“ Jerusalem! Jerusalem! You kill the prophets and throw stones in order to kill those who are sent to you. Many times I have wanted to gather your people together. I have wanted to be like a hen who gathers her chicks under her wings. And you would not let me.

耶路撒冷啊！耶路撒冷啊！你常杀害先知，又用石头打死那奉差遣到你这里来的人。我多次愿意聚集你的儿女，好像母鸡把小鸡聚集在翅膀底下；只是你们不愿意。

耶路撒冷啊，耶路撒冷啊，你常杀害先知，又用石头打死那奉差遣到你这里来的人。我多少次想聚集你的儿女，好像母鸡把小鸡聚集在翅膀底下，可是你们不愿意。

耶路撒冷啊，耶路撒冷啊，你常杀害先知，又用石头打死那奉差遣到你这里来的人。我多少次想聚集你的儿女，好像母鸡把小鸡聚集在翅膀底下，可是你们不愿意。

“耶路撒冷啊，耶路撒冷啊！你常杀害先知，又用石头打死派到你那里的使者。我多次想要招聚你的儿女，像母鸡将小鸡招聚在翅膀底下，可是你们却不肯。

耶路撒冷啊，耶路撒冷，你杀害先知，又用石头把奉派到你那里的人打死。我多次想招聚你的儿女，好像母鸡招聚小鸡到翅膀底下，只是你们不愿意。

“耶路撒冷啊，耶路撒冷！这城杀害先知们，又用石头砸死被差到她这里的人！我多次想聚集你的儿女，像母鸡把自己的小鸡聚集在翅膀下，可是你们不愿意！

耶路撒冷啊！耶路撒冷啊！你常殺害先知，又用石頭打死那奉差遣到你這裏來的人。我多次願意聚集你的兒女，好像母雞把小雞聚集在翅膀底下；只是你們不願意。

耶路撒冷啊，耶路撒冷啊，你常殺害先知，又用石頭打死那奉差遣到你這裏來的人。我多少次想聚集你的兒女，好像母雞把小雞聚集在翅膀底下，可是你們不願意。

耶路撒冷啊，耶路撒冷啊，你常殺害先知，又用石頭打死那奉差遣到你這裏來的人。我多少次想聚集你的兒女，好像母雞把小雞聚集在翅膀底下，可是你們不願意。

「耶路撒冷啊，耶路撒冷啊！你常殺害先知，又用石頭打死派到你那裡的使者。我多次想要招聚你的兒女，像母雞將小雞招聚在翅膀底下，可是你們卻不肯。

耶路撒冷啊，耶路撒冷，你殺害先知，又用石頭把奉派到你那裡的人打死。我多次想招聚你的兒女，好像母雞招聚小雞到翅膀底下，只是你們不願意。

耶路撒冷啊，耶路撒冷，你常殺害神言人，扔石頭打死奉差遣到你裏面去的人。我多少次願意聚集你的兒女，彷彿母雞把自己的小雞聚集在翅膀底下，你們卻不願意！

「耶路撒冷啊，耶路撒冷！這城殺害先知們，又用石頭砸死被差到她這裡的人！我多次想聚集你的兒女，像母雞把自己的小雞聚集在翅膀下，可是你們不願意！

耶路撒冷歟、耶路撒冷歟、殺先知、石擊使於爾者乎、我欲集爾赤子、似牝鷄集雛翼下者屢矣、而爾不欲也、

耶路撒冷乎、耶路撒冷乎、爾殺先知、石擊奉使者、我欲集爾赤子、似母雞集雛翼下、已幾何時、惟爾不欲、

耶路撒冷乎、耶路撒冷乎、常殺先知、石擊奉遣就爾者、我屢欲集爾赤子、似母鷄集雛於翼下、惟爾不欲、

『耶路撒冷乎！殘殺先知、石擊天主使臣之耶路撒冷乎！吾之欲集汝兒女、若牝禽之覆翼其雛者、不已頻乎！而汝終莫之許也！

“ Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing.

O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!

“ O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones God’s messengers! How often I have wanted to gather your children together as a hen protects her chicks beneath her wings, but you wouldn’t let me.

“ Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her. How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!

Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who have been sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, just as a hen gathers her young under her wings, and you were unwilling!

