“Oy to me! For I am ruined!
For I am a man of unclean lips,
and I am dwelling among a people of unclean lips.
For my eyes have seen the King, Adonai-Tzva’ot!”

“Behold, this has touched your lips.
Your iniquity is taken away, and your sins atoned for.”

“Whom should I send, and who will go for Us?”

“Go! Tell this people:
‘Hear without understanding,
and see without perceiving.’^[b]
10 Make the heart of this people fat,
their ears heavy, and their eyes blind.
Else they would see with their eyes,
    and hear with their ears,
    and understand with their heart,
    and return, and be healed.”^[c]

²⁴ “Seventy weeks^[a] are decreed concerning your people and your holy city,
to put an end to transgression
to bring sin to an end,
to atone for iniquity,
to bring in everlasting righteousness,
to seal up vision and prophecy,
and to anoint the Holy of Holies.

⁷ Awake, O sword, against My shepherd,
    against the man who is My companion!
It is a declaration of Adonai-Tzva’ot.
    Strike the shepherd
    and the sheep will be scattered!^[a]
    I will turn My hand against the little ones.
⁸ Then it will happen
    —it is a declaration of Adonai—
    that in the entire land
        two-thirds will be cut off and die,
        but a third will be left in it.
⁹ This third I will bring through the fire.
    I will refine them as silver is refined,
    and will test them as gold is tested.
    They will call on My Name
        and I will answer them.
    I will say, ‘They are My people,’
    and they will answer, ‘Adonai is my God.’^[b]

⁶ Therefore thus says Adonai-Tzva’ot:
    “I am about to refine them and test them.
    For what else can I do
        for the daughter of My people?
⁷ Their tongue is a deadly arrow,
    speaking deceit.
    With his mouth
    each says shalom to his neighbor,
    while inwardly setting a trap for him.
⁸ For such things shall I not punish them?”
It is a declaration of Adonai.
    “Should I not avenge Myself
        on such a nation as this?”

⁹ For the mountains I lift up weeping and wailing,
    a lament for the desert pastures.
    For they are so scorched
        that no one passes through—
        the lowing of cattle is not heard.
    The birds of the air have fled
        and the animals are gone.

¹⁰ “I will make Jerusalem a heap of ruins,
        a lair for jackals.
    I will make the cities of Judah
        a wasteland without inhabitant.
¹¹ Who is the one wise enough to understand this?
    To whom has the mouth of Adonai spoken
        that he may explain it?
    Why is the land ruined,
        laid waste like a wilderness,
        so that no one passes through?”

¹⁶ Thus says Adonai-Tzva’ot:
    “Pay attention! Call the dirge-singers and let them come.
    Send for the most skillful wailers and let them come!”
¹⁷ “Let them come quickly
        and lift up a wailing over us
    so our eyes may run down with tears
        and our eyelids gush with water.”
¹⁸ For a wailing voice is heard from Zion:
        “How we are ruined!
        We are utterly ashamed—
        we have forsaken the land,
        for they tore down our dwellings.”
¹⁹ Now, hear the word of Adonai, O women,
        let your ear receive the word of His mouth.
    Teach your daughters wailing
        and everyone her neighbor a dirge.
²⁰ For death has climbed through our windows.
    It has entered into our palaces
        to cut off children from the street
        and young men from the squares.”

²¹ “Say this,” declares Adonai.
    “The carcasses of men will lie
    like dung on the open field,
    like cut grain behind the reaper,
        with no one gathering them.”