² Judah mourns,
    and her gates languish;
they lie in gloom on the ground,
    and the cry of Jerusalem goes up.^(B)
3 Her^[a] nobles send their servants for water;
    they come to the cisterns;
they find no water;
    they return with their vessels empty.
They are ashamed and dismayed
    and cover their heads,^(C)
4 because the ground is cracked.
    Because there has been no rain on the land,
the farmers are dismayed;
    they cover their heads.^(D)
5 Even the doe in the field forsakes her newborn fawn
    because there is no grass.
⁶ The wild asses stand on the bare heights;^[b]
    they pant for air like jackals;
their eyes fail
    because there is no herbage.^(E)

⁷ Although our iniquities testify against us,
    act, O Lord, for your name’s sake;
our rebellions indeed are many,
    and we have sinned against you.^(F)
8 O hope of Israel,
    its savior in time of trouble,
why should you be like a stranger in the land,
    like a traveler turning aside for the night?^(G)
9 Why should you be like someone confused,
    like a mighty warrior who cannot give help?
Yet you, O Lord, are in the midst of us,
    and we are called by your name;
    do not forsake us!^(H)

¹⁷ You shall say to them this word:
Let my eyes run down with tears night and day,
    and let them not cease,
for the virgin daughter of my people is struck down with a crushing blow,
    with a very grievous wound.^(A)
18 If I go out into the field,
    look—those killed by the sword!
And if I enter the city,
    look—those sick with^[a] famine!
For both prophet and priest ply their trade throughout the land
    and have no knowledge.^(B)