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How the city sits solitary,

    that was full of people!
She has become as a widow,
    who was great among the nations!
She who was a princess among the provinces
    has become a slave!

She weeps bitterly in the night.
    Her tears are on her cheeks.
Among all her lovers
    she has no one to comfort her.
All her friends have dealt treacherously with her.
    They have become her enemies.

Judah has gone into captivity because of affliction,
    and because of great servitude.
She dwells among the nations.
    She finds no rest.
    All her persecutors overtook her within the straits.

The roads to Zion mourn,
    because no one comes to the solemn assembly.
All her gates are desolate.
    Her priests sigh.
Her virgins are afflicted,
    and she herself is in bitterness.

Her adversaries have become the head.
    Her enemies prosper;
for Yahweh[a] has afflicted her for the multitude of her transgressions.
    Her young children have gone into captivity before the adversary.

All majesty has departed from the daughter of Zion.
    Her princes have become like deer that find no pasture.
    They have gone without strength before the pursuer.

Jerusalem remembers in the days of her affliction and of her miseries
    all her pleasant things that were from the days of old;
when her people fell into the hand of the adversary,
    and no one helped her.
The adversaries saw her.
    They mocked at her desolations.

Jerusalem has grievously sinned.
    Therefore she has become unclean.
All who honored her despise her,
    because they have seen her nakedness.
    Yes, she sighs, and turns backward.

Her filthiness was in her skirts.
    She didn’t remember her latter end.
Therefore she has come down astoundingly.
    She has no comforter.
“See, Yahweh, my affliction;
    for the enemy has magnified himself.”

10 The adversary has spread out his hand on all her pleasant things;
    for she has seen that the nations have entered into her sanctuary,
    concerning whom you commanded that they should not enter into your assembly.

11 All her people sigh.
    They seek bread.
    They have given their pleasant things for food to refresh their soul.
“Look, Yahweh, and see;
    for I have become despised.”

12 “Is it nothing to you, all you who pass by?
    Look, and see if there is any sorrow like my sorrow,
    which is brought on me,
    with which Yahweh has afflicted me in the day of his fierce anger.

13 “From on high has he sent fire into my bones,
    and it prevails against them.
He has spread a net for my feet.
    He has turned me back.
    He has made me desolate and I faint all day long.

14 “The yoke of my transgressions is bound by his hand.
    They are knit together.
    They have come up on my neck.
    He made my strength fail.
The Lord[b] has delivered me into their hands,
    against whom I am not able to stand.

15 “The Lord has set at nothing all my mighty men within me.
    He has called a solemn assembly against me to crush my young men.
    The Lord has trodden the virgin daughter of Judah as in a wine press.

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 has prevailed.”

17 Zion spreads out her hands.
    There is no one to comfort her.
Yahweh has commanded concerning Jacob,
    that those who are around him should be his adversaries.
    Jerusalem is among them as an unclean thing.

18 “Yahweh is righteous;
    for I have rebelled against his commandment.
Please hear all you peoples,
    and see 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 gave up the spirit in the city,
    while they sought food for themselves to refresh their souls.

20 “Look, Yahweh; for I am in distress.
    My heart is troubled.
My heart turns over within me,
    for I have grievously rebelled.
Abroad, the sword bereaves.
    At home, it is like death.

21 “They have heard that I sigh.
    There is no one to comfort me.
All my enemies have heard of my trouble.
    They are glad that you have done it.
You will bring the day that you have proclaimed,
    and they will 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 faint.

Footnotes

  1. 1:5 “Yahweh” is God’s proper Name, sometimes rendered “LORD” (all caps) in other translations.
  2. 1:14 The word translated “Lord” is “Adonai.”

Jerusalem in Affliction

How lonely sits the city
That was full of people!
(A)How like a widow is she,
Who was great among the nations!
The (B)princess among the provinces
Has become a [a]slave!

She (C)weeps bitterly in the (D)night,
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 have become her enemies.

(E)Judah has gone into captivity,
Under affliction and hard servitude;
(F)She dwells among the [b]nations,
She finds no (G)rest;
All her persecutors overtake her in dire straits.

