If only I had a place to stay in the wilderness, a travelers' shelter, so that I might leave my people and go away from them. For they are all adulterers, a gathering of traitors.

Oh that my head were waters, and mine eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people!

They bend their tongues like a bow to shoot lies, not for truth do they grow strong in the land; they go from one evil to another, and they do not know me, declares the Lord.

Oh that I had in the wilderness a lodging place of wayfaring men; that I might leave my people, and go from them! for they be all adulterers, an assembly of treacherous men.

Beware of your neighbor; do not trust even a brother. Every brother utterly deceives, and every friend spreads slander.

And they bend their tongues like their bow for lies: but they are not valiant for the truth upon the earth; for they proceed from evil to evil, and they know not me, saith the LORD.

Each one deceives his neighbor, and they do not speak the truth. They have trained their tongues to speak lies and exhaust themselves with wrongdoing.

Take ye heed every one of his neighbour, and trust ye not in any brother: for every brother will utterly supplant, and every neighbour will walk with slanders.

You live in the midst of deceit, and because of deceit, they refuse to know me, declares the Lord.

And they will deceive every one his neighbour, and will not speak the truth: they have taught their tongue to speak lies, and weary themselves to commit iniquity.

Therefore, this is what the Lord of Hosts says: Behold, I will refine them and test them, for what else can I do because of the sin of my people?

Thine habitation is in the midst of deceit; through deceit they refuse to know me, saith the LORD.

Their tongues are a sharpened arrow; deceit pours from their mouths. They speak peace to their neighbor, but in their hearts, they set up an ambush.

Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts, Behold, I will melt them, and try them; for how shall I do for the daughter of my people?

Should I not punish them for these things? declares the Lord. Should I not avenge myself on such a nation as this?

Their tongue is as an arrow shot out; it speaketh deceit: one speaketh peaceably to his neighbour with his mouth, but in heart he layeth his wait.

I will raise weeping and wailing for the mountains and a dirge for the pastures in the wilderness, because they are burned up and desolate; no one passes through, and cattle cannot be heard anymore—birds of the sky and animals alike have fled and are gone.

Shall I not visit them for these things? saith the LORD: shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this?

I will make Jerusalem a heap of ruins, a lair of jackals, and I will make the towns of Judah desolate, without inhabitants.

For the mountains will I take up a weeping and wailing, and for the habitations of the wilderness a lamentation, because they are burned up, so that none can pass through them; neither can men hear the voice of the cattle; both the fowl of the heavens and the beast are fled; they are gone.

Who is the wise person who may understand this? And to whom has the mouth of the Lord spoken, that he may declare it? Why has the land perished, been scorched like a desert with no one passing through?

And I will make Jerusalem heaps, and a den of dragons; and I will make the cities of Judah desolate, without an inhabitant.

And the Lord said, 'It is because they have forsaken my law that I set before them; they have not obeyed My voice or walked according to it.'

Who is the wise man, that may understand this? and who is he to whom the mouth of the LORD hath spoken, that he may declare it, for what the land perisheth and is burned up like a wilderness, that none passeth through?

Instead, they followed the stubbornness of their hearts and went after the Baals, as their fathers taught them.

And the LORD saith, Because they have forsaken my law which I set before them, and have not obeyed my voice, neither walked therein;

Therefore, this is what the Lord of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: 'See, I will feed this people with bitter food and give them poisoned water to drink.'

But have walked after the imagination of their own heart, and after Baalim, which their fathers taught them:

'I will scatter them among nations that neither they nor their fathers have known, and I will send the sword after them until I have finished them off.'

Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will feed them, even this people, with wormwood, and give them water of gall to drink.

This is what the Lord of Hosts says: 'Consider and call for the mourning women to come; send for the skilled wailing women to arrive.'

I will scatter them also among the heathen, whom neither they nor their fathers have known: and I will send a sword after them, till I have consumed them.

'Let them come quickly and lift up a lament over us so that our eyes may overflow with tears and our eyelids stream with water.'

Thus saith the LORD of hosts, Consider ye, and call for the mourning women, that they may come; and send for cunning women, that they may come:

'For a voice of wailing is heard from Zion: “How devastated we are! We are utterly ashamed, for we have left the land and our dwellings have been cast off.”'

And let them make haste, and take up a wailing for us, that our eyes may run down with tears, and our eyelids gush out with waters.

'Hear the word of the Lord, you women; let your ears receive the words of His mouth. Teach your daughters to wail and one another to mourn.'

For a voice of wailing is heard out of Zion, How are we spoiled! we are greatly confounded, because we have forsaken the land, because our dwellings have cast us out.

'For death has climbed in through our windows and entered our fortresses, cutting off children from the streets and young men from the public squares.'

Yet hear the word of the LORD, O ye women, and let your ear receive the word of his mouth, and teach your daughters wailing, and every one her neighbour lamentation.

Speak, this is what the Lord declares: The dead bodies of people will fall like dung on the open field, like bundles left behind by the reaper, with no one to gather them.

For death is come up into our windows, and is entered into our palaces, to cut off the children from without, and the young men from the streets.

This is what the Lord says: Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, nor the strong man boast in his strength, nor the rich man boast in his riches.

Speak, Thus saith the LORD, Even the carcases of men shall fall as dung upon the open field, and as the handful after the harvestman, and none shall gather them.

But let the one who boasts boast in this: that they have the understanding to know me, that I am the Lord who exercises kindness, justice, and righteousness on the earth, for in these things I delight, declares the Lord.

Thus saith the LORD, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches:

The days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will punish all who are circumcised only in the flesh.

But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD.

Egypt, Judah, Edom, Ammon, Moab, and all who live in the wilderness and shave the edges of their hair, for all these nations are uncircumcised, and all the house of Israel are uncircumcised in heart.

Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will punish all them which are circumcised with the uncircumcised;