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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

18 The LORD is righteous, yet I rebelled against His command. Listen, all you people; look upon my suffering. My young men and maidens have 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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

2 She weepeth sore in the night, and her tears [are] on her cheeks: among all her lovers she hath none to comfort [her]: all her friends have dealt treacherously with her, they are become her enemies.

3 Judah is gone into captivity because of affliction, and because of great servitude: she dwelleth among the heathen, she findeth no rest: all her persecutors overtook her between the straits.

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

5 Her adversaries are the chief, her enemies prosper; for the LORD hath afflicted her for the multitude of her transgressions: her children are gone into captivity before the enemy.

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

7 Jerusalem remembered in the days of her affliction and of her miseries all her pleasant things that she had in the days of old, when her people fell into the hand of the enemy, and none did help her: the adversaries saw her, [and] did mock at her sabbaths.

8 Jerusalem hath grievously sinned; therefore she is removed: all that honoured her despise her, because they have seen her nakedness: yea, she sigheth, and turneth backward.

9 Her filthiness [is] in her skirts; she remembereth not her last end; therefore she came down wonderfully: she had no comforter. O LORD, behold my affliction: for the enemy hath magnified [himself].

10 The adversary hath spread out his hand upon all her pleasant things: for she hath seen [that] the heathen entered into her sanctuary, whom thou didst command [that] they should not enter into thy congregation.

11 All her people sigh, they seek bread; they have given their pleasant things for meat to relieve the soul: see, O LORD, and consider; for I am become vile.

12 ¶ [Is it] nothing to you, all ye that pass by? behold, and see if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow, which is done unto me, wherewith the LORD hath afflicted [me] in the day of his fierce anger.

13 From above 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.

14 The yoke of my transgressions is bound by his hand: they are wreathed, [and] come up upon my neck: he hath made my strength to fall, the Lord hath delivered me into [their] hands, [from whom] I am not able to rise up.

15 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 the virgin, the daughter of Judah, [as] in a winepress.

16 For these [things] I weep; mine eye, mine eye runneth down with water, because the comforter that should relieve my soul is far from me: my children are desolate, because the enemy prevailed.

17 Zion spreadeth forth her hands, [and there is] none to comfort her: the LORD hath commanded concerning Jacob, [that] his adversaries [should be] round about him: Jerusalem is as a menstruous woman among them.

18 The LORD is righteous; for I have rebelled against his commandment: hear, I pray you, all people, and behold my sorrow: my virgins and my young men are gone into captivity.

19 I called for my lovers, [but] they deceived me: my priests and mine elders gave up the ghost in the city, while they sought their meat to relieve their souls.

20 Behold, O LORD; for I [am] in distress: my bowels are troubled; mine heart is turned within me; for I have grievously rebelled: abroad the sword bereaveth, at home [there is] as death.

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

1 How desolate is that city, which was full of people! She is like a widow. She that was a princess among the nations, and a queen in the countries, is now a servant.

2 She weepeth at night, and tears run down her cheeks. There is none among all her friends to comfort her: all her neighbours despise her, and are become her enemies.

3 Judah is in bondage, and in hard service; she dwelleth among the heathen, and findeth no rest; all her persecutors. hold her iniquitously.

4 The highways of Zion are desolate, because no man cometh to any feast; all her gates stand desolate; her priests groan, and her virgins look desolate, and she is afflicted.

5 Their adversaries are lifted up, their enemies prosper: for the LORD hath made them full of grief for their great sins; and their children are carried captive before the enemy.

6 All the glory is gone out of the daughter of Zion. Her princes are like the rams that find no pasture, and go dimly before the beater. 7: Jerusalem thinketh at this time how wretched and desolate she is, and how much good she hath had of old, because all her people lie low under the enemy, and no man helpeth her: her enemies see their pleasure in her, and mock at her sabbaths.

8 Jerusalem hath sinned; therefore she is as an unclean woman. All that honoured her spurned her, because they saw her shame: but she sighed, and returned.

9 Her filthiness is upon her hem. She would not have thought that this would be her last fate. She is cast down too grievously, and hath no one to comfort her. O Lord, behold my affliction: for the enemy is very great.

10 The enemy hath laid his hand upon all her treasures: for she hath suffered the heathen to enter into her sanctuary, whereof thou commandedst that they should not enter into thy congregation.

11 All her people groan, and go for bread: they give their small things for meat, that they may refresh the soul. O Lord, behold, and see how vile I am become!

12 I say unto you all that pass by, Look ye, and see if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow, which is fallen upon me. For the LORD hath made me full of grief in the day of his fierce anger.

13 He hath sent a fire from on high into my legs, and hath made it to work; he hath put a net upon my feet, and hath turned me back; he hath made me a desolation, that I should mourn daily.

14 My grievous sins are awake by his punishment, and are heaped upon my neck, that all my strength is gone out of me. The LORD hath brought me to the point that I cannot arise.

15 The LORD hath trodden down all my mighty men that I had; he hath proclaimed a feast upon me, to destroy my young men. The LORD hath trampled the winepress of the virgin daughter of Judah.

16 Therefore I weep, and both mine eyes run with water, because the Comforter that should have refreshed my soul is far from me. My children are gone, for the enemy hath prevailed.

17 Zion stretcheth out her hands, and there is none to comfort her: for the LORD hath commanded his enemies round about Jacob, that Jerusalem should be as an unclean woman among them.

18 The LORD is righteous: for I have disobeyed his mouth. Hear, all ye nations, and see my grief. My virgins and my young men are gone into prison.

19 I called upon my friends, but they deceived me. My priests and my elders in the city are famished, for they go after bread, that they may feed their souls;

20 O Lord, behold, I am afraid, because it grieveth me in my belly. My heart walleth in my flesh: for I am greatly distressed. Outside the sword hath made me, and in the house death hath made me a widow.

21 It is heard that I groan, and have no comforter: all mine enemies hear my calamities, and rejoice: this doest thou. Let the day come, then, which thou hast proclaimed, that they may be like me.

22 Let all their wickedness come before thee, and judge them, as thou hast judged me for all mine iniquity: for my sighing is much, and my heart is grieved.