11 Mine eyes do fail with tears, my bowels are troubled, my liver is poured upon the earth, for the destruction of the daughter of my people; because the children and the sucklings swoon in the streets of the city.

12 They say to their mothers, Where is corn and wine? when they swooned as the wounded in the streets of the city, when their soul was poured out into their mothers' bosom.

13 What thing shall I take to witness for thee? what thing shall I liken to thee, O daughter of Jerusalem? what shall I equal to thee, that I may comfort thee, O virgin daughter of Zion? for thy breach is great like the sea: who can heal thee?

14 Thy prophets have seen vain and foolish things for thee: and they have not discovered thine iniquity, to turn away thy captivity; but have seen for thee false burdens and causes of banishment.

15 All that pass by clap their hands at thee; they hiss and wag their head at the daughter of Jerusalem, saying, Is this the city that men call The perfection of beauty, The joy of the whole earth?

16 All thine enemies have opened their mouth against thee: they hiss and gnash the teeth: they say, We have swallowed her up: certainly this is the day that we looked for; we have found, we have seen it.

17 The Lord hath done that which he had devised; he hath fulfilled his word that he had commanded in the days of old: he hath thrown down, and hath not pitied: and he hath caused thine enemy to rejoice over thee, he hath set up the horn of thine adversaries.

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11 My eyes fail from weeping,(A)
    I am in torment within(B);
my heart(C) is poured out(D) on the ground
    because my people are destroyed,(E)
because children and infants faint(F)
    in the streets of the city.

12 They say to their mothers,
    “Where is bread and wine?”(G)
as they faint like the wounded
    in the streets of the city,
as their lives ebb away(H)
    in their mothers’ arms.(I)

13 What can I say for you?(J)
    With what can I compare you,
    Daughter(K) Jerusalem?
To what can I liken you,
    that I may comfort you,
    Virgin Daughter Zion?(L)
Your wound is as deep as the sea.(M)
    Who can heal you?

14 The visions of your prophets
    were false(N) and worthless;
they did not expose your sin
    to ward off your captivity.(O)
The prophecies they gave you
    were false and misleading.(P)

15 All who pass your way
    clap their hands at you;(Q)
they scoff(R) and shake their heads(S)
    at Daughter Jerusalem:(T)
“Is this the city that was called
    the perfection of beauty,(U)
    the joy of the whole earth?”(V)

16 All your enemies open their mouths
    wide against you;(W)
they scoff and gnash their teeth(X)
    and say, “We have swallowed her up.(Y)
This is the day we have waited for;
    we have lived to see it.”(Z)

17 The Lord has done what he planned;
    he has fulfilled(AA) his word,
    which he decreed long ago.(AB)
He has overthrown you without pity,(AC)
    he has let the enemy gloat over you,(AD)
    he has exalted the horn[a] of your foes.(AE)

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Footnotes

  1. Lamentations 2:17 Horn here symbolizes strength.