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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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The People Mourn in Judgment

17 Thus says the Lord of hosts:

“Consider and call for (A)the mourning women,
That they may come;
And send for skillful wailing women,
That they may come.
18 Let them make haste
And take up a wailing for us,
That (B)our eyes may run with tears,
And our eyelids gush with water.
19 For a voice of wailing is heard from Zion:
‘How we are plundered!
We are greatly ashamed,
Because we have forsaken the land,
Because we have been cast out of (C)our dwellings.’ ”

20 Yet hear the word of the Lord, O women,
And let your ear receive the word of His mouth;
Teach your daughters wailing,
And everyone her neighbor a lamentation.
21 For death has come through our windows,
Has entered our palaces,
To kill off (D)the children—[a]no longer to be outside!
And the young men—[b]no longer on the streets!

22 Speak, “Thus says the Lord:

‘Even the carcasses of men shall fall (E)as refuse on the open field,
Like cuttings after the harvester,
And no one shall gather them.’ ”

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Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 9:21 Lit. from outside
  2. Jeremiah 9:21 Lit. from the square