10 I will weep and wail for the mountains

and take up a lament concerning the wilderness grasslands.

They are desolate and untraveled,

and the lowing of cattle is not heard.

The birds have all fled

and the animals are gone.

11 “I will make Jerusalem a heap of ruins,

a haunt of jackals;

and I will lay waste the towns of Judah

so no one can live there.”

12 Who is wise enough to understand this? Who has been instructed by the Lord and can explain it? Why has the land been ruined and laid waste like a desert that no one can cross?

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

and a lamentation for the pastures of the wilderness,

because they are laid waste so that no one passes through,

and the lowing of cattle is not heard;

both the birds of the air and the beasts

have fled and are gone.

11 I will make Jerusalem a heap of ruins,

a lair of jackals,

and I will make the cities of Judah a desolation,

without inhabitant.”

12 Who is the man so wise that he can understand this? To whom has the mouth of the Lord spoken, that he may declare it? Why is the land ruined and laid waste like a wilderness, so that no one passes through?

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.

11 And I will make Jerusalem heaps, and a den of dragons;

And I will make the cities of Judah desolate, without an inhabitant.

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?

10 I will weep for the mountains

and wail for the wilderness pastures.

For they are desolate and empty of life;

the lowing of cattle is heard no more;

the birds and wild animals have all fled.

11 “I will make Jerusalem into a heap of ruins,” says the Lord.

“It will be a place haunted by jackals.

The towns of Judah will be ghost towns,

with no one living in them.”

12 Who is wise enough to understand all this? Who has been instructed by the Lord and can explain it to others? Why has the land been so ruined that no one dares to travel through it?

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

And for the dwelling places of the wilderness a lamentation,

Because they are burned up,

So that no one can pass through;

Nor can men hear the voice of the cattle.

Both the birds of the heavens and the beasts have fled;

They are gone.

11 “I will make Jerusalem a heap of ruins, a den of jackals.

I will make the cities of Judah desolate, without an inhabitant.”

12 Who is the wise man who may understand this? And who is he to whom the mouth of the Lord has spoken, that he may declare it? Why does the land perish and burn up like a wilderness, so that no one can pass through?

10 I, Jeremiah, will cry loudly for the mountains

and sing a funeral song for the empty fields.

They are empty, and no one passes through.

The mooing of cattle cannot be heard.

The birds have flown away,

and the animals are gone.

11 “I, the Lord, will make the city of Jerusalem a heap of ruins,

a home for wild dogs.

I will destroy the cities of Judah

so no one can live there.”

12 What person is wise enough to understand these things? Is there someone who has been taught by the Lord who can explain them? Why was the land ruined? Why has it been made like an empty desert where no one goes?

10 For the mountains will I take up a weeping and wailing, and for the pastures of the wilderness a lamentation, because they are burned up, so that none passeth through; neither can men hear the voice of the cattle; both the birds of the heavens and the beasts are fled, they are gone. 11 And I will make Jerusalem heaps, a dwelling-place of jackals; and I will make the cities of Judah a desolation, without inhabitant.

12 Who is the wise man, that may understand this? and who is he to whom the mouth of Jehovah hath spoken, that he may declare it? wherefore is the land perished and burned up like a wilderness, so that none passeth through?

10 I will cry and weep for the mountains. 

I will sing a funeral song for the pastures in the wilderness. 

They are destroyed so that no one can travel through them. 

No one can hear the sound of cattle. 

Birds and cattle have fled. 

They are gone. 

11 I will turn Jerusalem into a pile of rubble, a home for jackals. 

I will destroy the cities of Judah so that no one can live there. 

12 No one is wise enough to understand this. 

To whom has the Lord revealed this 

so that they can explain it? 

The land dies; it has been ruined like the desert 

so that no one can travel through it. 

10 I will raise weeping and a lament

over the mountains,

a dirge over the wilderness grazing land,

for they have been so scorched

that no one passes through.

The sound of cattle is no longer heard.

From the birds of the sky to the animals,

everything has fled—they have gone away.

11 I will make Jerusalem a heap of rubble,

a jackals’ den.

I will make the cities of Judah a desolation,

an uninhabited place.

12 Who is the man wise enough to understand this? Who has the Lord spoken to, that he may explain it? Why is the land destroyed and scorched like a wilderness, so no one can pass through?

10 Take up weeping and wailing for the mountains,

and a lamentation for the pastures of the wilderness,

because they are laid waste so that no one passes through,

and the lowing of cattle is not heard;

both the birds of the air and the animals

have fled and are gone.

11 I will make Jerusalem a heap of ruins,

a lair of jackals;

and I will make the towns of Judah a desolation,

without inhabitant.

12 Who is wise enough to understand this? To whom has the mouth of the Lord spoken, so that they may declare it? Why is the land ruined and laid waste like a wilderness, so that no one passes through?

10 For the mountains I lift up weeping and wailing,

and for the pastures of the desert a lament,

because they are laid waste so that no man passes through.

And the sounds of cattle are not heard,

from the birds of heaven to the animals

they have fled, they are gone.

11 And I will make Jerusalem as heaps of ruins, a lair of jackals,

and the towns of Judah I will make a desolation, without inhabitants.

12 Who is the wise man that can understand this?

And to whom has the mouth of Yahweh spoken, so that he may declare it?

Why is the land destroyed?

It is laid waste like the desert so that no one passes through.”

10 I will cry and sob over the fields in the hills.

I will sing a song of sadness about the desert grasslands.

They are dry and empty. No one travels through them.

The mooing of cattle isn’t heard there.

The birds of the air have flown away.

All of the animals are gone.

11 The Lord says, “I will knock all of Jerusalem’s buildings down.

I will make it a home for wild dogs.

The towns of Judah will be completely destroyed.

No one will be able to live in them.”

12 Who is wise enough to understand those things? Who has been taught by the Lord? Who can explain them? Why has the land been destroyed so completely? Why has it become like a desert that no one can go across?

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

And for the pastures of the wilderness a dirge,

Because they are laid waste so that no one passes through,

And the lowing of the cattle is not heard;

Both the birds of the sky and the beasts have fled; they are gone.

11 “I will make Jerusalem a heap of ruins,

A haunt of jackals;

And I will make the cities of Judah a desolation, without inhabitant.”

12 Who is the wise man that may understand this? And who is he to whom the mouth of the Lord has spoken, that he may declare it? Why is the land ruined, laid waste like a desert, so that no one passes through?