I called for my lovers, but they had deceived me. My priests and my elders perished in the city. Truly they had searched for food to keep themselves alive.ר( Resh)

我招呼我所亲爱的，他们却愚弄我。我的祭司和长老正寻求食物、救性命的时候，就在城中绝气。

我招呼我所亲爱的，他们却欺骗了我。我的祭司和长老寻找食物，要救性命的时候，就在城中断了气。

我招呼我所亲爱的，他们却欺骗了我。我的祭司和长老寻找食物，要救性命的时候，就在城中断了气。

“我向情人们求助，他们却欺骗我。我的祭司和长老在觅食求生时，倒毙在城中。

我向我所爱的人呼求，他们却欺骗我。我的祭司和长老为了延续生命，寻找粮食的时候，就在城中气绝身亡了。

我招呼我所親愛的，他們卻愚弄我。我的祭司和長老正尋求食物、救性命的時候，就在城中絕氣。

我招呼我所親愛的，他們卻欺騙了我。我的祭司和長老尋找食物，要救性命的時候，就在城中斷了氣。

我招呼我所親愛的，他們卻欺騙了我。我的祭司和長老尋找食物，要救性命的時候，就在城中斷了氣。

「我向情人們求助，他們卻欺騙我。我的祭司和長老在覓食求生時，倒斃在城中。

我向我所愛的人呼求，他們卻欺騙我。我的祭司和長老為了延續生命，尋找糧食的時候，就在城中氣絕身亡了。

『我招呼了我的親愛者，他們卻哄騙我；我的祭司和長老正為自己尋求着糧食，以救回性命，就在城中氣絕了。

招愛我者、彼則欺我兮、我之祭司長老求糧、以蘇厥靈兮、乃於邑中絕氣兮、

我招良朋、不副予望、祭司長老、惟求糈糧、以果其腹兮、求而不得、亡於邑中兮。

我招良友、彼竟欺我、我之祭司與長老、惟求食物以充饑蘇醒、求而不得、盡亡於邑中、

“ I called to my allies but they betrayed me. My priests and my elders perished in the city while they searched for food to keep themselves alive.

“ I called out to those who were going to help me. But they turned against me. My priests and elders died in the city. They were searching for food just to stay alive.

“ I called to my lovers, but they deceived me; my priests and elders perished in the city, while they sought food to revive their strength.

“ I begged my allies for help, but they betrayed me. My priests and leaders starved to death in the city, even as they searched for food to save their lives.

I called to my lovers, but they betrayed me. My priests and elders perished in the city while searching for food to keep themselves alive.

I called to my lovers, but they deserted me; My priests and my elders perished in the city While they sought food to restore their strength themselves.

“ I called for my lovers, But they deceived me; My priests and my elders Breathed their last in the city, While they sought food To restore their life.

I called for my lovers, but they deceived me: My priests and mine elders gave up the ghost in the city, While they sought them food to refresh their souls.

I called to my lovers, but they betrayed me. My priests and elders perished in the city while searching for food to keep themselves alive.

I called for my lovers,[ but] they deceived me: my priests and mine elders gave up the ghost in the city, while they sought their meat to relieve their souls.

“ I called for my lovers, but they deceived me. My priests and my elders gave up the spirit in the city, while they sought food for themselves to refresh their souls.

She weeps bitterly at night; tears stream down her cheeks. She has no one to comfort her among all her lovers. All her friends have betrayed her; they have become her enemies.ג( Gimel)

Look, O Lord! Consider! Whom have you ever afflicted like this? Should women eat their offspring, their healthy infants? Should priest and prophet be killed in the Lord’s sanctuary?ש( Sin/ Shin)

All her people groaned as they searched for a morsel of bread. They exchanged their valuables for just enough food to stay alive.“ Look, O Lord! Consider that I have become worthless!”ל( Lamed)

“ He has put my relatives far from me; my acquaintances only turn away from me.My kinsmen have failed me; my friends have forgotten me.My guests and my servant girls consider me a stranger; I am a foreigner in their eyes.I summon my servant, but he does not respond, even though I implore him with my own mouth.My breath is repulsive to my wife; I am loathsome to my brothers.Even youngsters have scorned me; when I get up, they scoff at me.All my closest friends detest me; and those whom I love have turned against me.

Our eyes continually failed us as we looked in vain for help. From our watchtowers we watched for a nation that could not rescue us.צ( Tsade)

Moreover, the LORD says,“ Both the prophets and priests are godless. I have even found them doing evil in my temple!So the paths they follow will be dark and slippery. They will stumble and fall headlong. For I will bring disaster on them. A day of reckoning is coming for them.” The LORD affirms it!The LORD says,“ I saw the prophets of Samaria doing something that was disgusting. They prophesied in the name of the god Baal and led my people Israel astray.But I see the prophets of Jerusalem doing something just as shocking. They are unfaithful to me and continually prophesy lies. So they give encouragement to people who are doing evil, with the result that they do not stop their evildoing. I consider all of them as bad as the people of Sodom, and the citizens of Jerusalem as bad as the people of Gomorrah.So then I, the LORD who rules over all, have something to say concerning the prophets of Jerusalem:‘ I will make these prophets eat the bitter food of suffering and drink the poison water of judgment. For the prophets of Jerusalem are the reason that ungodliness has spread throughout the land.’”

But where are the gods you made for yourselves? Let them save you when you are in trouble. The sad fact is that you have as many gods as you have towns, Judah.

All your allies have abandoned you. They no longer have any concern for you. For I have attacked you like an enemy would. I have chastened you cruelly. For your wickedness is so great and your sin is so much.

“ The LORD God of Israel says,‘ Give a message to the king of Judah who sent you to ask me to help him. Tell him,“ The army of Pharaoh that was on its way to help you will go back home to Egypt.Then the Babylonian forces will return. They will attack the city and will capture it and burn it down.Moreover, I, the LORD, warn you not to deceive yourselves into thinking that the Babylonian forces will go away and leave you alone. For they will not go away.

Princes were hung by their hands; elders were mistreated.

I did not send those prophets, though they claim to be prophesying in my name. They may be saying,‘ No war or famine will happen in this land.’ But I, the LORD, say this about them:‘ War and starvation will kill those prophets.’The people to whom they are prophesying will die through war and famine. Their bodies will be thrown out into the streets of Jerusalem and there will be no one to bury them. This will happen to the men and their wives, their sons, and their daughters. For I will pour out on them the destruction they deserve.”“ Tell these people this, Jeremiah:‘ My eyes overflow with tears day and night without ceasing. For my people, my dear children, have suffered a crushing blow. They have suffered a serious wound.If I go out into the countryside, I see those who have been killed in battle. If I go into the city, I see those who are sick because of starvation. For both prophet and priest go about their own business in the land without having any real understanding.’”

Her consecrated ones were brighter than snow, whiter than milk; their bodies more ruddy than corals, their hair like lapis lazuli.ח( Khet)Now their appearance is darker than soot; they are not recognized in the streets. Their skin has shriveled on their bones; it is dried up, like tree bark.ט( Tet)Those who died by the sword are better off than those who die of hunger, those who waste away, struck down from lack of food.י( Yod)

There is no reason why you and your people should die in war or from starvation or disease! That’s what the LORD says will happen to any nation that will not be subject to the king of Babylon.Do not listen to the prophets who are telling you that you do not need to serve the king of Babylon. For they are prophesying lies to you.For I, the LORD, affirm that I did not send them. They are prophesying lies to you. If you listen to them, I will drive you and the prophets who are prophesying lies out of the land and you will all die in exile.”