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.
Oh how doth she sit solitary—the city that was full of people is become like a widow! she that was so great among the nations, the princess among the provinces, is 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 sorely in the night, and her tears are on her cheeks; she hath none to comfort her among all her lovers; all her friends have dealt treacherously toward her, they are 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.
Exiled is Judah because of affliction, and because of the greatness of servitude she dwelleth indeed among the nations, she findeth no rest: all her pursuers have overtaken her between the narrow passes.
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 are in mourning, because none come to the solemn feasts; all her gates are desolate; her priests sigh; her virgins moan, and she suffereth herself from bitter grief.
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 are become chiefs, her enemies prosper; for the Lord hath caused her to grieve because of the multitude of her transgressions: her babes are gone into captivity before the adversary.
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.
And there is gone forth from the daughter of Zion all her splendor: her princes are become like harts that have found no pasture, and they flee without strength 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 miseries all her magnificent things which have been in the days of old: when her people fell into the hand of the adversary, with none to help her, the adversaries looked at her, they laughed at the cessation [of her glory].
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.
A grievous sin did Jerusalem commit, therefore is she become a wanderer: all that honored her hold her in contempt, because they have seen her nakedness; she also sigheth, and turneth [ashamed] 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!
[With] her uncleanness on her skirts, she thought not of her latter end: therefore is she come down wonderfully, without one to comfort her. Behold, O Lord, my affliction; for the enemy hath become great [above me].
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.
His hand hath the adversary spread out over all her magnificent things; for she hath seen nations entering into her sanctuary, of whom thou didst command that they should not enter into thy 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 are seeking bread; they have given their precious things for food to refresh their soul: see, O Lord, and look, how I have been brought low.
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?
“I adjure you, all that pass this way, behold, and see if there be any pain like unto my pain, which hath been inflicted on me, wherewith the Lord hath aggrieved me on 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 a fire into my bones, and breaketh [them] one by one: he hath spread a net for my feet, he hath caused me to return backward; he hath made me desolate, sick all the day.
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.
Bound fast is the yoke of my transgressions by his hand, — they are wreathed, and come up upon my neck; he hath made my strength to stumble: the Lord hath given me up into the hands of [those against whom] I am not able to rise up.
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: a winepress hath the Lord trodden over the virgin, the daughter of Judah.
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; my eye, my eye runneth down with water; because far from me is the comforter that should refresh my soul: my children are in misery, because the enemy hath 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, without one to comfort her; the Lord hath given a charge concerning Jacob to all his adversaries round about him: Jerusalem is become as an unclean woman 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 the Lord; for against his orders have I rebelled: oh do hear, all ye people, and see my pain! 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 for my lovers, but they deceived me: my priests and my elders perished in the city; for they sought food for themselves to refresh their soul.
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.
See, O Lord! how I am in distress; my bowels are heated; my heart is turned round within me; because I have grievously rebelled: abroad bereaveth the sword, at home, like the pestilence.
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 greatly I sigh, [yet] there is none to comfort me; all my enemies have heard of my misfortune, they are glad that thou hast done it: oh that thou wouldst bring the day which thou hast proclaimed [against me], that they may become 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, and do unto them as thou hast done unto me because of all my transgressions; for many are my sighs, and my heart is sick.”
