21. How long shall I see a banner, and hear the sound of the ram’s horn?
22. “For My people are foolish, they have not known Me. They are stupid children, and they have no understanding. They are wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge.”
23. I looked at the earth, and saw it was formless and empty. And the heavens, they had no light.
24. I looked at the mountains, and saw they shook, and all the hills were swaying.
25. I looked, and saw there was no man, and all the birds of the heavens had fled.
26. I looked, and saw the garden land was a wilderness, and all its cities were broken down at the presence of יהוה, by His burning displeasure.
27. For thus said יהוה, “All the earth shall be a ruin, but I shall not make a complete end.
28. “On account of this, let the earth mourn and the heavens above be dark, because I have spoken, because I have purposed and shall not relent, nor do I turn back from it.”
29. All the city is fleeing from the noise of the horsemen and bowmen. They shall go into bushes and climb up on the rocks. All the city is forsaken, and no one is dwelling in it.
30. And when you are ravaged, what would you do? Though you put on crimson, though you adorn yourself with ornaments of gold, though you enlarge your eyes with paint, you adorn yourself in vain. Your lovers despise you, they seek your life.
31. For I have heard a voice as of a woman in labour, the distress as of her who brings forth her first child, the voice of the daughter of Tsiyon! She bewails herself, she spreads out her hands, saying, “Woe to me, for my being faints because of murderers!”