Jeremiah 6:21-28

So this is what the LORD says: “I will put problems in front of Judah. Fathers and sons will stumble over them together. Neighbors and friends will die.” This is what the LORD says: “Look, an army is coming from the land of the north; a great nation is coming from the far sides of the earth. The soldiers carry bows and spears. They are cruel and show no mercy. They sound like the roaring ocean when they ride their horses. That army is coming lined up for battle, ready to attack you, Jerusalem.” We have heard the news about that army and are helpless from fear. We are gripped by our pain, like a woman having a baby. Don’t go out into the fields or walk down the roads, because the enemy has swords. There is terror on every side. My people, put on rough cloth and roll in the ashes to show how sad you are. Cry loudly for those who are dead, as if your only son were dead, because the destroyer will soon come against us. “Jeremiah, I have made you like a worker who tests metal, and my people are like the ore. You must observe their ways and test them. All my people have turned against me and are stubborn. They go around telling lies about others. They are like bronze and iron that became covered with rust. They all act dishonestly.