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.
26. That is the people of Egypt, Judah, Edom, Ammon and Moab. I will also punish the desert people who cut their hair short. The men in all those countries have not given themselves to serving me. And the men of Israel do not give themselves to serving me.”