“ O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, but you were not willing!

O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, that killeth the prophets, and stoneth them that are sent unto her! how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her own brood under her wings, and ye would not!

“ Jerusalem, Jerusalem! She who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her. How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!

O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee; how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen[ doth gather] her brood under[ her] wings, and ye would not!

O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those who are sent to you! How often I have longed to gather your children together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you would have none of it!

“ Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, like a hen gathers her own brood under her wings, and you refused!

Was there ever a prophet your people didn’t try to hurt? They even killed those who told about the coming of the Blameless One. And now you have handed him over to his enemies. You have murdered him.

He was like an eagle that stirs up its nest. It hovers over its little ones. It spreads out its wings to catch them. It carries them up in the air on its feathers.The Lord was the only one who led Israel. No other god was with them.

“ Jerusalem! Jerusalem! You kill the prophets and throw stones in order to kill those who are sent to you. Many times I have wanted to gather your people together. I have wanted to be like a hen who gathers her chicks under her wings. And you would not let me!Look, your house is left empty.I tell you, you will not see me again until you say,‘ Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.’ ”( Psalm 118:26)

He approached Jerusalem. When he saw the city, he began to weep.He said,“ I wish you had known today what would bring you peace! But now it is hidden from your eyes.

You didn’t recognize the time when God came to you. So your enemies will smash you to the ground. They will destroy you and all the people inside your walls. They will not leave one stone on top of another.”

The Lord and King is the Holy One of Israel. He says,“ You will find peace and rest when you turn away from your sins and depend on me. You will receive the strength you need when you stay calm and trust in me. But you do not want to do what I tell you to.

I also gave them another command. I said,‘ Obey me. Then I will be your God. And you will be my people. Live the way I command you to live. Then things will go well with you.’But they did not listen. They refused to pay any attention to me. Instead, they did what their stubborn and evil hearts wanted them to do. They went backward and not forward.

Jesus turned and said to them,“ Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me. Weep for yourselves and for your children.

May the Lord reward you for what you have done. May the Lord, the God of Israel, bless you richly. You have come to him to find safety under his care.”

People of Zion, be glad. Be joyful because of what the Lord your God has done. He has given you the right amount of rain in the fall. That’s because he is faithful. He has sent you plenty of showers. He has sent fall and spring rains alike, just as he did before.

“ That’s why I am weeping. Tears are flowing from my eyes. No one is near to comfort me. No one can heal my spirit. My children don’t have anything. My enemies are much too strong for me.”

Again and again I sent my servants the prophets. They said,‘ Don’t worship other gods! The Lord hates it!’But the people didn’t listen. They didn’t pay any attention. They didn’t turn from their sinful ways. They didn’t stop burning incense to other gods.So my burning anger was poured out. It blazed out against the towns of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem. It made them the dry and empty places they are today.”

I wish they were wise. Then they would understand what’s coming. They’d realize what would happen to them in the end.

“ Do not be like your people of long ago. The earlier prophets gave them my message. I said,‘ Stop doing what is evil. Turn away from your sinful practices.’ But they would not listen to me. They would not pay any attention,” announces the Lord.

Hagar stands for Mount Sinai in Arabia. She stands for the present city of Jerusalem. That’s because she and her children are slaves.But the Jerusalem that is above is free. She is our mother.

“ The older brother became angry. He refused to go in. So his father went out and begged him.

Their bodies will lie in the main street of the great city. It is also the city where their Lord was nailed to a cross. The city is sometimes compared to Sodom or Egypt.

But the more I called out to Israel, the more they went away from me. They brought sacrifices to the statues of the gods that were named Baal. And they burned incense to them.

But the people made evil plans against Zechariah. The king ordered them to kill Zechariah by throwing stones at him. They did it in the courtyard of the Lord’ s temple.King Joash didn’t remember how kind Zechariah’s father Jehoiada had been to him. So he killed Jehoiada’s son. As Zechariah was dying he said,“ May the Lord see this. May he hold you responsible.”

“ But they didn’t obey you. Instead, they turned against you. They turned their backs on your law. They killed your prophets. The prophets had warned them to return to you. But they did very evil things that dishonored you.

He will cover you with his wings. Under the feathers of his wings you will find safety. He is faithful. He will keep you safe like a shield or a tower.

