At that time the Lord, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, called you to weep and mourn. He told you to shave your heads in sorrow for your sins and to wear clothes of burlap to show your remorse.
Beside the rivers of Babylon, we sat and wept as we thought of Jerusalem.We put away our harps, hanging them on the branches of poplar trees.For our captors demanded a song from us. Our tormentors insisted on a joyful hymn:“ Sing us one of those songs of Jerusalem!”But how can we sing the songs of the Lord while in a pagan land?
The grapevines waste away, and there is no new wine. All the merrymakers sigh and mourn.The cheerful sound of tambourines is stilled; the happy cries of celebration are heard no more. The melodious chords of the harp are silent.Gone are the joys of wine and song; alcoholic drink turns bitter in the mouth.