2  ^z“Judah mourns,

and ^aher gates languish;

her people lament on the ground,

and ^bthe cry of Jerusalem goes up.

3  Her nobles send their servants for water;

they come to the cisterns;

they find no water;

they return with their vessels empty;

they are ^cashamed and confounded

and ^dcover their heads.

4  Because of the ground that is dismayed,

since there is ^eno rain on the land,

the farmers are ashamed;

they cover their heads.

5  Even ^fthe doe in the field forsakes her newborn fawn

because there is no grass.

6  ^gThe wild donkeys stand on the bare heights;

they pant for air like jackals;

their eyes fail

because there is no vegetation.

7  “Though our iniquities testify against us,

act, O Lord, ^hfor your name’s sake;

ⁱfor our backslidings are many;

^jwe have sinned against you.

8  ^kO you hope of Israel,

its savior in time of trouble,

why should you be like a stranger in the land,

like a traveler who turns aside to tarry for a night?

9  Why should you be like a man confused,

^llike a mighty warrior who cannot save?

Yet ^myou, O Lord, are in the midst of us,

and ⁿwe are called by your name;

^odo not leave us.”

10  Thus says the Lord concerning this people:

“They have loved to wander thus;

they have not restrained their feet;

^ptherefore the Lord does not accept them;

^qnow he will remember their iniquity

and punish their sins.”

17  “You shall say to them this word:

^b‘Let my eyes run down with tears night and day,

and let them not cease,

for the virgin ^cdaughter of my people is shattered with a great wound,

^dwith a very grievous blow.

18  ^eIf I go out into the field,

behold, those pierced by the sword!

^eAnd if I enter the city,

behold, the diseases of famine!

^fFor both prophet and priest ply their trade through the land

and have no knowledge.’”

19  ^gHave you utterly rejected Judah?

Does your soul loathe Zion?

Why have you struck us down

^hso that there is no healing for us?

ⁱWe looked for peace, but no good came;

ⁱfor a time of healing, but behold, terror.

20  ^jWe acknowledge our wickedness, O Lord,

and the iniquity of our fathers,

^jfor we have sinned against you.

21  Do not spurn us, ^kfor your name’s sake;

do not dishonor your glorious throne;

^lremember and do not break your covenant with us.

22  Are there any among ^mthe false gods of the nations ⁿthat can bring rain?

Or can the heavens give showers?

Are you not he, O Lord our God?

We set our hope on you,

^ofor you do all these things.

^t“‘Those who are for pestilence, to pestilence,

and those who are for the sword, to the sword;

those who are for famine, to famine,

and those who are for captivity, to captivity.’

5  ^z“Who will have pity on you, O Jerusalem,

^zor who will grieve for you?

Who will turn aside

to ask about your welfare?

6  ^aYou have rejected me, declares the Lord;

^byou keep going backward,

so I have stretched out my hand against you and destroyed you—

^cI am weary of relenting.

7  ^dI have winnowed them with ^ea winnowing fork

in the gates of the land;

I have bereaved them; I have destroyed my people;

^fthey did not turn from their ways.

8  I have made their widows more in number

than ^gthe sand of the seas;

I have brought against the mothers of young men

a destroyer at noonday;

I have made anguish and terror

fall upon them suddenly.

9  ^hShe who bore seven has grown feeble;

ⁱshe has fainted away;

^jher sun went down while it was yet day;

she has been shamed and disgraced.

And the rest of them I will give to the sword

before their enemies,

declares the Lord.”

15  ^rO Lord, you know;

^sremember me and visit me,

^stand take vengeance for me on my persecutors.

In your forbearance take me not away;

^uknow that ^vfor your sake I bear reproach.

16  Your words were found, ^wand I ate them,

and ^xyour words became to me a joy

and the delight of my heart,

^yfor I am called by your name,

O Lord, God of hosts.

17  ^zI did not sit in the company of revelers,

nor did I rejoice;

^aI sat alone, because your hand was upon me,

for you had filled me with indignation.

18  Why is my pain unceasing,

^bmy wound incurable,

refusing to be healed?

Will you be to me ^clike a deceitful brook,

like waters that fail?

19  Therefore thus says the Lord:

^d“If you return, I will restore you,

and you shall ^estand before me.

If you utter what is precious, and not what is worthless,

you shall be as my mouth.

They shall turn to you,

but you shall not turn to them.

20  ^fAnd I will make you to this people

a fortified wall of bronze;

they will fight against you,

^gbut they shall not prevail over you,

^hfor I am with you

to save you and deliver you,

declares the Lord.

21  ^gI will deliver you out of the hand of the wicked,

and redeem you from the grasp of ⁱthe ruthless.”