Jeremiah 9:1-11

English Standard Version

9 ^[a] ^(A)Oh that my head were waters,
    and my eyes a fountain of tears,
that I might weep day and night
    for the slain of ^(B)the daughter of my people!
²^[b] Oh that I had in the desert
    a travelers' lodging place,
that I might leave my people
    and go away from them!
For they are all ^(C)adulterers,
    a company of ^(D)treacherous men.
³^(E)They bend their tongue like a bow;
    falsehood and not truth has grown strong^[c] in the land;
for they proceed from evil to evil,
    ^(F)and they do not know me, declares the Lord.

⁴^(G)Let everyone beware of his neighbor,
    and put no trust in any brother,
for every ^(H)brother is a deceiver,
    and every neighbor ^(I)goes about as a slanderer.
⁵Everyone deceives his neighbor,
    and no one speaks the truth;
they have taught their tongue to speak lies;
    they weary themselves committing iniquity.
⁶Heaping oppression upon oppression, and deceit upon deceit,
    ^(J)they refuse to know me, declares the Lord.

⁷Therefore thus says the Lord of hosts:
“Behold, ^(K)I will refine them and ^(L)test them,
    for what else can I do, ^(M)because of my people?
⁸^(N)Their tongue is a deadly arrow;
    ^(O)it speaks deceitfully;
with his mouth ^(P)each speaks peace to his neighbor,
    but in his heart ^(Q)he plans an ambush for him.
⁹^(R)Shall I not punish them for these things? declares the Lord,
    and shall I not avenge myself
    on a nation such as this?

¹⁰“I will take up weeping and wailing for the mountains,
    and a lamentation for ^(S)the pastures of the wilderness,
^(T)because they are laid waste so that no one passes through,
    and the lowing of cattle is not heard;
^(U)both the birds of the air and the beasts
    have fled and are gone.
¹¹^(V)I will make Jerusalem a heap of ruins,
    ^(W)a lair of jackals,
^(X)and I will make the cities of Judah a desolation,
    without inhabitant.”