Jeremiah 9:9–14

Shall I not punish them for these things? declares the Lord,

and shall I not avenge myself

on a nation such as this?

“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.

I will make Jerusalem a heap of ruins,

a lair of jackals,

and I will make the cities of Judah a desolation,

without inhabitant.”

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? And the Lord says: “Because they have forsaken my law that I set before them, and have not obeyed my voice or walked in accord with it, but have stubbornly followed their own hearts and have gone after the Baals, as their fathers taught them.

Should I not punish them for this?”

declares the Lord.

“Should I not avenge myself

on such a nation as this?”

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.

“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.”

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?

The Lord said, “It is because they have forsaken my law, which I set before them; they have not obeyed me or followed my law. Instead, they have followed the stubbornness of their hearts; they have followed the Baals, as their ancestors taught them.”

Should I not punish them for these things?

This is the Lord’s declaration.

Should I not avenge myself

on such a nation as this?

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.

I will make Jerusalem a heap of rubble,

a jackals’ den.

I will make the cities of Judah a desolation,

an uninhabited place.

Who is the person 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?

The Lord said, “It is because they abandoned my instruction, which I set before them, and did not obey my voice or walk according to it. Instead, they followed the stubbornness of their hearts and followed the Baals as their ancestors taught them.”

Should I not punish them for this?” says the Lord.

“Should I not avenge myself against such a nation?”

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.

“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.”

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?

The Lord replies, “This has happened because my people have abandoned my instructions; they have refused to obey what I said. Instead, they have stubbornly followed their own desires and worshiped the images of Baal, as their ancestors taught them.

Because of these things shall I not punish them?” declares Yahweh,

“On a nation that is like this shall I not take revenge?

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.

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.

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.”

And Yahweh said, “Because of their forsaking my law that I set before them, and they have not obeyed my voice, and have not walked in it, but they went after the stubbornness of their heart, and after the Baals, which their ancestors taught them.”

Shall I not visit them for these things? saith the Lord:

Shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this?

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.

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

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

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?

And the Lord saith, Because they have forsaken my law which I set before them,

And have not obeyed my voice, neither walked therein;

But have walked after the imagination of their own heart,

And after Baalim, which their fathers taught them: