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Lamentations 1
Revised Geneva Translation
Lamentations 1
Revised Geneva Translation
1 How solitary sits the city that was full of people! She is as a widow. She who was great among the nations, princess among the provinces, has been made a forced laborer!
2 She weeps continually in the night, and her tears run down her cheeks. Among all her lovers she has no one to comfort her. All her friends have dealt unfaithfully with her and are her enemies.
3 Judah has been carried away captive because of affliction and because of great servitude. She dwells among the heathen and finds no rest. All her persecutors overtook her in the midst of her distress.
4 The ways of Zion lament, because no one comes to the solemn feasts; all her gates are desolate. Her priests sigh, her virgins are afflicted, and she is in heaviness.
5 Her adversaries are her masters; her enemies prosper. For the LORD has afflicted her for the multitude of her transgressions. Her children have gone into captivity before the enemy,
6 and all her beauty has departed from the daughter of Zion. Her princes have become like deer that find no pasture; and they have gone without strength before the pursuer.
7 Jerusalem remembered the days of her affliction, and of her rebellion, all her pleasant things that she had in times past, when her people fell into the hand of the enemy, and no one helped her. The adversary saw her and mocked her Sabbaths.
8 Jerusalem has grievously sinned; therefore, she is filthy. All who honored her despise her because they have seen her nakedness. Indeed, she sighs and turns away.
9 Her uncleanness is in her skirts. She did not remember her future, therefore she fell spectacularly. She had no comforter. O LORD, behold my affliction. For the enemy is proud.
10 The enemy has stretched out his hand upon all her pleasant things. For she has seen the heathen enter into her Sanctuary, whom You Commanded not to enter into Your congregation.
11 All her people sigh and seek bread. They have given their pleasant things for food to refresh the soul. See, O LORD, and consider. For I have become vile.
12 Is it nothing to you, all you who pass this way? Behold and see if there is any sorrow like my sorrow which is done to me, with which the LORD has afflicted on the day of His fierce wrath.
13 From above has He sent fire into my bones, which prevails against them. He has spread a net for my feet, turned me back. He has made me desolate, daily in heaviness.
14 The yoke of my transgressions is bound upon His Hand. They are wrapped and come up upon my neck. He has made my strength fall. The LORD has delivered me into their hands. I am not able to rise up.
15 The LORD has tread all my valiant men in the midst of me under foot. He has called an assembly against me, to destroy my young men. The LORD has tread the winepress upon the virgin, the daughter of Judah.
16 For these things I weep. My eye, my eye runs down with water, because the comforter who should refresh my soul is far from me. My children are desolate because the enemy prevailed.
17 Zion stretches out her hands, and there is no one to comfort her. The LORD has appointed the enemies of Jacob all around him. Jerusalem is as a menstruous woman in the midst of them.
18 The LORD is righteous, for I have rebelled against His Commandment. Hear, please, all people, 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 their food to refresh their souls.
20 Behold, O LORD, how I am troubled! My bowels swell! My heart is turned within me, for I am full of heaviness! The sword bereaves in the street, as death does at home.
21 They have heard that I mourn. There is no one to comfort me. All my enemies have heard of my trouble and are glad that You have done it. You will bring the day that You have pronounced; and they shall be like me.
22 Let all their wickedness come before You. Do to them as You have done to me for all my transgressions. For my sighs are many and my heart is heavy.
Lamentations 1
New International Version
Lamentations 1
New International Version
1 [a]How deserted(A) lies the city,
once so full of people!(B)
How like a widow(C) is she,
who once was great(D) among the nations!
She who was queen among the provinces
has now become a slave.(E)
2 Bitterly she weeps(F) at night,
tears are on her cheeks.
Among all her lovers(G)
there is no one to comfort her.
All her friends have betrayed(H) her;
they have become her enemies.(I)
3 After affliction and harsh labor,
Judah has gone into exile.(J)
She dwells among the nations;
she finds no resting place.(K)
All who pursue her have overtaken her(L)
in the midst of her distress.
4 The roads to Zion mourn,(M)
for no one comes to her appointed festivals.
All her gateways are desolate,(N)
her priests groan,
her young women grieve,
and she is in bitter anguish.(O)
5 Her foes have become her masters;
her enemies are at ease.
The Lord has brought her grief(P)
because of her many sins.(Q)
Her children have gone into exile,(R)
captive before the foe.(S)
6 All the splendor has departed
from Daughter Zion.(T)
Her princes are like deer
that find no pasture;
in weakness they have fled(U)
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,
there was no one to help her.(V)
Her enemies looked at her
and laughed(W) at her destruction.
8 Jerusalem has sinned(X) greatly
and so has become unclean.(Y)
All who honored her despise her,
for they have all seen her naked;(Z)
she herself groans(AA)
and turns away.
9 Her filthiness clung to her skirts;
she did not consider her future.(AB)
Her fall(AC) was astounding;
there was none to comfort(AD) her.
“Look, Lord, on my affliction,(AE)
for the enemy has triumphed.”
10 The enemy laid hands
on all her treasures;(AF)
she saw pagan nations
enter her sanctuary(AG)—
those you had forbidden(AH)
to enter your assembly.
11 All her people groan(AI)
as they search for bread;(AJ)
they barter their treasures for food
to keep themselves alive.
“Look, Lord, and consider,
for I am despised.”
12 “Is it nothing to you, all you who pass by?(AK)
Look around and see.
Is any suffering like my suffering(AL)
that was inflicted on me,
that the Lord brought on me
in the day of his fierce anger?(AM)
13 “From on high he sent fire,
sent it down into my bones.(AN)
He spread a net(AO) for my feet
and turned me back.
He made me desolate,(AP)
faint(AQ) all the day long.
14 “My sins have been bound into a yoke[b];(AR)
by his hands they were woven together.
They have been hung on my neck,
and the Lord has sapped my strength.
He has given me into the hands(AS)
of those I cannot withstand.
15 “The Lord has rejected
all the warriors in my midst;(AT)
he has summoned an army(AU) against me
to[c] crush my young men.(AV)
In his winepress(AW) the Lord has trampled(AX)
Virgin Daughter(AY) Judah.
16 “This is why I weep
and my eyes overflow with tears.(AZ)
No one is near to comfort(BA) me,
no one to restore my spirit.
My children are destitute
because the enemy has prevailed.”(BB)
17 Zion stretches out her hands,(BC)
but there is no one to comfort her.
The Lord has decreed for Jacob
that his neighbors become his foes;(BD)
Jerusalem has become
an unclean(BE) thing(BF) among them.
18 “The Lord is righteous,(BG)
yet I rebelled(BH) against his command.
Listen, all you peoples;
look on my suffering.(BI)
My young men and young women
have gone into exile.(BJ)
19 “I called to my allies(BK)
but they betrayed me.
My priests and my elders
perished(BL) in the city
while they searched for food
to keep themselves alive.
20 “See, Lord, how distressed(BM) I am!
I am in torment(BN) within,
and in my heart I am disturbed,(BO)
for I have been most rebellious.(BP)
Outside, the sword bereaves;
inside, there is only death.(BQ)
Footnotes
- Lamentations 1:1 This chapter is an acrostic poem, the verses of which begin with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet.
- Lamentations 1:14 Most Hebrew manuscripts; many Hebrew manuscripts and Septuagint He kept watch over my sins
- Lamentations 1:15 Or has set a time for me / when he will
Revised Geneva Translation (RGT)
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