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17 Yahweh of Armies says,

“Consider, and call for the mourning women, that they may come.
    Send for the skillful women, that they may come.
18 Let them make haste
    and take up a wailing for us,
that our eyes may run down with tears
    and our eyelids gush out with waters.
19 For a voice of wailing is heard out of Zion,
    ‘How we are ruined!
We are greatly confounded
    because we have forsaken the land,
    because they have cast down our dwellings.’”

20 Yet hear Yahweh’s word, you women.
    Let your ear receive the word of his mouth.
Teach your daughters wailing.
    Everyone teach her neighbor a lamentation.
21 For death has come up into our windows.
    It has entered into our palaces
to cut off the children from outside,
    and the young men from the streets.

22 Speak, “Yahweh says,

“‘The dead bodies of men will fall as dung on the open field,
    and as the handful after the harvester.
    No one will gather them.’”

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17 This is what the Lord of armies says:

“Consider and call for the (A)mourning women, that they may come;
And send for the [a](B)skillful women, that they may come!
18 Have them hurry and take up a wailing for us,
So that our (C)eyes may shed tears,
And our eyelids flow with water.
19 For a voice of (D)wailing is heard from Zion:
(E)How devastated we are!
We are put to great shame,
For we have (F)abandoned the land
Because they have torn down our homes.’”
20 Now hear the word of the Lord, you (G)women,
And let your ears receive the word of His mouth;
Teach your daughters wailing,
And have every woman teach her neighbor a song of mourning.
21 For (H)death has come up through our windows;
It has entered our palaces
To eliminate the (I)children from the streets,
The young men from the public squares.
22 Speak, “This is what the Lord says:
‘The corpses of people will fall (J)like dung on the open field,
And like the sheaf after the reaper,
But no one will gather them.’”

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Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 9:17 I.e., professional mourners