Lamentations 1

The Sorrows of Zion

1How 1lonely sits the city That once had 2many people! She has become like a 3widow Who was once 4great among the nations! She who was a princess among the 5provinces Has become a 6forced laborer!2She 7weeps bitterly in the night, And her tears are on her cheeks; She has no one to comfort her Among all her 8lovers. All her friends have 9dealt treacherously with her; They have become her enemies.310Judah has gone into exile out of affliction And 11harsh servitude; She lives 12among the nations, But she has not found a resting place; All those who 13pursued her have overtaken her In the midst of 14distress.4The roads 15of Zion are in mourning Because 16no one comes to an appointed feast. All her gates are 17deserted; Her priests groan, Her 18virgins are worried, And as for Zion herself, it is 19bitter for her.5Her adversaries have become 20her masters, Her enemies are 21secure; For the Lord has 2223caused her grief Because of the multitude of her wrongdoings; Her little ones have gone away As captives 24led by the enemy.6All of her 25splendor Is gone from the daughter of Zion; Her leaders have become like deer That have found no pasture, And they have 2627fled without strength 28From the pursuer.7In the days of her affliction and homelessness 29Jerusalem remembers all her treasures That were hers since the days of old, When her people fell into the hand of the adversary And 30no one helped her. The adversaries saw her, They 31laughed at her 32ruin.8Jerusalem sinned 33greatly, Therefore 34she has become an 35object of ridicule. All who honored her despise her Because they have seen her nakedness; Even 36she herself groans and turns away.9Her 37uncleanness was in her garment’s seams; She 38did not think of her 39future. So she has 4041fallen in an astonishing way; 42She has no comforter. “43See, Lord, my affliction, For the enemy has 4445honored himself!”10The adversary has stretched out his hand Over all her precious things, For she has seen the 46nations enter her sanctuary, The ones whom You commanded That they were 47not to enter Your congregation.11All her people groan, 48seeking bread; They have given their treasures for food To 49restore their 50lives. “See, Lord, and look, For I am 51despised.”12“Is it 52nothing to all you who pass this way? Look and see if there is any pain like my pain Which was inflicted on me, With which the 53Lord tormented me on the day of His 54fierce anger.13From 55the height He sent fire into my 56bones, And it dominated them. He has spread a 57net for my feet; He has turned me back; He has made me 58desolate, 59Faint all day long.14The 60yoke of my wrongdoings is bound; By His hand they are woven together. They have 61come upon my neck; He has made my strength 62fail. The Lord 63has handed me over To those against whom I am not able to stand.15The 64Lord has thrown away all my strong men In my midst; He has called an appointed 65time against me To crush my 66young men; The Lord has 67trodden as in a wine press The virgin daughter of Judah.16For these things I 68weep; 69My eyes run down with water; Because far from me is a 70comforter, One to restore my soul. My children are desolate Because the enemy has prevailed.”17Zion 71stretches out with her hands; There is no one to comfort her; The Lord has 72commanded regarding Jacob That those around him become his adversaries; 73Jerusalem has become a filthy thing among them.18“The Lord is 74righteous, For I have 75rebelled against His 76command; Hear now, all peoples, And 77see my pain; 78My virgins and my young men Have gone into captivity.19I 79called to my lovers, but they deserted me; My 80priests and my elders perished in the city While they sought food to 81restore their 82strength themselves.20See, Lord, for I am in distress; My 8384spirit is greatly troubled; My heart is overturned within me, For I have been very 85rebellious. In the street the sword has made women childless; In the house it is like death.21They have heard that I 86groan; There is no one to comfort me, All my enemies have heard of my disaster; They are 87joyful that You have done it. Oh, that You would bring the day which You have proclaimed, So that they will become 88like me.22May all their wickedness come before You; And 89deal with them just as You have dealt with me For all my wrongdoings. For my groans are many and my heart is faint.”