Lamentations 1
1 And it came to pass, after Israel was taken captive, and Jerusalem made desolate, [that] Jeremias sat weeping, and lamented [with] this lamentation over Jerusalem, and said, ALEPH. How does the city that was filled with people sit solitary! she is become as a widow: she that was magnified amongst the nations, [and] princess amongst the provinces, has become tributary.
How is seated alone, the city that abounded with people, hath become as a widow, —She who abounded among the nations was a princess among provinces, hath come under tribute.
2 BETH. She weeps sore in the night, and her tears are on her cheeks; and there is none of all her lovers to comfort her: all that were her friends have dealt deceitfully with her, they are become her enemies.
She, weepeth sore, in the night, and, her tear, is on her cheek, She hath none to comfort her, of all her lovers, —All her friends, have betrayed her, have become her foes.
3 GIMEL. Judea is gone into captivity by reason of her affliction, and by reason of the abundance of her servitude: she dwells amongst the nations, she has not found rest: all her pursuers have overtaken her between her oppressors.
Carried away captive is Judah—because of oppression, and because of great servitude, She, hath remained among the nations, hath found no place of rest, —All her pursuers, have overtaken her, between straits.
4 DALETH. The ways of Sion mourn, because there are none that come to the feast: all her gates are ruined: her priests groan, her virgins are led captive, and she is in bitterness in herself.
The ways to Zion, are mourning, because none come to her appointed feasts, All her gates, are desolate, her priests, are sighing, —her virgins, are grieved, and, she, it is bitter for her.
5 HE. Her oppressors are become the head, and her enemies have prospered; for the Lord has afflicted her because of the multitude of her sins: her young children are gone into captivity before the face of the oppressor.
Her adversaries have become chief, her foes, are at ease, for, Yahweh, hath grieved her, because of the multitude of her transgressions, —Her children, have gone into captivity, before the adversary.
6 VAU. And all her beauty has been taken away from the daughter of Sion: her princes were as rams finding no pasture, and are gone [away] in weakness before the face of the pursuer.
Thus hath gone forth from the daughter of Zion, all that adorned her, —Her princes have become like harts that have found no pasture, and have gone strengthless before the pursuer.
7 ZAIN. Jerusalem remembered the days of her affliction, and her rejection; [she thought on] all her desirable things which were from the days of old, when her people fell into the hands of the oppressor, and there was none to help her: when her enemies saw [it] they laughed at her habitation.
Jerusalem hath remembered in the days of her humiliation and her fleeings—all her precious things, which have existed from the days of old, —Now that her people have been falling into the hand of the adversary, with none to help her, the adversaries have seen her, have mocked over her sabbath-keepings.
8 HETH. Jerusalem has sinned a [great] sin; therefore has she come into tribulation, all that used to honour her have afflicted her, for they have seen her shame: yes, she herself groaned, and turned backward.
Jerusalem, hath grievously sinned, For this cause, unto exile, hath she been delivered, —All who used to honour her, have despised her, for they have descried her unseemliness, yea, she herself, hath sighed, and turned back.
9 TETH. Her uncleanness is before her feet; she remembered not her last end; she has lowered her boasting [tone], there is none to comfort her. Behold, O Lord, my affliction: for the enemy has magnified himself.
Her impurity, is in her skirts, She hath not remembered her hereafter, Therefore hath she come down wonderfully, none to comfort her, —Behold, O Yahweh, my humiliation, that the foe, hath made himself great.
10 JOD. The oppressor has stretched out his hand on all her desirable things: for she has seen the Gentiles entering into her sanctuary, [concerning] whom you did command that they should not enter into your congregation.
His hand, hath the adversary spread out, over all her precious things, —for she saw that, the nations, entered her sanctuary, as to whom thou didst command they should not enter—in the convocation—unto thee!
11 CHAPH. All her people groan, seeking bread: they have given their desirable things for meat, to restore their soul: behold, Lord, and look; for she is become dishonoured.
