17. The Lord commanded me to tell the people about my sorrow and to say:“May my eyes flow with tears day and night,may I never stop weeping,for my people are deeply woundedand are badly hurt.
18. When I go out into the fields,I see the bodies of men killed in war;when I go into the towns,I see people starving to death.Prophets and priests carry on their work,but they don't know what they are doing.”
19. Lord, have you completely rejected Judah?Do you hate the people of Zion?Why have you hurt us so badlythat we cannot be healed?We looked for peace, but nothing good happened;we hoped for healing, but terror came instead.
20. We have sinned against you, Lord;we confess our own sinsand the sins of our ancestors.