¹⁸ Say to the king^(Y) and to the queen mother,^(Z)
    “Come down from your thrones,
for your glorious crowns^(AA)
    will fall from your heads.”
¹⁹ The cities in the Negev will be shut up,
    and there will be no one to open them.
All Judah^(AB) will be carried into exile,
    carried completely away.

²⁰ Look up and see
    those who are coming from the north.^(AC)
Where is the flock^(AD) that was entrusted to you,
    the sheep of which you boasted?
²¹ What will you say when the Lord sets over you
    those you cultivated as your special allies?^(AE)
Will not pain grip you
    like that of a woman in labor?^(AF)
22 And if you ask yourself,
    “Why has this happened to me?”^(AG)—
it is because of your many sins^(AH)
    that your skirts have been torn off^(AI)
    and your body mistreated.^(AJ)
23 Can an Ethiopian^[b] change his skin
    or a leopard its spots?
Neither can you do good
    who are accustomed to doing evil.^(AK)

²⁴ “I will scatter you like chaff^(AL)
    driven by the desert wind.^(AM)
25 This is your lot,
    the portion^(AN) I have decreed for you,”
declares the Lord,
“because you have forgotten^(AO) me
    and trusted in false gods.^(AP)
26 I will pull up your skirts over your face
    that your shame may be seen^(AQ)—
²⁷ your adulteries and lustful neighings,
    your shameless prostitution!^(AR)
I have seen your detestable acts
    on the hills and in the fields.^(AS)
Woe to you, Jerusalem!
    How long will you be unclean?”^(AT)

² “Judah mourns,^(AV)
    her cities languish;
they wail for the land,
    and a cry goes up from Jerusalem.
³ The nobles send their servants for water;
    they go to the cisterns
    but find no water.^(AW)
They return with their jars unfilled;
    dismayed and despairing,
    they cover their heads.^(AX)
4 The ground is cracked
    because there is no rain in the land;^(AY)
the farmers are dismayed
    and cover their heads.
⁵ Even the doe in the field
    deserts her newborn fawn
    because there is no grass.^(AZ)
6 Wild donkeys stand on the barren heights^(BA)
    and pant like jackals;
their eyes fail
    for lack of food.”^(BB)

⁷ Although our sins testify^(BC) against us,
    do something, Lord, for the sake of your name.^(BD)
For we have often rebelled;^(BE)
    we have sinned^(BF) against you.
⁸ You who are the hope^(BG) of Israel,
    its Savior^(BH) in times of distress,^(BI)
why are you like a stranger in the land,
    like a traveler who stays only a night?
⁹ Why are you like a man taken by surprise,
    like a warrior powerless to save?^(BJ)
You are among^(BK) us, Lord,
    and we bear your name;^(BL)
    do not forsake^(BM) us!

“They greatly love to wander;
    they do not restrain their feet.^(BN)
So the Lord does not accept^(BO) them;
    he will now remember^(BP) their wickedness
    and punish them for their sins.”^(BQ)

“‘Let my eyes overflow with tears^(CL)
    night and day without ceasing;
for the Virgin^(CM) Daughter, my people,
    has suffered a grievous wound,
    a crushing blow.^(CN)
18 If I go into the country,
    I see those slain by the sword;
if I go into the city,
    I see the ravages of famine.^(CO)
Both prophet and priest
    have gone to a land they know not.^(CP)’”

¹⁹ Have you rejected Judah completely?^(CQ)
    Do you despise Zion?
Why have you afflicted us
    so that we cannot be healed?^(CR)
We hoped for peace
    but no good has come,
for a time of healing
    but there is only terror.^(CS)
20 We acknowledge^(CT) our wickedness, Lord,
    and the guilt of our ancestors;^(CU)
    we have indeed sinned^(CV) against you.
²¹ For the sake of your name^(CW) do not despise us;
    do not dishonor your glorious throne.^(CX)
Remember your covenant^(CY) with us
    and do not break it.
²² Do any of the worthless idols^(CZ) of the nations bring rain?^(DA)
    Do the skies themselves send down showers?
No, it is you, Lord our God.
    Therefore our hope is in you,
    for you are the one who does all this.^(DB)

“‘Those destined for death, to death;
those for the sword, to the sword;^(DG)
those for starvation, to starvation;^(DH)
those for captivity, to captivity.’^(DI)

⁵ “Who will have pity^(DR) on you, Jerusalem?
    Who will mourn for you?
    Who will stop to ask how you are?
⁶ You have rejected^(DS) me,” declares the Lord.
    “You keep on backsliding.
So I will reach out^(DT) and destroy you;
    I am tired of holding back.^(DU)
7 I will winnow^(DV) them with a winnowing fork
    at the city gates of the land.
I will bring bereavement^(DW) and destruction on my people,^(DX)
    for they have not changed their ways.^(DY)
8 I will make their widows^(DZ) more numerous
    than the sand of the sea.
At midday I will bring a destroyer^(EA)
    against the mothers of their young men;
suddenly I will bring down on them
    anguish and terror.^(EB)
9 The mother of seven will grow faint^(EC)
    and breathe her last.^(ED)
Her sun will set while it is still day;
    she will be disgraced^(EE) and humiliated.
I will put the survivors to the sword^(EF)
    before their enemies,”^(EG)
declares the Lord.

¹⁰ Alas, my mother, that you gave me birth,^(EH)
    a man with whom the whole land strives and contends!^(EI)
I have neither lent^(EJ) nor borrowed,
    yet everyone curses^(EK) me.

“Surely I will deliver you^(EL) for a good purpose;
    surely I will make your enemies plead^(EM) with you
    in times of disaster and times of distress.

¹² “Can a man break iron—
    iron from the north^(EN)—or bronze?

¹³ “Your wealth^(EO) and your treasures
    I will give as plunder,^(EP) without charge,^(EQ)
because of all your sins
    throughout your country.^(ER)
14 I will enslave you to your enemies
    in^[d] a land you do not know,^(ES)
for my anger will kindle a fire^(ET)
    that will burn against you.”

¹⁵ Lord, you understand;
    remember me and care for me.
    Avenge me on my persecutors.^(EU)
You are long-suffering^(EV)—do not take me away;
    think of how I suffer reproach for your sake.^(EW)
16 When your words came, I ate^(EX) them;
    they were my joy and my heart’s delight,^(EY)
for I bear your name,^(EZ)
    Lord God Almighty.
¹⁷ I never sat^(FA) in the company of revelers,
    never made merry with them;
I sat alone because your hand^(FB) was on me
    and you had filled me with indignation.
¹⁸ Why is my pain unending
    and my wound grievous and incurable?^(FC)
You are to me like a deceptive brook,
    like a spring that fails.^(FD)

“If you repent, I will restore you
    that you may serve^(FE) me;
if you utter worthy, not worthless, words,
    you will be my spokesman.^(FF)
Let this people turn to you,
    but you must not turn to them.
²⁰ I will make you a wall^(FG) to this people,
    a fortified wall of bronze;
they will fight against you
    but will not overcome^(FH) you,
for I am with you
    to rescue and save you,”^(FI)
declares the Lord.
²¹ “I will save^(FJ) you from the hands of the wicked^(FK)
    and deliver^(FL) you from the grasp of the cruel.”^(FM)