The LORD spoke to me after Nebuzaradan, the commanding officer, had set me free at Ramah. I had been taken there in chains, along with all the other people from Jerusalem and Judah who were being taken away as prisoners to Babylonia.

There were also Gibeon, Ramah, Beeroth,

Then he would go back to his home in Ramah, where also he would serve as judge. In Ramah he built an altar to the LORD.

"A sound is heard in Ramah, the sound of bitter weeping. Rachel is crying for her children; she refuses to be comforted, for they are dead."

All his sons and daughters came to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted and said, "I will go down to the world of the dead still mourning for my son." So he continued to mourn for his son Joseph.

In times of trouble I pray to the Lord; all night long I lift my hands in prayer, but I cannot find comfort.

Now leave me alone to weep bitterly over all those of my people who have died. Don't try to comfort me.

They said, "We were twelve brothers in all, sir, sons of the same man in the land of Canaan. One brother is dead, and the youngest is now with our father."

Their father said to them, "Do you want to make me lose all my children? Joseph is gone; Simeon is gone; and now you want to take away Benjamin. I am the one who suffers!"

Can't you ever forgive my sin? Can't you pardon the wrong I do? Soon I will be in my grave, and I'll be gone when you look for me.

but later I passed by, and he wasn't there; I looked for him, but couldn't find him.

Our ancestors sinned, but now they are gone, and we are suffering for their sins.