All her people, are sighing, seeking bread, They have given their precious things for food, to bring back life, —Behold, O Yahweh, and discern, that I have become worthless.
12 LAMED. All you that pass by the way, turn, and see if there is sorrow like to my sorrow, which has happened [to me]. The Lord who spoke by me has afflicted me in the day of his fierce anger.
Is it nothing to you, all ye that pass by? Look around and see, whether there is pain like my pain, which is severely dealt out to me, —in that Yahweh, hath caused grief, in the day of the glow of his anger?
13 MEM. He has sent fire from his lofty habitation, he has brought it into my bones: he has spread a net for my feet, he has turned me back: he has made me desolate [and] mourning all the day.
From on high, sent he fire, among my bones, and laid them prostrate, —He spread out a net for my feet, he made me turn back, he made me desolate, all the day, faint.
14 NUN. He has watched over my sins, they are twined about my hands, they have come up on my neck: my strength has failed; for the Lord has laid pains on my hands, I shall not be able to stand.
The yoke of my transgressions, hath been bound, by his hand—They have intertwined themselves, have come up on my neck, it hath paralysed my strength, —My Lord, hath delivered me, into the hands of those against whom I cannot rise up.
15 SAMECH. The Lord has cut off all my strong men from the midst of me: he has summoned against me a time for crushing my choice men: the Lord has trodden a wine-press for the virgin daughter of Juda: for these things I weep.
My Lord, hath flouted at all my magnates, in my midst, He hath called against me a host, to crush my young men, —A winepress, hath My Lord trodden, to the virgin, the daughter of Judah.
16 AIN. Mine eye has poured out water, because he that should comfort me, that should restore my soul, has been removed far from me: my sons have been destroyed, because the enemy has prevailed.
For these things, am, I, weeping, Mine eye, mine eye, is running down with waters, for, far from me, is any who could comfort, could bring back my life, —My sons are amazed, for strong is the foe.
17 PHE. Sion has spread out her hand, [and] there is none to comfort her: the Lord has commanded [concerning] Jacob, his oppressors are round about him: Jerusalem has become amongst them as a removed woman.
Zion, hath spread forth, her hands, there is none to comfort her, Yahweh, hath given command, respecting Jacob, unto them who surround him—his adversaries, —Jerusalem, hath become as a removed woman, in their midst.
18 TSADE. The Lord is righteous; for I have provoked his mouth: hear, I pray you, all people, and behold my grief: my virgins and my young men are gone into captivity.
Righteous is Yahweh, for, against his bidding, had I rebelled, —Hear, I pray you, all ye peoples, and see my pain, My virgins and my young men, have gone into exile.
19 KOPH. I called my lovers, but they deceived me: my priests and my elders failed in the city; for they sought meat that they might restore their souls, and found [it] not.
I called to my lovers, they, deceived me, My priests and mine elders, in the city, have breathed their last, —for they sought them food, that they might bring back their life.
20 RHECHS. Behold, O Lord; for I am afflicted: my belly is troubled, and my heart is turned within me; for I have been grievously rebellious: abroad the sword has bereaved me, even as death at home.
See, O Yahweh, that I am in distress, Mine inward parts, are in ferment, My heart is turned within me, for I have obstinately rebelled, —Without, bereaveth the sword, Within, is like death,
21 CHSEN. Hear, I pray you, for I groan: there is none to comfort me: all mine enemies have heard [of] mine afflictions, and rejoice because you have done [it]: you have brought on the day, you have called the time: they are become like to me.
They have heard—that, sighing am, I, [and am saying] —There is none to comfort me, All my foes, —having heard of my calamity—have rejoiced, because, thou, hast done it, —thou hast brought in the day thou didst proclaim, So let them become like me.
22 THAU. Let all their wickedness come before your face; and strip them, as they have made a gleaning for all my sins: for my groans are many, and my heart is grieved.
Let all their wickedness, come in, before thee, and deal thou severely with them, according as thou hast dealt severely with me, for all my transgressions; for many are my sighs, and, my heart, is sick.