When I came to save you, why didn’t anyone welcome me? When I called out to you, why didn’t anyone answer me? Wasn’t I powerful enough to set you free? Wasn’t I strong enough to save you? I dry up the sea with a single command. I turn rivers into a desert. Then fish rot because they do not have any water. They die because they are thirsty.

The Lord tells the people of Judah,“ Stand where the roads cross, and look around. Ask where the old paths are. Ask for the good path, and walk on it. Then your hearts will find rest in me. But you said,‘ We won’t walk on it.’

Have mercy on me, God. Have mercy on me. I go to you for safety. I will find safety in the shadow of your wings. There I will stay until the danger is gone.

“ I wish my people would listen to me! I wish Israel would live as I want them to live!

It happened because Jerusalem’s prophets had sinned. Her priests had done evil things. All of them spilled the blood of those who did what was right.

And Saul had agreed with the Sanhedrin that Stephen should die. On that day the church in Jerusalem began to be attacked and treated badly. All except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria.

But I wish they would always have respect for me in their hearts. I wish they would always obey all my commands. Then things would go well with them and their children forever.

While the members of the Sanhedrin were throwing stones at Stephen, he prayed.“ Lord Jesus, receive my spirit,” he said.

“ But the renters grabbed his slaves. They beat one of them. They killed another. They threw stones at the third to kill him.Then the man sent other slaves to the renters. He sent more than he did the first time. The renters treated them the same way.

The rest grabbed his slaves. They treated them badly and then killed them.

You spoke against the Holy and Blameless One. You asked for a murderer to be set free instead.You killed the one who gives life. But God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this.

For many years you put up with them. By your Spirit you warned them through your prophets. In spite of that, they didn’t pay any attention. So you handed them over to the nations that were around them.

Let Israel be filled with joy because God is their Maker. Let the people of Zion be glad because he is their King.

“ Jehonadab, the son of Rekab, ordered his children not to drink wine. And they have kept his command. To this day they do not drink wine. They obey the command Jehonadab gave their people long ago. But I have spoken to you again and again. In spite of that, you have not obeyed me.

The Lord is the Holy One of Israel. He sets his people free. He says to them,“ I am the Lord your God. I teach you what is best for you. I direct you in the way you should go.I wish you would pay attention to my commands. If you did, peace would flow over you like a river. Godliness would sweep over you like the waves of the ocean.Your family would be like the sand. Your children after you would be as many as the grains of sand by the sea. It would be impossible to count them. I would always accept the members of your family line. They would never disappear or be destroyed.”

But you refuse to listen when I call out to you. No one pays attention when I reach out my hand.You turn away from all my advice. And you do not accept my warning.So I will laugh at you when you are in danger. I will make fun of you when hard times come.I will laugh when hard times hit you like a storm. I will laugh when danger comes your way like a windstorm. I will make fun of you when suffering and trouble come.“ Then you will call to me. But I won’t answer. You will look for me. But you won’t find me.You hated knowledge. You didn’t choose to have respect for the Lord.You wouldn’t accept my advice. You turned your backs on my warnings.

He sent his slaves to those who had been invited to the dinner. The slaves told them to come. But they refused.

The Lord, the God of Israel, sent word to his people through his messengers. He sent it to them again and again. He took pity on his people. He also took pity on the temple where he lived.But God’s people made fun of his messengers. They hated his words. They laughed at his prophets. Finally the Lord’ s great anger was stirred up against his people. Nothing could save them.

How priceless your faithful love is! People find safety in the shadow of your wings.

I am the Lord your God. I brought you up out of Egypt. Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it with good things.“ But my people wouldn’t listen to me. Israel wouldn’t obey me.

My people have made up their minds to turn away from me. Even if they call me the Most High God, I will certainly not honor them.”

“ I punished your people. But it did not do them any good. They did not pay attention when they were corrected. You have killed your prophets by swords. You have swallowed them up like a hungry lion.

Those men brought Uriah out of Egypt. They took him to King Jehoiakim. Then the king had Uriah struck down with a sword. He had Uriah’s body thrown into one of the graves of the ordinary people.

Take good care of me, just as you would take care of your own eyes. Hide me in the shadow of your wings.