Lamentations 1

1. How isolated sits the city that was full of people! She has become like a widow, once great among the nations, a noblewoman among the nations, but now has become a tribute payer.

2. She bitterly weeps in the night, and her tears are on her cheeks; among all her lovers, she has none to comfort her. All her friends have dealt treacherously with her; they became her enemies.

3. Judah has gone into captivity, under affliction and great slavery. She dwells among the nations; she finds no rest; all her pursuers have overtaken her between the narrow straits.

4. The roads of Zion mourn because no one comes to the appointed feasts. All her gates are deserted; her priests sigh; her virgins are afflicted, and she is in bitterness.

5. Her adversaries have become the head; her enemies prosper; for the LORD has 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 majesty has departed. Her princes have become like bucks: they find no pasture, and they have fled without strength before the pursuer.

7. In the days of her affliction and her wandering, Jerusalem remembered all her desirable things that she had in the days of old. When her people fell into the hand of the enemy, and no one helped her, the adversaries saw her; they laughed at her annihilation.

8. Jerusalem has grievously sinned, therefore she has become filthy. All who honored her, despise her because they saw her nakedness; yea, she sighs and turns backward.

9. Her filthiness is in her skirts; she did not consider her future, therefore she has fallen astonishingly. She has no comforter. “Behold, O LORD, my affliction, for the enemy has magnified himself.”

10. The enemy has stretched out his hands upon all her precious things; for she has seen the nations enter into her sanctuary, whom You commanded that they should not enter into Your congregation.

11. All her people sigh; they seek bread. They have given their treasures for food to relieve the soul. “See, O LORD, and look on me, for I have become vile.”

12. “Is it nothing to you, all you who pass by? Behold and see if there is any pain like my pain which is done to me, with which the LORD has afflicted me in the day of His fierce anger.

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

14. The yoke of my transgressions is bound by His hand; they intertwine; they rise on my neck. He has made my strength to falter; the LORD has delivered me into their hands—those whom I cannot withstand.

15. The LORD has trampled all my mighty ones in my midst; He has called a gathering against me to crush my young men. The LORD has trodden the virgin daughter of Judah as in a winepress.

16. For these things I weep; my eyes, my eyes run down with water, because the comforter who could revive my courage is far from me. My children are desolate because the enemy has prevailed.”

17. Zion spreads forth her hands; and there is none to comfort her; the LORD has commanded concerning Jacob that his enemies should be all around him; Jerusalem has become as a filthy thing among them.

18. “The LORD is righteous, for I have rebelled against His commandment. I beseech you, all people, hear and behold my sorrow. My virgins and my young men have gone into captivity.

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

20. Behold, O LORD, for I am in distress; my bowels burn; my heart is wrung out within me, for I have grievously rebelled. In the streets the sword bereaves; in the house is the likeness of death.

21. They have heard that I sigh; there is none to comfort me. All my enemies have heard of my trouble; they are glad that You have done it. But You will bring the day that You have proclaimed, and they shall yet be like me.

22. Let all their wickedness come before You; and do to them as You have done to me for all my transgressions. For my sighs are many, and my heart is faint.”