<p class="poetry">The snorting of the enemy&#8217;s horsesp> <p class="poetry">is already being heard in the city of Dan.p> <p class="poetry">The sound of the neighing of their stallions<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">causes the whole land to tremble with fear.p> <p class="poetry">They are coming to destroy the land and everything in it!p> <p class="poetry">They are coming to destroy<n id="2" /> the cities and everyone who lives in them!&#8221;p>

<p class="bodytext">The <sc>Lordsc> answered, &#8220;This has happened because these people have rejected my laws which I gave them. They have not obeyed me or followed those laws.<n id="1" />

<p class="poetry">For the sound of wailing is soon to be heard in Zion.p> <p class="poetry">They will wail,<n id="1" /> &#8216;We are utterly ruined!<n id="2" /> We are completely disgraced!p> <p class="poetry">For our houses have been torn downp> <p class="poetry">and we must leave our land.&#8217;&#8221;<n id="3" />p>

<p class="bodytext">I said,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;So now,<n id="2" /> you wailing women, hear what the <sc>Lordsc> says.<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">Open your ears to the words from his mouth.p> <p class="poetry">Teach your daughters this mournful song,p> <p class="poetry">and each of you teach your neighbor<n id="4" /> this lament.p>

Tell them that the <sc>Lord,sc> the God of Israel, says, &#8216;Anyone who does not keep the terms of the covenant will be under a curse.<n id="1" />

For I solemnly warned your ancestors to obey me.<n id="1" /> I warned them again and again,<n id="2" /> ever since I delivered them out of Egypt until this very day.

So I, the <sc>Lordsc>, say this:<n id="1" /> &#8216;I will soon bring disaster on them which they will not be able to escape! When they cry out to me for help, I will not listen to them.

<p class="poetry">But if you will not pay attention to this warning,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">I will weep alone because of your arrogant pride.p> <p class="poetry">I will weep bitterly and my eyes will overflow with tears<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">because you, the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s flock,<n id="3" /> will be carried<n id="4" /> into exile.&#8221;p>

And you have acted even more wickedly than your ancestors! Each one of you has followed the stubborn inclinations of your own wicked heart and not obeyed me.<n id="1" />

As you stand in those places<n id="1" /> announce, &#8216;Listen, all you people who pass through these gates. Listen, all you kings of Judah, all you people of Judah and all you citizens of Jerusalem. Listen to what the <sc>Lordsc> says.<n id="2" />

But if that nation does what displeases me and does not obey me, then I will cancel the good I promised to do to it.

<p class="bodytext">Therefore, the <sc>Lordsc> says,p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;Ask the people of other nationsp> <p class="poetry">whether they have heard of anything like this.p> <p class="poetry">Israel should have been like a virgin.p> <p class="poetry">But she has done something utterly revolting!p>

<p class="poetry">Let cries of terror be heard in their housesp> <p class="poetry">when you send bands of raiders unexpectedly to plunder them.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">For they have virtually dug a pit to capture mep> <p class="poetry">and have hidden traps for me to step into.p>

<t /><p class="bodytext">Now Pashhur son of Immer heard Jeremiah prophesy these things. He was the priest who was chief of security<n id="1" /> in the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s temple.

<p class="poetry">May that man be like the cities<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">that the <sc>Lordsc> destroyed without showing any mercy.p> <p class="poetry">May he hear a cry of distress in the morningp> <p class="poetry">and a battle cry at noon.p>

Say: &#8216;Listen, O king of Judah who follows in David&#8217;s succession.<n id="1" /> You, your officials, and your subjects who pass through the gates of this palace must listen to what the <sc>Lordsc> says.<n id="2" />

But, if you do not obey these commands, I solemnly swear<n id="1" /> that this palace will become a pile of rubble. I, the <sc>Lordsc>, affirm it!&#8221;<n id="2" />p>

Maybe they will pay attention and each of them will stop living the evil way they do.<n id="1" /> If they do that, then I will forgo destroying them<n id="2" /> as I had intended to do because of the wicked things they have been doing.<n id="3" />

Tell them that the <sc>Lordsc> says,<n id="1" /> &#8216;You must obey me! You must live according to the way I have instructed you in my laws.<n id="2" />

<p class="bodytext">The priests, the prophets, and all the people heard Jeremiah say these things in the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s temple.