<p class="poetry">Like a swallow or a thrush I chirp,p> <p class="poetry">I coo<n id="1" /> like a dove;p> <p class="poetry">my eyes grow tired from looking up to the sky.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">O sovereign master,<n id="3" /> I am oppressed;p> <p class="poetry">help me!<n id="4" />p>

<p class="poetry">Look, the sovereign <sc>Lordsc> comes as a victorious warrior;<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">his military power establishes his rule.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">Look, his reward is with him;p> <p class="poetry">his prize goes before him.<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">Approach me! Listen to this!p> <p class="poetry">From the very first I have not spoken in secret;p> <p class="poetry">when it happens,<n id="1" /> I am there.&#8221;p> <p class="poetry">So now, the sovereign <sc>Lordsc> has sent me, accompanied by his spirit.<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">Look, the sovereign <sc>Lordsc> helps me.p> <p class="poetry">Who dares to condemn me?p> <p class="poetry">Look, all of them will wear out like clothes;p> <p class="poetry">a moth will eat away at them.p>

<p class="poetry">For this is what the sovereign <sc>Lordsc> says:p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;In the beginning my people went to live temporarily in Egypt;p> <p class="poetry">Assyria oppressed them for no good reason.p>

<p class="poetry">For just as the ground produces its cropsp> <p class="poetry">and a garden yields its produce,p> <p class="poetry">so the sovereign <sc>Lordsc> will cause deliverance<n id="1" /> to grow,p> <p class="poetry">and give his people reason to praise him in the sight of all the nations.<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">You can try to wash away your guilt with a strong detergent.p> <p class="poetry">You can use as much soap as you want.p> <p class="poetry">But the stain of your guilt is still there for me to see,&#8221;<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">says the Lord <sc>Godsc>.<n id="2" />p>

<p class="bodytext">In response to all this<n id="1" /> I said, &#8220;Ah, Lord <sc>Godsc>,<n id="2" /> you have surely allowed<n id="3" /> the people of Judah and Jerusalem<n id="4" /> to be deceived by those who say, &#8216;You will be safe!&#8217;<n id="5" /> But in fact a sword is already at our throats.&#8221;<n id="6" />p>

The city is sure to fall into the hands of the Babylonians.<n id="1" /> Yet, in spite of this,<n id="2" /> you, Lord <sc>Godsc>,<n id="3" /> have said to me, &#8220;Buy that field with silver and have the transaction legally witnessed.&#8221;&#8217;&#8221;<n id="4" />p>

But now please listen, your royal Majesty,<n id="1" /> and grant my plea for mercy.<n id="2" /> Do not send me back to the house of Jonathan, the royal secretary. If you do, I will die there.&#8221;<n id="3" />

<p class="poetry">I will bring terror on you from every side,&#8221;p> <p class="poetry">says the Lord <sc>Godsc> who rules over all.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;You will be scattered in every direction.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">No one will gather the fugitives back together.p>

<p class="lamhebrew">&#1504; (<i>Nuni>)p> <p class="poetry">My sins are bound around my neck like a yoke;<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">they are fastened together by his hand.p> <p class="poetry">He has placed his yoke<n id="2" /> on my neck;<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">he has sapped my strength.<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">The Lord<n id="5" /> has handed me over<n id="6" />p> <p class="poetry">to those whom I cannot resist.p>

<t /><p class="lamhebrew">&#1488; (<i>Alefi>)p> <p class="poetry">Alas!<n id="1" /> The Lord<n id="2" /> has coveredp> <p class="poetry">Daughter Zion<n id="3" /> with his anger.<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">He has thrown down the splendor of Israelp> <p class="poetry">from heaven to earth;p> <p class="poetry">he did not protect<n id="5" /> his temple<n id="6" />p> <p class="poetry">when he displayed his anger.<n id="7" />p>

<p class="lamhebrew">&#1492; (<i>Hei>)p> <p class="poetry">The Lord,<n id="1" /> like an enemy,p> <p class="poetry">destroyed<n id="2" /> Israel.p> <p class="poetry">He destroyed<n id="3" /> all her palaces;p> <p class="poetry">he ruined her<n id="4" /> fortified cities.p> <p class="poetry">He made everyone in Daughter Judahp> <p class="poetry">mourn and lament.<n id="5" />p>

<p class="lamhebrew">&#1494; (<i>Zayini>)p> <p class="poetry">The Lord<n id="1" /> rejected<n id="2" /> his altarp> <p class="poetry">and abhorred his temple.<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">He handed over to the enemy<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">her palace walls;p> <p class="poetry">the enemy<n id="5" /> shouted<n id="6" /> in the <sc>Lord&#8217;ssc> templep> <p class="poetry">as if it were a feast day.<n id="7" />p>

<t /><p class="lamhebrew">&#1512; (<i>Reshi>)p> <p class="poetry">Look, O <sc>Lord!sc> Consider!<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">Whom have you ever afflicted<n id="2" /> like this?p> <p class="poetry">Should women eat their offspring,<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">their healthy infants?<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">Should priest and prophetp> <p class="poetry">be killed in the Lord&#8217;s<n id="5" /> sanctuary?p>

The people<n id="1" /> to whom I am sending you are obstinate and hard-hearted,<n id="2" /> and you must say to them, &#8216;This is what the sovereign <sc>Lordsc> says.&#8217;<n id="3" />

<p class="bodytext">&#8220;Therefore this is what the sovereign <sc>Lordsc> says: I &#8211; even I &#8211; am against you,<n id="1" /> and I will execute judgment<n id="2" /> among you while the nations watch.<n id="3" />

&#8220;You, son of man &#8211; this is what the sovereign <sc>Lordsc> says to the land of Israel: An end! The end is coming on the four corners of the land!<n id="1" />

Therefore, this is what the sovereign <sc>Lordsc> says: &#8216;The corpses you have dumped<n id="1" /> in the midst of the city<n id="2" /> are the meat, and this city<n id="3" /> is the cooking pot, but I will take you out of it.<n id="4" />