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Jeremiah 4:31
I hear a cry like the cry of a woman having a baby. I hear a groan like someone having her first child. It’s the cry of the people of Zion struggling to breathe. They reach out their hands and say,“ Help us! We’re fainting! Murderers are about to kill us!”
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Lamentations 1:9
Her skirts are dirty. She didn’t think about how things might turn out. Her fall from power amazed everyone. And no one was there to comfort her. She said,“ Lord, please pay attention to how much I’m suffering. My enemies have won the battle over me.”
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Isaiah 1:15
You might spread out your hands toward me when you pray. But I do not look at you. You might even offer many prayers. But I am not listening to them. Your hands are covered with the blood of the people you have murdered.
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2 Kings 25 1
Nebuchadnezzar was king of Babylon. He marched out against Jerusalem. His whole army went with him. It was in the ninth year of the rule of Zedekiah. It was on the tenth day of the tenth month. Nebuchadnezzar set up camp outside the city. He brought in war machines all around it.
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Lamentations 1:16
“ 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.”
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2 Kings 24 2-2 Kings 24 4
The Lord sent robbers against Jehoiakim from Babylon, Aram, Moab and Ammon. He sent them to destroy Judah. That’s what the Lord had said would happen. He had spoken that message through his servants the prophets.These things happened to Judah in keeping with what the Lord had commanded. He brought enemies against his people in order to remove them from his land. He removed them because of all the sins Manasseh had committed.Manasseh had spilled the blood of many people who weren’t guilty of doing anything wrong. In fact, he spilled so much of their blood that he filled Jerusalem with it. So the Lord refused to forgive him.
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Ezekiel 36:17
“ Son of man, the people of Israel used to live in their own land. But they made it‘ unclean’ because of how they acted and the way they lived. To me they were‘ unclean’ like a woman having her monthly period.
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Lamentations 1:2
Jerusalem weeps bitterly at night. Tears run down her cheeks. None of her friends comforts her. All those who were going to help her have turned against her. They have become her enemies.
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Jeremiah 6:3
Shepherds will come against it with their flocks. They will set up their tents around it. All of them will take care of their own sheep.”
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Lamentations 4:15
“ Go away! You are‘ unclean’!” people cry out to them.“ Go away! Get out of here! Don’t touch us!” So they run away and wander around. Then people among the nations say,“ They can’t stay here anymore.”
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1 Kings 8 22
Then Solomon stood in front of the Lord’ s altar. He stood in front of the whole community of Israel. He spread out his hands toward heaven.
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Lamentations 1:21
“ People have heard me groan. But no one is here to comfort me. My enemies have heard about all my troubles. What you have done makes them happy. So please judge them, just as you said you would. Let them become like me.
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Leviticus 15:19-27
“‘ Suppose a woman is having her regular monthly period. Then for seven days she will be“ unclean.” Anyone who touches her will be“ unclean” until evening.“‘ Anything she lies on during her period will be“ unclean.” Anything she sits on will be“ unclean.”Anyone who touches her bed must wash their clothes. They must take a bath. They will be“ unclean” until evening.Anyone who touches anything she sits on must wash their clothes. They must take a bath. They will be“ unclean” until evening.It does not matter whether it was her bed or anything she was sitting on. If anyone touches it, they will be“ unclean” until evening.“‘ Suppose a man sleeps with that woman. And suppose blood from her monthly period touches him. Then he will be“ unclean” for seven days. Any bed he lies on will be“ unclean.”“‘ Suppose blood flows from a woman’s body for many days. And it happens at a time other than her monthly period. Or blood keeps flowing after her period is over. Then she will be“ unclean” as long as the blood continues to flow. She will be“ unclean,” just as she is during the days of her period.Any bed she lies on while her blood continues to flow will be“ unclean.” It is the same as it is when she is having her period. Anything she sits on will be“ unclean.”If anyone touches those things, they will be“ unclean.” They must wash their clothes. They must take a bath. They will be“ unclean” until evening.
