Lamentations 1:1-9
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.”
Lamentations 1:1-9
New American Standard Bible
The Sorrows of Zion
1 How (A)lonely sits the city
That once had (B)many people!
She has become like a (C)widow
Who was once (D)great among the nations!
She who was a princess among the [a]provinces
Has become a (E)forced laborer!
2 She (F)weeps bitterly in the night,
And her tears are on her cheeks;
She has no one to comfort her
Among all her (G)lovers.
All her friends have (H)dealt treacherously with her;
They have become her enemies.
3 (I)Judah has gone into exile out of affliction
And [b]harsh servitude;
She lives (J)among the nations,
But she has not found a resting place;
All those who (K)pursued her have overtaken her
In the midst of [c]distress.
4 The roads [d]of Zion are in mourning
Because (L)no one comes to an appointed feast.
All her gates are (M)deserted;
Her priests groan,
Her (N)virgins are worried,
And as for Zion herself, it is (O)bitter for her.
5 Her adversaries have become [e]her masters,
Her enemies are [f]secure;
For the Lord has [g](P)caused her grief
Because of the multitude of her wrongdoings;
Her little ones have gone away
As captives [h]led by the enemy.
6 All of her (Q)splendor
Is gone from the daughter of Zion;
Her leaders have become like deer
That have found no pasture,
And they have [i](R)fled without strength
[j]From the pursuer.
7 In the days of her affliction and homelessness
(S)Jerusalem remembers all her treasures
That were hers since the days of old,
When her people fell into the hand of the adversary
And (T)no one helped her.
The adversaries saw her,
They (U)laughed at her [k]ruin.
8 Jerusalem sinned (V)greatly,
Therefore (W)she has become an [l]object of ridicule.
All who honored her despise her
Because they have seen her nakedness;
Even (X)she herself groans and turns away.
9 Her (Y)uncleanness was in her garment’s seams;
She [m]did not think of her (Z)future.
So she has [n](AA)fallen in an astonishing way;
(AB)She has no comforter.
“(AC)See, Lord, my affliction,
For the enemy has [o](AD)honored himself!”
Footnotes
- Lamentations 1:1 Or districts
- Lamentations 1:3 Lit great
- Lamentations 1:3 Or narrow places
- Lamentations 1:4 Or to
- Lamentations 1:5 Lit head
- Lamentations 1:5 Or at ease
- Lamentations 1:5 Or tormented her
- Lamentations 1:5 Lit before
- Lamentations 1:6 Lit gone
- Lamentations 1:6 Lit Before
- Lamentations 1:7 Lit cessation
- Lamentations 1:8 Or abomination
- Lamentations 1:9 Or remember her final end
- Lamentations 1:9 Lit gone down
- Lamentations 1:9 Or boasted
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New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
