Lamentations 1 Expanded Bible
Jerusalem Cries over Her Loss
1 How lonely sits the city [C Jerusalem],
once so full of people.
She is like a widow,
once great among the nations [Ps. 122:3].
She was like a queen ·of all the other cities [L among the provinces],
but now she is a ·slave [forced laborer; vassal].
2 She [C Jerusalem pictured as a widow] cries loudly at night,
and tears are on her cheeks.
There is no one to comfort her;
·all who loved her are gone [L among all her lovers; C referring to other nations to whom she unfaithfully turned for help].
All her friends have ·turned against [betrayed] her
and are now her enemies.
3 Judah has gone into ·captivity [exile; C to Babylon; 2 Kin. 25:8–21; 2 Chr. 36:17–21; Jer. 39:1–10; 51:12–30]
where she ·suffers [is oppressed/afflicted] ·and works hard [under slavery/harsh servitude].
She lives among other nations,
but she has found no rest.
Those who ·chased [pursued; persecuted] her caught her
·when she was in trouble [L between her distresses].
4 The roads to ·Jerusalem [L Zion; C the location of the Temple] ·are sad [mourn],
because no one comes for the feasts [C Passover, Pentecost, Tabernacles].
·No one passes through her gates [L All her gates are desolate].
Her priests groan,
her young women are ·suffering [afflicted],
and ·Jerusalem suffers terribly [L she is bitter].
5 Her foes are now her masters.
Her enemies ·enjoy the wealth they have taken [prosper].
The Lord is ·punishing [tormenting; afflicting] her
for her many ·sins [transgressions].
Her ·children [little ones] have gone away
as captives of the ·enemy [foe].
6 The ·beauty [splendor; majesty] of ·Jerusalem [L the daughter of Zion; C the location of the Temple; Ps. 48:1–3]
has gone away.
Her rulers are like deer
that cannot find ·food [L pasture].
They ·are weak [L go without strength]
·and run from the hunters [L before those who pursue/chase/persecute them].
7 Jerusalem ·is suffering and homeless.
She [L …in the days of her affliction and homelessness] remembers all the ·good [desirable; coveted] things
from the ·past [L former days].
But her people ·were defeated by the enemy [L fell to the power/hand of the foe],
and there was no one to help her.
When her ·enemies [foes] saw her,
they laughed ·to see her ruined [at her downfall].
8 Jerusalem sinned terribly,
so she has become ·unclean [or an object of mockery].
Those who honored her now ·hate [despise] her,
because they have seen her nakedness.
She groans
and turns away.
9 She made herself ·dirty [defiled] ·by her sins [L in her skirts; C Jerusalem is pictured as a defiled woman; Lev. 15:19–30]
and did not think about what would happen to her.
Her ·defeat [downfall] was surprising,
and no one could comfort her.
She says, “Lord, see how I ·suffer [am afflicted],
because the enemy has won.”
10 The ·enemy [foe] ·reached out and took [spread his hands on]
all her ·precious [desired; coveted] things.
She even saw ·foreigners [nations]
enter her ·Temple [L holy place; Ps. 74:4–8].
·The Lord had commanded foreigners [L …those you commanded]
never to enter the meeting place of ·his [L your] people.
11 All of ·Jerusalem’s [L its] people groan,
·looking for [seeking] bread.
They ·are trading [L give] their ·precious [desired; coveted] things for food
so they can stay alive.
The city says, “Look, Lord, and see.
I am ·hated [despised].”
12 Jerusalem says, “You who pass by on the road ·don’t seem to care [is it nothing to you…?; L No, to you].
Come, look at me and see:
Is there any ·pain [sorrow] like ·mine [L my pain/sorrow]?
·Is there any pain like that he has caused me […which has come upon me]?
The Lord has ·punished [afflicted; tormented] me
on the day of his great anger.
13 “He sent fire from above
that went ·down [deep] into my bones.
He ·stretched [spread] out a net for my feet
and turned me back.
He made me so ·sad and lonely [desolate]
that I am ·weak [faint; sick] all day.
14 “He ·has noticed my sins [or bound my transgressions into a yoke];
they are ·tied together [intertwined] by his hands;
they hang around my neck.
·He has turned my strength into weakness [L My strength falters].
The Lord has handed me over
to those who ·are stronger than I [L I cannot stand against].
15 “The Lord has rejected
all my mighty men ·inside my walls [L in my midst].
He ·brought an army [or proclaimed a time] against me
to ·destroy [break] my young men.
As if in a winepress, the Lord has ·crushed [trampled]
the ·capital city [L virgin daughter] of Judah [Is. 63:1–6].
16 “I cry about these things;
my eyes overflow with tears.
·There is no one near to comfort me [L A comforter is far from me],
no one who can ·give me strength again [L restore my soul].
My children are ·left sad and lonely [desolate],
because the enemy has ·won [prevailed].”
17 ·Jerusalem [L Zion; C the location of the Temple] ·reaches [spreads] out her hands,
but there is no one to comfort her.
The Lord commanded the people of Jacob
to be surrounded by their ·enemies [foes].
Jerusalem is now unclean [1:8–9]
·like [L among] those around her.
18 Jerusalem says, “The Lord is ·right [righteous],
but I ·refused to obey him [L have rebelled against his mouth].
Listen, all you people,
and look at my ·pain [sorrow].
My young women and men
have gone into captivity [1:3].
19 “I called out to my ·friends [L lovers; 1:2],
but they ·turned against [deceived] me.
My priests and my elders
have died in the city
while ·looking for [seeking] food
to ·stay alive [revive their strength].
20 “Look at me, Lord. I am ·upset [distressed]
and ·greatly troubled [L my innards/stomach/bowels are agitated].
My heart is ·troubled [L overturned within me],
because I have been so ·stubborn [rebellious].
Out in the streets, the sword ·kills [bereaves];
inside the houses, ·death destroys [L it is like death].
21 “People have heard my groaning,
and there is no one to comfort me.
All my enemies have heard of my trouble,
and they are happy you have done this to me.
Now bring that day you have announced
so that ·my enemies [L they] will be like me.
22 “·Look at all their evil [L Let all their evil come before you].
Do to them what you have done to me
because of all my ·sins [transgressions].
I groan over and over again,
and ·I am afraid [L my heart is sick/faint/weak].”
The Expanded Bible, Copyright © 2011 Thomas Nelson Inc. All rights reserved.
