“In all the squares ^(B)there shall be wailing,
    and in all the streets they shall say, ‘Alas! Alas!’
They shall call the farmers to mourning
    and ^(C)to wailing those who are skilled in lamentation,

^11 (A)Be ashamed,^[a] O tillers of the soil;
    wail, O vinedressers,
for the wheat and the barley,
    ^(B)because the harvest of the field has perished.

¹⁷ Thus says the Lord of hosts:
^(A)“Consider, and call for the mourning women to come;
    send for the skillful women to come;
¹⁸ let them make haste ^(B)and raise a wailing over us,
    ^(C)that our eyes may run down with tears
    and our eyelids flow with water.
¹⁹ For a sound of wailing is heard from Zion:
    ^(D)‘How we are ruined!
    We are utterly shamed,
because we have left the land,
    because they have cast down our dwellings.’”

²⁰ Hear, O women, the word of the Lord,
    and let your ear receive the word of his mouth;
teach to your daughters a lament,
    and each to her neighbor a dirge.

¹⁰ “I will take up weeping and wailing for the mountains,
    and a lamentation for ^(A)the pastures of the wilderness,
^(B)because they are laid waste so that no one passes through,
    and the lowing of cattle is not heard;
^(C)both the birds of the air and the beasts
    have fled and are gone.

“Alas, alas, for the great city
    ^(B)where all who had ships at sea
    grew rich by her wealth!
For ^(C)in a single hour she has been laid waste.

¹⁶ “Alas, alas, for the great city
    ^(C)that was clothed in fine linen,
        in purple and scarlet,
    adorned with gold,
        with jewels, and with pearls!

“Alas! Alas! ^(B)You great city,
    you mighty city, Babylon!
For ^(C)in a single hour your judgment has come.”

^8 (A)For this I will lament and wail;
    I will go ^(B)stripped and naked;
I will make lamentation ^(C)like the jackals,
    and mourning ^(D)like the ostriches.