it will come about^[i]
    that your choicest valleys will be filled with chariots,
        and horsemen will take their positions at the gates.
⁸ He has uncovered the defenses of Judah.”

¹² On that day the Lord God of the Heavenly Armies
    called for weeping and mourning,
        for shaving heads^[m] and wearing sackcloth.
¹³ But look!
    There is joy and festivity,
slaughtering of cattle
    and killing of sheep,
eating meat
    and drinking^[n] wine.
“Let us eat and drink, you say,
    because we die tomorrow.”

¹⁴ “Nevertheless, the Lord of the Heavenly Armies has revealed himself to my hearing:
‘“Surely because of you^[o]
    this iniquity will not be forgiven
        you until you die,’
says the Lord God of the Heavenly Armies.”