Jeremiah 9

Jeremiah wished his head were waters and his eyes a fountain of tears to weep day and night for his slain people. The LORD declared He would scatter them among nations they did not know, because they had forsaken His law. Let not the wise glory in wisdom, nor the mighty in might, nor the rich in riches, but let him who glories glory in knowing the LORD.

v	King James Version	Modern English
1	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!	If only my head were a spring of water and my eyes a fountain of tears — I would weep day and night for the dead of my people.
2	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.	If only I had a traveler's shelter in the desert, I would leave my people and go away from them. They are all adulterers — a crowd of traitors.
3	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.	"They bend their tongues like bows to shoot lies. They are not faithful to truth in the land. They go from one evil to another. They do not know Me," says the LORD.
4	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.	"Be on Your guard against Your friends. Do not trust any relative. Every brother is a deceiver and every friend spreads slander.
5	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.	Friend deceives friend and no one tells the truth. They have trained their tongues to lie. They exhaust themselves with sinning.
6	Thine habitation is in the midst of deceit; through deceit they refuse to know me, saith the LORD.	You live in the midst of deception. In their deceit they refuse to know Me," says the LORD.
7	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?	Therefore this is what the LORD of hosts says: "I will refine and test them, for what else can I do because of the sin of my people?
8	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.	Their tongue is a deadly arrow. It speaks deceit. With their mouths they speak peace to their neighbors but in their hearts they set a trap for them.
9	Shall I not visit them for these things? saith the LORD: shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this?	Should I not punish them for this?" says the LORD. "Should I not take revenge on a nation like this?"
10	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.	I will weep and wail over the mountains and take up a lament over the wilderness pastures. They are so desolate that no one travels through. The lowing of cattle is not heard. The birds of the air have flown and the animals are gone.
11	And I will make Jerusalem heaps, and a den of dragons; and I will make the cities of Judah desolate, without an inhabitant.	"I will make Jerusalem a heap of ruins — a haunt of jackals. I will make the towns of Judah desolate with no one living in them."
12	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?	Who is wise enough to understand this? Who has been taught by the LORD to declare why the land is ruined and laid waste like a desert that no one passes through?
13	And the LORD saith, Because they have forsaken my law which I set before them, and have not obeyed my voice, neither walked therein;	The LORD says: "Because they have abandoned My law which I set before them, and have not obeyed Me or followed My law —
14	But have walked after the imagination of their own heart, and after Baalim, which their fathers taught them:	instead they have followed the stubbornness of their own hearts and have gone after the Baals, as their fathers taught them to do."
15	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.	Therefore this is what the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, says: "I will feed this people with bitter food and give them poisoned water to drink.
16	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.	I will scatter them among nations that neither they nor their ancestors have known. I will pursue them with the sword until I have destroyed them."
17	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:	This is what the LORD of hosts says: "Think about this and call for the wailing women to come. Send for the most skillful of them.
18	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.	Let them come quickly and wail over us, till our eyes overflow with tears and water streams from our eyelids.
19	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.	The sound of wailing is heard from Zion: 'We are ruined! We are deeply shamed because we have been driven from the land and our homes have been torn down.'"
20	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.	Now listen, You women, to the word of the LORD. Open your ears to the words of His mouth. Teach Your daughters how to wail and each one her neighbor how to lament.
21	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.	"Death has climbed through our windows and entered our palaces. It has cut off the children from the streets and the young men from the public squares."
22	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.	Say, "This is what the LORD declares: Dead bodies will lie like manure on the open field, like cut grain behind the reaper with no one to gather them."
23	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:	This is what the LORD says: "Let not the wise boast of their wisdom. Let not the strong boast of their strength. Let not the rich boast of their riches.
24	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.	But let those who boast boast in this — that they understand and know Me, that I am the LORD, Who exercises mercy, justice, and righteousness on earth. In these I delight," says the LORD.
25	Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will punish all them which are circumcised with the uncircumcised;	"The days are coming," says the LORD, "when I will punish all who are circumcised only in the flesh —
26	Egypt, and Judah, and Edom, and the children of Ammon, and Moab, and all that are in the utmost corners, that dwell in the wilderness: for all these nations are uncircumcised, and all the house of Israel are uncircumcised in the heart.	Egypt, Judah, Edom, Ammon, Moab, and all who live in the wilderness in distant places. For all these nations are uncircumcised, and all the house of Israel is uncircumcised in heart."