1-2. I wish my head were a well of waterand my eyes fountains of tearsSo I could weep day and nightfor casualties among my dear, dear people.At times I wish I had a wilderness hut,a backwoods cabin,Where I could get away from my peopleand never see them again.They’re a faithless, feckless bunch,a congregation of degenerates.
3-6. “Their tongues shoot out lieslike a bow shoots arrows—A mighty army of liars,the sworn enemies of truth.They advance from one evil to the next,ignorant of me.”God’s Decree.“Be wary of even longtime neighbors.Don’t even trust your grandmother!Brother schemes against brother,like old cheating Jacob.Friend against friendspreads malicious gossip.Neighbors gyp neighbors,never telling the truth.They’ve trained their tongues to tell lies,and now they can’t tell the truth.They pile wrong upon wrong, stack lie upon lie,and refuse to know me.”God’s Decree.
7-9. Therefore, God-of-the-Angel-Armies says:“Watch this! I’ll melt them downand see what they’re made of.What else can I dowith a people this wicked?Their tongues are poison arrows!Deadly lies stream from their mouths.Neighbor greets neighbor with a smile,‘Good morning! How’re things?’while scheming to do away with him.Do you think I’m going to stand around and do nothing?”God’s Decree.“Don’t you think I’ll take serious measuresagainst a people like this?
10-11. “I’m lamenting the loss of the mountain pastures.I’m chanting dirges for the old grazing grounds.They’ve become deserted wastelands too dangerous for travelers.No sounds of sheep bleating or cattle mooing.Birds and wild animals, all gone.Nothing stirring, no sounds of life.I’m going to make Jerusalem a pile of rubble,fit for nothing but stray cats and dogs.I’m going to reduce Judah’s towns to piles of ruinswhere no one lives!”