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Jeremiah 34:22
But I am going to give an order,” announces the Lord.“ I will bring them back to this city. They will fight against it. They will capture it and burn it down. And I will completely destroy the towns of Judah. No one will be able to live there.”
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Lamentations 2:17-22
The Lord has done what he planned to do. He has made what he said come true. He gave the command long ago. He has destroyed you without pity. He has let your enemies laugh at you. He has made them stronger than you are.People in the city of Zion, cry out from your heart to the Lord. Let your tears flow like a river day and night. Don’t stop at all. Don’t give your eyes any rest.Get up. Cry out as the night begins. Tell the Lord all your troubles. Lift up your hands to him. Pray that the lives of your children will be spared. At every street corner they faint because they are so hungry.Jerusalem says,“ Lord, look at me. Think about my condition. Have you ever treated anyone else like this? Should women have to eat their babies? Should they eat the children they’ve taken care of? Should priests and prophets be killed in your own temple?“ Young people and old people alike lie dead in the dust of my streets. My young men and women have been killed by swords. You killed them when you were angry. You put them to death without pity.“ You sent for terrors to come against me on every side. It was as if you were inviting people to enjoy a feast day. Because you were angry, no one escaped. No one was left alive. I took good care of my children and brought them up. But my enemies have destroyed them.”
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Ezekiel 7:23-24
“‘ Ezekiel, get ready to put my people in chains. The land is full of murderers. They are harming one another all over Jerusalem.I will bring the most evil nations against them. They will take over the houses in the city. I will put an end to the pride of those who are mighty. Their holy places will be made“ unclean.”
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Lamentations 1:19
“ 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.
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1 Kings 8 38
But suppose one of your people prays to you. They ask you to help them. They are aware of how much their own heart is suffering. And they spread out their hands toward this temple to pray.
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Lamentations 2:1-8
See how the Lord covered the city of Zion with the cloud of his anger! He threw Israel’s glory down from heaven to earth. When he was angry, he turned his back on his own city.Without pity the Lord swallowed up all the homes of Jacob’s people. When he was angry, he tore down the forts of the people of Judah. He brought down their kingdom and princes to the ground in dishonor.When he was very angry, he took away Israel’s power. He pulled back his powerful right hand as the enemy approached. His burning anger blazed out in Jacob’s land. It burned up everything near it.Like an enemy the Lord got his bow ready to use. He had a sword in his right hand. Like an enemy he destroyed everything that used to be pleasing to him. His anger blazed out like fire. It burned up the homes in the city of Zion.The Lord was like an enemy. He swallowed up Israel. He swallowed up all of its palaces. He destroyed its forts. He filled the people of Judah with sorrow and sadness.The Lord’ s temple was like a garden. But he completely destroyed it. He destroyed the place where he used to meet with his people. He made Zion’s people forget their appointed feasts and Sabbath days. When he was very angry, he turned his back on king and priest alike.The Lord deserted his altar. He left his temple. He gave the walls of Jerusalem’s palaces into the hands of her enemies. They shouted loudly in the house of the Lord. You would have thought it was the day of an appointed feast.The Lord decided to tear down the walls around the city of Zion. He measured out what he wanted to destroy. Then he destroyed Jerusalem by his power. He made even her towers and walls sing songs of sadness. All of them fell down.
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Hosea 8:8
So the people of Israel are swallowed up. Now they are among the nations like something no one wants.
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Jeremiah 16:6
“ Important and unimportant people alike will die in this land. Their bodies will not be buried. No one will mourn for them. No one will cut themselves or shave their head for the dead.
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Jeremiah 21:4-5
‘ The Lord is the God of Israel. He says,“ The king of Babylon and his armies are all around this city. They are getting ready to attack you. You have weapons of war in your hands to fight against them. But I am about to turn your weapons against you. And I will bring your enemies inside this city.I myself will fight against you. I will reach out my powerful hand and mighty arm. I will come against you with all my great anger.
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Luke 19:43-44
The days will come when your enemies will arrive. They will build a wall of dirt up against your city. They will surround you and close you in on every side.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.”