And now, you rich people, listen to me! Weep and wail over the miseries that are coming upon you!

Your riches have rotted away, and your clothes have been eaten by moths.

Before you punished me, I used to go wrong, but now I obey your word.

My punishment was good for me, because it made me learn your commands.

My tears pour down like a river, because people do not obey your law.

Let those who wept as they planted their crops, gather the harvest with joy!

Those who wept as they went out carrying the seed will come back singing for joy, as they bring in the harvest.

It is better to go to a home where there is mourning than to one where there is a party, because the living should always remind themselves that death is waiting for us all.

Someone who is always thinking about happiness is a fool. A wise person thinks about death.

The Sovereign LORD Almighty was calling you then to weep and mourn, to shave your heads and wear sackcloth.

Instead, you laughed and celebrated. You killed sheep and cattle to eat, and you drank wine. You said, "We might as well eat and drink! Tomorrow we'll be dead."

My people will return weeping, praying as I lead them back. I will guide them to streams of water, on a smooth road where they will not stumble. I am like a father to Israel, and Ephraim is my oldest son."

Then the young women will dance and be happy, and men, young and old, will rejoice. I will comfort them and turn their mourning into joy, their sorrow into gladness.

"I hear the people of Israel say in grief, ' LORD, we were like an untamed animal, but you taught us to obey. Bring us back; we are ready to return to you, the LORD our God.

"Israel, you are my dearest child, the one I love best. Whenever I mention your name, I think of you with love. My heart goes out to you; I will be merciful.

Some will escape to the mountains like doves frightened from the valleys. All of them will moan over their sins.

I will forgive all the wrongs you have done, but you will remember them and be too ashamed to open your mouth." The Sovereign LORD has spoken.

"I will fill the descendants of David and the other people of Jerusalem with the spirit of mercy and the spirit of prayer. They will look at the one whom they stabbed to death, and they will mourn for him like those who mourn for an only child. They will mourn bitterly, like those who have lost their first-born son.

Each family in the land will mourn by itself: the family descended from David, the family descended from Nathan, the family descended from Levi, the family descended from Shimei, and all the other families. Each family will mourn by itself, and the men of each family will mourn separately from the women.

(SEE 12:12)

"Happy are those who mourn; God will comfort them!

"Happy are you who are hungry now; you will be filled! "Happy are you who weep now; you will laugh!

For the sadness that is used by God brings a change of heart that leads to salvation---and there is no regret in that! But sadness that is merely human causes death.

See what God did with this sadness of yours: how earnest it has made you, how eager to prove your innocence! Such indignation, such alarm, such feelings, such devotion, such readiness to punish wrongdoing! You have shown yourselves to be without fault in the whole matter.

Where once I heard joyful music, now I hear only mourning and weeping.

Laughter may hide sadness. When happiness is gone, sorrow is always there.

I discovered that laughter is foolish, that pleasure does you no good.

When a fool laughs, it is like thorns crackling in a fire. It doesn't mean a thing.

Happiness has gone out of our lives; grief has taken the place of our dances.

"How terrible for you who are full now; you will go hungry! "How terrible for you who laugh now; you will mourn and weep!

But Abraham said, 'Remember, my son, that in your lifetime you were given all the good things, while Lazarus got all the bad things. But now he is enjoying himself here, while you are in pain.

Give her as much suffering and grief as the glory and luxury she gave herself. For she keeps telling herself: 'Here I sit, a queen! I am no widow, I will never know grief !'

Because of this, in one day she will be struck with plagues--- disease, grief, and famine. And she will be burned with fire, because the Lord God, who judges her, is mighty."