Lamentations 1:1-5

1The city that was full of people is lonely now. The city is like the wife of a dead husband. Once she was great. She was like a queen among the other places in the country. Now she is a slave.

2She weeps in the night and there are tears on her face. Not one of her lovers comforts her. All her friends have left her. They have gone against her and they are now her enemies.

3The enemies have taken Judah's people away as slaves. The slaves have only trouble and difficult work. They now live among strangers. They have no rest, and they live far away from home. They cannot go away from those who do cruel things to them.

4Zion's streets are sad places now. Nobody comes to worship God there any longer. There is nothing to hear at the city gates. The priests are sad. Strangers are cruel to the young women. The people in Zion are very sad.

5The people's enemies rule them now. Those who hate them have plenty. The Lord has caused trouble for the people because they did so many wrong things. The enemies took the children away to work as slaves.