Lamentations 2:10-19

Legacy Standard Bible

¹⁰ The elders of the daughter of Zion
^(A)Sit on the ground; they ^(B)are silent.
They have thrown ^(C)dust up on their heads;
They have girded themselves with ^(D)sackcloth.
The ^(E)virgins of Jerusalem
Have bowed their heads down to the ground.

¹¹ My ^(F)eyes fail because of tears;
My ^[a](G)inmost being is greatly disturbed;
My ^[b](H)heart is poured out on the earth
^(I)Because of the ^[c]destruction of the daughter of my people,
When ^(J)infants and nursing babies faint
In the open squares of the city.

¹² They say to their mothers,
“^(K)Where is grain and wine?”
As they faint like a wounded man
In the open squares of the city,
As their ^(L)life is poured out
On their mothers’ bosom.

¹³ What shall I testify about you?
To what ^(M)shall I equate you,
O daughter of Jerusalem?
To what shall I liken you as I comfort you,
O ^(N)virgin daughter of Zion?
For your ^[d]destruction is as vast as the sea;
Who can ^(O)heal you?

¹⁴ Your ^(P)prophets have beheld for you
Worthless and ineffective visions;
And they have not ^(Q)uncovered your iniquity
So as to ^[e]return you from captivity,
But they have ^(R)beheld for you worthless and misleading ^[f]oracles.

¹⁵ All who pass along the way
^(S)Clap their hands in derision at you;
They ^(T)hiss and shake their heads
At the daughter of Jerusalem,
“Is this the city of which they said,
‘^(U)The perfection of beauty,
^(V)The joy of the whole earth’?”

¹⁶ All ^(W)your enemies
Have opened their mouths wide against you;
They hiss and ^(X)gnash their teeth.
They say, “We have ^(Y)swallowed her up!
Surely this is the ^(Z)day for which we have hoped;
We have found it, we have seen it.”

¹⁷ Yahweh has ^(AA)done what He purposed;
He has completed His word
Which He commanded from days of old.
He has pulled down ^(AB)without sparing,
And He has caused the enemy to ^(AC)be glad over you;
He has ^(AD)exalted the ^[g]might of your adversaries.

¹⁸ Their ^(AE)heart cried out to the Lord,
“O ^(AF)wall of the daughter of Zion,
Let your ^(AG)tears run down like a river day and night;
Give yourself no relief;
Let ^[h]your eyes not be still.

¹⁹ Arise, cry aloud in the ^(AH)night
At the head of the night watches;
^(AI)Pour out your heart like water
Before the presence of the Lord;
Lift up your hands to Him
For the ^(AJ)life of your infants
Who are ^(AK)faint because of hunger
At the head of every street.”