Lamentations 1

1 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!

[ALEPH-BET] How she has sat alone, The city abounding with people! She has been as a widow, The mighty among nations! Princes among provinces, She has become tributary!

2 She weepeth sore 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 with her, they are become her enemies.

She weeps severely in the night, And her tear [is] on her cheeks, There is no comforter for her out of all her lovers, All her friends dealt treacherously by her, They have been to her for enemies.

3 Judah is gone into exile because of affliction, and because of great servitude; she dwelleth among the nations, she findeth no rest; all her pursuers overtook her within the straits.

Removed has Judah because of affliction, And because of the abundance of her service; She has dwelt among nations, She has not found rest, All her pursuers have overtaken her between the straits.

4 The ways of Zion do mourn, because none come to the solemn assembly; all her gates are desolate, her priests sigh; her virgins are afflicted, and she herself is in bitterness.

The ways of Zion are mourning, Without any coming at the appointed time, All her gates are desolate, her priests sigh, Her virgins are afflicted—and she has bitterness.

5 Her adversaries are become the head, her enemies are at ease; for the LORD hath afflicted her for the multitude of her transgressions; her young children are gone into captivity before the adversary.

Her adversaries have become chief, Her enemies have been at ease, For YHWH has afflicted her, For the abundance of her transgressions, Her infants have gone captive before the adversary.

6 And gone is from the daughter of Zion all her splendour; her princes are become like harts that find no pasture, and they are gone without strength before the pursuer.

And all her honor goes out from the daughter of Zion, Her princes have been as harts—They have not found pasture, And they go powerless before a pursuer.

7 Jerusalem remembereth in the days of her affliction and of her anguish all her treasures that she had from the days of old; now that her people fall by the hand of the adversary, and none doth help her, the adversaries have seen her, they have mocked at her desolations.

Jerusalem has remembered [In] the days of her affliction and her mournings, all her desirable things that were from the days of old, In the falling of her people into the hand of an adversary, And she has no helper; Adversaries have seen her, They have laughed at her cessation.

8 Jerusalem hath grievously sinned, therefore she is become as one unclean; all that honoured her despise her, because they have seen her nakedness; she herself also sigheth, and turneth backward.

A sin has Jerusalem sinned, Therefore she has become impure, All who honored her have esteemed her lightly, For they have seen her nakedness, Indeed, she herself has sighed and turns backward.

9 Her filthiness was in her skirts, she was not mindful of her end; therefore is she come down wonderfully, she hath no comforter. 'Behold, O LORD, my affliction, for the enemy hath magnified himself.'

Her uncleanness [is] in her skirts, She has not remembered her latter end, And she comes down wonderfully, There is no comforter for her. See, O YHWH, my affliction, For an enemy has exerted himself.

10 The adversary hath spread out his hand upon all her treasures; for she hath seen that the heathen are entered into her sanctuary, concerning whom Thou didst command that they should not enter into Thy congregation.

His hand has spread out an adversary On all her desirable things, For she has seen—Nations have entered her sanctuary, Concerning which You commanded, “They do not come into the assembly to you.”

11 All her people sigh, they seek bread; they have given their pleasant things for food to refresh the soul. 'See, O LORD, and behold, how abject I am become.'

All her people are sighing—seeking bread, They have given their desirable things For food to refresh the body; See, O YHWH, and behold attentively, For I have been lightly esteemed.

12 'Let it not come unto you, all ye that pass by! Behold, and see if there be any pain like unto my pain, which is done unto me, wherewith the LORD hath afflicted me in the day of His fierce anger.

[Is it] nothing to you, all you passing by the way? Look attentively, and see, If there is any pain like my pain, That He is rolling to me? Whom YHWH has afflicted In the day of the fierceness of His anger.

13 From on high hath He sent fire into my bones, and it prevaileth against them; He hath spread a net for my feet, He hath turned me back; He hath made me desolate and faint all the day.

From above He has sent fire into my bone, And it subdues it, He has spread a net for my feet, He has turned me backward, He has made me desolate—all the day sick.

14 The yoke of my transgressions is impressed by His hand; they are knit together, they are come up upon my neck; He hath made my strength to fail; the Lord hath delivered me into their hands, against whom I am not able to stand.

Bound has been the yoke of my transgressions by His hand, They are wrapped together, They have gone up on my neck, He has caused my power to stumble, The Lord has given me into hands, I am not able to rise.

15 The Lord hath set at nought all my mighty men in the midst of me; He hath called a solemn assembly against me to crush my young men; the Lord hath trodden as in a winepress the virgin the daughter of Judah.'

The Lord has trodden down all my mighty ones in my midst, He proclaimed an appointed time against me, To destroy my young men, The Lord has trodden a winepress, To the virgin daughter of Judah.

16 'For these things I weep; mine eye, mine eye runneth down with water; because the comforter is far from me, even he that should refresh my soul; my children are desolate, because the enemy hath prevailed.'

For these I am weeping, My eye, my eye, is running down with waters, For a comforter has been far from me, Refreshing my soul, My sons have been desolate, For mighty has been an enemy.

17 Zion spreadeth forth her hands; there is none to comfort her; the LORD hath commanded concerning Jacob, that they that are round about him should be his adversaries; Jerusalem is among them as one unclean.

Zion has spread forth her hands, There is no comforter for her, YHWH has charged concerning Jacob, His neighbors [are] his adversaries, Jerusalem has become impure among them.

18 'The LORD is righteous; for I have rebelled against His word; hear, I pray you, all ye peoples, and behold my pain: my virgins and my young men are gone into captivity.

YHWH is righteous, For I have provoked His mouth. Now hear, all you peoples, and see my pain, My virgins and my young men have gone into captivity.

19 I called for my lovers, but they deceived me; my priests and mine elders perished in the city, while they sought them food to refresh their souls.

I called for my lovers, they have deceived me, My priests and my elderly have expired in the city; When they have sought food for themselves, Then they give back their soul.

20 Behold, O LORD, for I am in distress, mine inwards burn; my heart is turned within me, for I have grievously rebelled. Abroad the sword bereaveth, at home there is the like of death.

See, O YHWH, for distress [is] to me, My bowels have been troubled, My heart has been turned in my midst, For I have greatly provoked, From outside the sword has bereaved, In the house [it is] as death.

21 They have heard that I sigh, there is none to comfort me; all mine enemies have heard of my trouble, and are glad, for Thou hast done it; Thou wilt bring the day that Thou hast proclaimed, and they shall be like unto me.

They have heard that I have sighed, There is no comforter for me, All my enemies have heard of my calamity, They have rejoiced that You have done [it], You have brought in the day You have called, And they are like to me.

22 Let all their wickedness come before Thee; and do unto them, as Thou hast done unto me for all my transgressions; for my sighs are many and my heart is faint.'

All their evil comes in before You, And one is doing to them as You have done to me, For all my transgressions, For many [are] my sighs, and my heart [is] sick!