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17 Zion stretches out her hands,
    but there is none to comfort her;
the Lord has commanded against Jacob
    that his neighbors should be his foes;
Jerusalem has become
    a filthy thing among them.

18 “The Lord is in the right,
    for I have rebelled against his word;
but hear, all you peoples,
    and behold my suffering;
my maidens and my young men
    have gone into captivity.

19 “I called to my lovers
    but they deceived me;
my priests and elders
    perished in the city,
while they sought food
    to revive their strength.

20 “Behold, O Lord, for I am in distress,
    my soul is in tumult,
my heart is wrung within me,
    because I have been very rebellious.
In the street the sword bereaves;
    in the house it is like death.

21 “Hear[a] how I groan;
    there is none to comfort me.
All my enemies have heard of my trouble;
    they are glad that thou hast done it.
Bring thou[b] the day thou hast announced,
    and let them be as I am.

22 “Let all their evil-doing come before thee;
    and deal with them
as thou hast dealt with me
    because of all my transgressions;
for my groans are many
    and my heart is faint.”

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Footnotes

  1. Lamentations 1:21 Gk Syr: Heb they heard
  2. Lamentations 1:21 Syr: Heb thou hast brought

17 Zion stretches out her hands,(A)
    but there is no one to comfort her.
The Lord has decreed for Jacob
    that his neighbors become his foes;(B)
Jerusalem has become
    an unclean(C) thing(D) among them.

18 “The Lord is righteous,(E)
    yet I rebelled(F) against his command.
Listen, all you peoples;
    look on my suffering.(G)
My young men and young women
    have gone into exile.(H)

19 “I called to my allies(I)
    but they betrayed me.
My priests and my elders
    perished(J) in the city
while they searched for food
    to keep themselves alive.

20 “See, Lord, how distressed(K) I am!
    I am in torment(L) within,
and in my heart I am disturbed,(M)
    for I have been most rebellious.(N)
Outside, the sword bereaves;
    inside, there is only death.(O)

21 “People have heard my groaning,(P)
    but there is no one to comfort me.(Q)
All my enemies have heard of my distress;
    they rejoice(R) at what you have done.
May you bring the day(S) you have announced
    so they may become like me.

22 “Let all their wickedness come before you;
    deal with them
as you have dealt with me
    because of all my sins.(T)
My groans(U) are many
    and my heart is faint.”

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