# General Information:

This chapter pictures Jerusalem as having a funeral with its typical songs. This is an image used to describe their destruction. It is a time of great sadness. The ULB sets poetry (9:1-12, 17-24) farther to the right than the rest of the text to show that it is poetry. The prophecy revealed to Jeremiah is recorded in 8:5-9:12. Despite covering more than one chapter, this should be seen as one unit.

# If only my head could produce water, and my eyes be a fountain of tears

"I wish I could make more tears". This is Jeremiah speaking.

# day and night

"all the time" or "continually"

# the daughter of my people

"my people, who are like Yahweh's daughter". Yahweh shows his love for his people by speaking of them as a daughter. Here Jeremiah uses this same phrase for the people. See Jeremiah 4:11.

# who have been killed

"whom the enemy has killed"