17. Zion reaches out its hands. But no one is there to comfort its people. The Lord has ordered that the neighbors of Jacob's people would become their enemies. Jerusalem has become polluted among them.
18. Its people say, "The Lord always does what is right. But we refused to obey his commands. Listen, all of you nations. Pay attention to how much we're suffering. Our young women and young men have been taken away as prisoners.
19. "We called out to those who were going to help us. But they turned against us. Our priests and elders died in the city. They were searching for food just to stay alive.