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29 Every city flees for the noise of the horsemen and archers. They go into the thickets, and climb up on the rocks. Every city is forsaken, and not a man dwells therein. 30 You, when you are made desolate, what will you do? Though you clothe yourself with scarlet, though you deck yourself with ornaments of gold, though you enlarge your eyes with makeup, you make yourself beautiful in vain. Your lovers despise you. They seek your life. 31 For I have heard a voice as of a woman in travail, the anguish as of her who gives birth to her first child, the voice of the daughter of Zion, who gasps for breath, who spreads her hands, saying, “Woe is me now! For my soul faints before the murderers.”

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29 At the sound of horsemen and archers(A)
    every town takes to flight.(B)
Some go into the thickets;
    some climb up among the rocks.(C)
All the towns are deserted;(D)
    no one lives in them.

30 What are you doing,(E) you devastated one?
    Why dress yourself in scarlet
    and put on jewels(F) of gold?
Why highlight your eyes with makeup?(G)
    You adorn yourself in vain.
Your lovers(H) despise you;
    they want to kill you.(I)

31 I hear a cry as of a woman in labor,(J)
    a groan as of one bearing her first child—
the cry of Daughter Zion(K) gasping for breath,(L)
    stretching out her hands(M) and saying,
“Alas! I am fainting;
    my life is given over to murderers.”(N)

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