12. What man is wise enough to understand these things? Is there someone who has been taught by the Lord who can explain them? Why was the land ruined? Why has it been made like an empty desert where no one goes?
13. The Lord answered, “It is because Judah quit following my teachings that I gave them. They have not obeyed me. They have not done what I told them to do.
14. Instead, the people of Judah were stubborn. They followed the false god Baal. Their fathers taught them to do this!”
15. So this is what the Lord of heaven’s armies, God of Israel, says: “I will soon make the people of Judah eat bitter food. I will make them drink poisoned water.
16. I will scatter them through other nations. They will live in strange nations that they and their ancestors never knew about. I will chase the people of Judah with the sword until they are all killed.”
17. This is what the Lord of heaven’s armies says:“Now, think about these things!Call for the women who cry at funerals.Send for those women who are good at that job.
18. Let them come quicklyand cry loudly for us.Then our eyes will fill with tears.And streams of water will come out of our eyes.
19. The sound of loud crying is heard from Jerusalem:‘We are truly ruined!We are truly ashamed!We must leave our land,because our houses are in ruins.’”
20. Now, women of Judah, listen to the word of the Lord.Open your ears to hear the words of his mouth.Teach your daughters how to cry loudly.Teach one another a funeral song!
21. Death has climbed in through our windows.It has entered our strong cities.Death has taken away our children who play in the streets.It has taken the young men who meet in the city squares.
22. Say, “This is what the Lord says:‘The dead bodies of men will liein the open field like dung.They will lie on the ground like grain a farmer has cut.But there will be no one to gather them.’”
23. This is what the Lord says:“Wise men must not brag about their wisdom.Strong men must not brag about their strength.Rich men must not brag about their money.
24. But if someone wants to brag, let him brag about this:Let him brag that he understands and knows me.Let him brag that I am the Lord.Let him brag that I am kind and fair.Let him brag that I do things that are right on earth.This kind of bragging pleases me,” says the Lord.
25. The Lord says, “The time is coming when I will punish all those who are circumcised only in the flesh.