Daily Bread

“See, I will refine^(A) and test^(B) them,
    for what else can I do
    because of the sin of my people?
⁸ Their tongue^(C) is a deadly arrow;
    it speaks deceitfully.
With their mouths they all speak cordially to their neighbors,^(D)
    but in their hearts they set traps^(E) for them.^(F)
9 Should I not punish them for this?”
    declares the Lord.
“Should I not avenge^(G) myself
    on such a nation as this?”

¹⁰ I will weep and wail for the mountains
    and take up a lament concerning the wilderness grasslands.^(H)
They are desolate and untraveled,
    and the lowing of cattle is not heard.
The birds^(I) have all fled
    and the animals are gone.

¹¹ “I will make Jerusalem a heap^(J) of ruins,
    a haunt of jackals;^(K)
and I will lay waste the towns of Judah^(L)
    so no one can live there.”^(M)

“Consider now! Call for the wailing women^(X) to come;
    send for the most skillful of them.
¹⁸ Let them come quickly
    and wail over us
till our eyes overflow with tears
    and water streams from our eyelids.^(Y)
19 The sound of wailing is heard from Zion:
    ‘How ruined^(Z) we are!
    How great is our shame!
We must leave our land
    because our houses are in ruins.’”

²⁰ Now, you women, hear the word of the Lord;
    open your ears to the words of his mouth.^(AA)
Teach your daughters how to wail;
    teach one another a lament.^(AB)
21 Death has climbed in through our windows^(AC)
    and has entered our fortresses;
it has removed the children from the streets
    and the young men^(AD) from the public squares.

“‘Dead bodies will lie
    like dung^(AE) on the open field,
like cut grain behind the reaper,
    with no one to gather them.’”

“Let not the wise boast of their wisdom^(AF)
    or the strong boast of their strength^(AG)
    or the rich boast of their riches,^(AH)
24 but let the one who boasts boast^(AI) about this:
    that they have the understanding to know^(AJ) me,
that I am the Lord,^(AK) who exercises kindness,^(AL)
    justice and righteousness^(AM) on earth,
    for in these I delight,”
declares the Lord.