How Lonely Sits the City

(A)How lonely sits the city
    that was full of people!
How like (B)a widow has she become,
    she who was great among the nations!
She who was (C)a princess among the provinces
    has become (D)a slave.

(E)She weeps bitterly in the night,
    with tears on her cheeks;
(F)among all her lovers
    she has (G)none to comfort her;
(H)all her friends have dealt treacherously with her;
    they have become her enemies.

(I)Judah has gone into exile because of affliction[a]
    and hard servitude;
(J)she dwells now among the nations,
    (K)but finds no resting place;
her pursuers have all overtaken her
    in the midst of her distress.[b]

The roads to Zion mourn,
    for none come to (L)the festival;
(M)all her gates are desolate;
    her priests (N)groan;
her virgins have been afflicted,[c]
    and she herself suffers bitterly.

(O)Her foes have become the head;
    her (P)enemies prosper,
because (Q)the Lord has afflicted her
    (R)for the multitude of her transgressions;
(S)her children have gone away,
    captives before the foe.

From the daughter of Zion
    all her majesty has departed.
Her princes have become like deer
    (T)that find no pasture;
they fled without strength
    before the pursuer.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Lamentations 1:3 Or under affliction
  2. Lamentations 1:3 Or in the narrow passes
  3. Lamentations 1:4 Septuagint, Old Latin dragged away

19 (A)Remember my affliction and my wanderings,
    (B)the wormwood and (C)the gall!
20 My soul continually remembers it
    (D)and is bowed down within me.
21 But this I call to mind,
    and (E)therefore I have hope:

22 (F)The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;[a]
    (G)his mercies never come to an end;
23 they are new (H)every morning;
    (I)great is your faithfulness.
24 (J)“The Lord is my portion,” says my soul,
    (K)“therefore I will hope in him.”

25 The Lord is good to those who (L)wait for him,
    to the soul who seeks him.
26 (M)It is good that one should wait quietly
    for the salvation of the Lord.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Lamentations 3:22 Syriac, Targum; Hebrew Because of the steadfast love of the Lord, we are not cut off

Bible Gateway Recommends

ESV Study Bible, Large Print, Genuine Leather, Black
ESV Study Bible, Large Print, Genuine Leather, Black
Retail: $129.99
Our Price: $75.99
Save: $54.00 (42%)
4.5 of 5.0 stars
ESV Study Bible, Black Genuine  Leather with Thumb Index
ESV Study Bible, Black Genuine Leather with Thumb Index
Retail: $124.99
Our Price: $69.99
Save: $55.00 (44%)
4.5 of 5.0 stars
ESV Church Bible (Value Pew Bible) Black
ESV Church Bible (Value Pew Bible) Black
Retail: $12.99
Our Price: $7.49
Save: $5.50 (42%)
5.0 of 5.0 stars
ESV Study Bible, Burgundy Genuine Leather with Thumb Index
ESV Study Bible, Burgundy Genuine Leather with Thumb Index
Retail: $124.99
Our Price: $69.99
Save: $55.00 (44%)
4.5 of 5.0 stars