Lamentations 1
1 How lonely lies the city, once so full of people! She who was great among the nations has become a widow. The princess of the provinces has become a slave.
How doth the city sit solitary, that was full of people! How is she become as a widow! She that was great among the nations, and princess among the provinces, How is she become tributary!
2 She weeps aloud in the night, with tears upon her cheeks. Among all her lovers there is no one to comfort her. All her friends have betrayed her; they have become her enemies.
She weepeth bitterly in the night; tears are upon her cheeks; Among all her lovers she hath no comforter; All her friends have dealt treacherously with her; they have become her enemies.
3 Judah has gone into exile under affliction and harsh slavery; she dwells among the nations but finds no place to rest. All her pursuers have overtaken her in the midst of her distress.
Judah goeth into exile, because of affliction and because of great servitude; She dwelleth among the nations, she findeth no rest; All her pursuers overtake her in the straits.
4 The roads to Zion mourn, because no one comes to her appointed feasts. All her gates are deserted; her priests groan, her maidens grieve, and she herself is bitter with anguish.
The ways to Zion mourn, because none come to the solemn feasts; All her gates are desolate, her priests sigh, Her virgins wail, and she is in bitterness.
5 Her foes have become her masters; her enemies are at ease. For the LORD has brought her grief because of her many transgressions. Her children have gone away as captives before the enemy.
Her adversaries have become the head; her enemies prosper; For Jehovah hath afflicted her for the multitude of her transgressions; Her children are gone into captivity before the enemy.
6 All the splendor has departed from the Daughter of Zion. Her princes are like deer that find no pasture; they lack the strength to flee in the face of the hunter.
From the daughter of Zion all her beauty is departed; Her princes are become like harts, that find no pasture; Without strength, they flee before the pursuer.
7 In the days of her affliction and wandering Jerusalem remembers all the treasures that were hers in days of old. When her people fell into enemy hands she received no help. Her enemies looked upon her, laughing at her downfall.
Jerusalem remembereth, in the days of her affliction and of her oppression, All her pleasant things, which she had in the days of old, When her people fell into the hand of the enemy, and she had no helper; Her adversaries saw her, and mocked at her destruction.
8 Jerusalem has sinned greatly; therefore she has become an object of scorn. All who honored her now despise her, for they have seen her nakedness; she herself groans and turns away.
Jerusalem hath grievously sinned; therefore is she become vile; All that honored her despise her, because they have seen her shame; She sigheth, and turneth backward.
9 Her uncleanness stains her skirts; she did not consider her end. Her downfall was astounding; there was no one to comfort her. Look, O LORD, on my affliction, for the enemy has triumphed!
Her filthiness is upon her skirts; She thought not of her end, therefore is she brought down wonderfully; she hath no comforter. “Behold, O Jehovah, my affliction, for the enemy doth triumph!”
10 The adversary has seized all her treasures. For she has seen the nations enter her sanctuary— those You had forbidden to enter Your assembly.
The adversary spreadeth his hands over all her pleasant things; Yea, she seeth the nations enter into her sanctuary, Concerning whom thou didst command that they should not enter into her congregation.
11 All her people groan as they search for bread. They have traded their treasures for food to keep themselves alive. Look, O LORD, and consider, for I have become despised.
All her people sigh; they seek bread; They give their precious things for bread to sustain life. “Behold, O Jehovah, and consider, how I am become vile!”
12 Is this nothing to you, all you who pass by? Look around and see! Is there any sorrow like mine, which was inflicted on me, which the LORD made me suffer on the day of His fierce anger?
“Is it nothing to you, all ye that pass by? Behold, and see, if there be any sorrow like to my sorrow, which is brought upon me, With which Jehovah hath afflicted me in the day of his fierce anger!
13 He sent fire from on high, and it overpowered my bones. He spread a net for my feet and turned me back. He made me desolate, faint all the day long.
“From on high hath he sent fire into my bones, and it prevailed against them: He hath spread a net for my feet; he hath turned me back; He hath made me desolate, faint all the day long.
14 My transgressions are bound into a yoke, knit together by His hand; they are draped over my neck, and the Lord has broken my strength. He has delivered me into the hands of those I cannot withstand.
“The yoke of my transgressions is fastened in his hand; they are twisted together; They are laid upon my neck; he hath made my strength to fall; The Lord hath delivered me into their hands, against whom I cannot stand.
15 The Lord has rejected all the mighty men in my midst; He has summoned an army against me to crush my young warriors. Like grapes in a winepress, the Lord has trampled the Virgin Daughter of Judah.
“The Lord hath trodden under foot all my mighty men in the midst of me; He hath called an assembly against me to crush my young men; The Lord hath trodden down the virgin, the daughter of Judah, as in a wine-vat.
16 For these things I weep; my eyes flow with tears. For there is no one nearby to comfort me, no one to revive my soul. My children are destitute because the enemy has prevailed.
“For these things do I weep; mine eye runneth down with water; For far from me are they that should comfort me, that should restore my strength; My children have perished, because the enemy prevailed.”
17 Zion stretches out her hands, but there is no one to comfort her. The LORD has decreed against Jacob that his neighbors become his foes. Jerusalem has become an unclean thing among them.
Zion spreadeth forth her hands, and there is none to comfort her; Jehovah hath given command against Jacob, that his adversaries should be round about him; Jerusalem is become an abhorrence among them.
18 The LORD is righteous, for I have rebelled against His command. Listen, all you people; look upon my suffering. My young men and maidens have gone into captivity.
“Righteous is Jehovah, for I have disobeyed his commandment; Hear, I pray you, all ye nations, and behold my sorrow! My virgins and my young men are gone into captivity.
19 I called out to my lovers, but they have betrayed me. My priests and elders perished in the city while they searched for food to keep themselves alive.
“I called upon my lovers, but they have proved false to me; My priests and my elders have expired in the city, While they sought for food to sustain their lives.
20 See, O LORD, how distressed I am! I am churning within; my heart is pounding within me, for I have been most rebellious. Outside, the sword bereaves; inside, there is death.
“Behold, O Jehovah, how I am distressed! my bowels boil, My heart turneth itself within me; for I have grievously rebelled. Abroad the sword bereaveth; at home, Death.
21 People have heard my groaning, but there is no one to comfort me. All my enemies have heard of my trouble; they are glad that You have caused it. May You bring the day You have announced, so that they may become like me.
“They hear how I sigh, yet none comforteth me; mine enemies have heard of my calamity; they rejoice that thou hast done it. O bring the day which thou hast appointed, that they shall be like me!
22 Let all their wickedness come before You, and deal with them as You have dealt with me because of all my transgressions. For my groans are many, and my heart is faint.
“Let all their wickedness come before thee, deal thou with them as thou hast dealt with me for all my transgressions! For my sighs are many, and my heart is faint.”
