1  ^{1 m}Oh that my head were waters,

and my eyes a fountain of tears,

that I might weep day and night

for the slain of ^jthe daughter of my people!

2  ² Oh that I had in the desert

a travelers’ lodging place,

that I might leave my people

and go away from them!

For they are all ⁿadulterers,

a company of ^otreacherous men.

3  ^pThey bend their tongue like a bow;

falsehood and not truth has grown strong³ in the land;

for they proceed from evil to evil,

^qand they do not know me, declares the Lord.

4  ^rLet everyone beware of his neighbor,

and put no trust in any brother,

for every ^sbrother is a deceiver,

and every neighbor ^tgoes about as a slanderer.

5  Everyone deceives his neighbor,

and no one speaks the truth;

they have taught their tongue to speak lies;

they weary themselves committing iniquity.

6  Heaping oppression upon oppression, and deceit upon deceit,

^uthey refuse to know me, declares the Lord.

7  Therefore thus says the Lord of hosts:

“Behold, ^vI will refine them and ^wtest them,

for what else can I do, ^jbecause of my people?

8  ^xTheir tongue is a deadly arrow;

^yit speaks deceitfully;

with his mouth ^zeach speaks peace to his neighbor,

but in his heart ^ahe plans an ambush for him.

9  ^bShall I not punish them for these things? declares the Lord,

and shall I not avenge myself

on a nation such as this?

10  “I will take up weeping and wailing for the mountains,

and a lamentation for ^cthe pastures of the wilderness,

^dbecause they are laid waste so that no one passes through,

and the lowing of cattle is not heard;

^eboth the birds of the air and the beasts

have fled and are gone.

11  ^fI will make Jerusalem a heap of ruins,

^ga lair of jackals,

^hand I will make the cities of Judah a desolation,

without inhabitant.”

10  ^s“Then fear not, ^tO Jacob my servant, declares the Lord,

nor be dismayed, O Israel;

for behold, ^sI will save you from far away,

^uand your offspring from the land of their captivity.

^sJacob shall return and have quiet and ease,

and none shall make him afraid.

11  ^vFor I am with you to save you,

declares the Lord;

^vI will make a full end of all the nations

among whom I scattered you,

but of you I will not make a full end.

^vI will ^wdiscipline you in just measure,

and I will by no means leave you unpunished.