Lamentations 2:11-22

11I have cried so much that my eyes are red now. Even the parts inside my body hurt, because my people are dying. I feel ill because I am so sad. The children and babies fall in the city's streets because they are so weak.

12‘Where has all the food and drink gone?’ the hungry children ask their mothers. Then they fall down in pain on the streets of the city. They die in their mothers' arms.

13I want to help you people of Jerusalem, but there is nothing that I can say to you. I do not know about anything like what has happened to you. God has destroyed Zion completely! I do not know anyone who can make you people better.

14Your prophets have promised you many good things. Those good things will not happen. They should have told you that you should not do wrong things. If they had told you that, none of these troubles would have happened. The prophets do not tell you true messages from God and their dreams are false.

15Everyone who goes by laughs at you. They are happy because you are sad. They see how the enemy has destroyed everything in Jerusalem. ‘Surely this cannot be the city that men called most beautiful,’ they say. ‘People have said that this city is the best city on earth.’

16All your enemies make noises through their teeth because they are very happy. ‘We have won!’ they say. ‘We have waited for this day. Now we have beaten you! Now we have seen it!’

17The Lord has done what he decided to do. Yes, he has done what he told you about a long time ago. He has destroyed your city and he has not felt sorry about it. He has caused your enemies to be happy. He has made them strong so that they could win against you.

18Day and night, cause your tears to run like a river round the walls of Zion. Cry to the Lord all the time, you people. Do not rest. Do not let your eyes stop crying.

19Stand up and pray for God's help. Talk to God all night. Pour out your words and thoughts to the Lord as you pour out water from a jar. Lift up your hands to him, and ask him to save the lives of your children. They fall down to die at the end of every street because they are so hungry.

20‘Look at us, Lord,’ you should say. ‘You have done all this to your people. Women eat their own children now! They eat the children that they took care of. People have killed your own priests and prophets in your holy house!

21Young people and old people lie dead in the streets. The enemy has killed the young men and women with long knives. But it was really you who killed them. You were very angry with us. So you killed them and you did not feel sorry.

22You asked our enemies to come round us as people come to a special feast. They killed our people because you were angry. Nobody could hide or run away. They all died. We saw the enemy kill our own children.’