The roads to Zion mourn
Because no one comes to the [c]set feasts.
All her gates are (H)desolate;
Her priests sigh,
Her virgins are afflicted,
And she is in bitterness.

Her adversaries (I)have become [d]the master,
Her enemies prosper;
For the Lord has afflicted her
(J)Because of the multitude of her transgressions.
Her (K)children have gone into captivity before the enemy.

And from the daughter of Zion
All her splendor has departed.
Her princes have become like deer
That find no pasture,
That [e]flee without strength
Before the pursuer.

In the days of her affliction and roaming,
Jerusalem (L)remembers all her pleasant things
That she had in the days of old.
When her people fell into the hand of the enemy,
With no one to help her,
The adversaries saw her
And mocked at her [f]downfall.

(M)Jerusalem has sinned gravely,
Therefore she has become [g]vile.
All who honored her despise her
Because (N)they have seen her nakedness;
Yes, she sighs and turns away.

Her uncleanness is in her skirts;
She (O)did not consider her destiny;
Therefore her collapse was awesome;
She had no comforter.
“O Lord, behold my affliction,
For the enemy is exalted!”

10 The adversary has spread his hand
Over all her [h]pleasant things;
For she has seen (P)the nations enter her [i]sanctuary,
Those whom You commanded
(Q)Not to enter Your assembly.

11 All her people sigh,
(R)They [j]seek bread;
They have given their [k]valuables for food to restore life.
“See, O Lord, and consider,
For I am scorned.”

12 Is it nothing to you, all you who [l]pass by?
Behold and see
(S)If there is any sorrow like my sorrow,
Which has been brought on me,
Which the Lord has inflicted
In the day of His fierce anger.

13 “From above He has sent fire into my bones,
And it overpowered them;
He has (T)spread a net for my feet
And turned me back;
He has made me desolate
And faint all the day.

14 “The(U) yoke of my transgressions was [m]bound;
They were woven together by His hands,
And thrust upon my neck.
He made my strength fail;
The Lord delivered me into the hands of those whom I am not able to withstand.

15 “The Lord has trampled underfoot all my mighty men in my midst;
He has called an assembly against me
To crush my young men;
(V)The Lord trampled as in a winepress
The virgin daughter of Judah.

16 “For these things I weep;
My eye, (W)my eye overflows with water;
Because the comforter, who should restore my life,
Is far from me.
My children are desolate
Because the enemy prevailed.”

17 (X)Zion [n]spreads out her hands,
But no one comforts her;
The Lord has commanded concerning Jacob
That those (Y)around him become his adversaries;
Jerusalem has become an unclean thing among them.

18 “The Lord is (Z)righteous,
For I (AA)rebelled against His [o]commandment.
Hear now, all peoples,
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
Breathed their last in the city,
While they sought food
To restore their life.

20 “See, O Lord, that I am in distress;
My (AB)soul[p] is troubled;
My heart is overturned within me,
For I have been very rebellious.
(AC)Outside the sword bereaves,
At home it is like death.

21 “They have heard that I sigh,
But no one comforts me.
All my enemies have heard of my trouble;
They are (AD)glad that You have done it.
Bring on (AE)the day You have [q]announced,
That they may become like me.

22 “Let(AF) 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.”

Footnotes

  1. Lamentations 1:1 Lit. forced laborer
  2. Lamentations 1:3 Gentiles
  3. Lamentations 1:4 appointed
  4. Lamentations 1:5 Lit. her head
  5. Lamentations 1:6 Lit. are gone
  6. Lamentations 1:7 Vg. Sabbaths
  7. Lamentations 1:8 LXX, Vg. moved or removed
  8. Lamentations 1:10 desirable
  9. Lamentations 1:10 holy place, the temple
  10. Lamentations 1:11 hunt food
  11. Lamentations 1:11 desirable things
  12. Lamentations 1:12 Lit. pass by this way
  13. Lamentations 1:14 So with MT, Tg.; LXX, Syr., Vg. watched over
  14. Lamentations 1:17 Prays
  15. Lamentations 1:18 Lit. mouth
  16. Lamentations 1:20 Lit. inward parts
  17. Lamentations 1:21 proclaimed