Lamentations, Chapter 1
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1
How the city sits solitary,that was full of people!She has become as a widow,that was great among the nations!She who was a princess among the provinceshas become slave labor![fn]
2
She weeps intensely in the night,and her tears are on her cheeks;Among all her friends she has none to comfort her:All her companions have betrayed her;they have become her enemies.
3
Judah has gone into captivity because of affliction,and because of great servitude;She dwells among the nations,she finds no rest:All her persecutors overtook herinside the straits.
4
The ways of Zion mourn,because none come to the solemn assembly;All her gates are desolate,her priests sigh:Her virgins are afflicted,and she herself is in bitterness.
5
Her adversaries have become the head,her enemies prosper;For Yahweh has afflicted herfor the multitude of her transgressions:Her young children have gone into captivitybefore the adversary.
6
And from the daughter of Zionall her majesty has departed:Her princes have become like hartsthat find no pasture,And they are gone without strengthbefore the pursuer.
7
Jerusalem remembersin the days of her affliction and of her wanderingall her pleasant thingsthat were from the days of old:When her people fell into the hand of the adversary,and none helped her,The adversaries saw her, they mockedat her desolations.
8
Jerusalem has grievously sinned;therefore she has become as an unclean thing;All who honored her despise her,because they have seen her nakedness:Yes, she sighs,and turns backward.
9
Her filthiness was in her skirts;she didn't remember her latter end;Therefore she has come down wonderfully;she has no comforter:See, O Yahweh, my affliction;for the enemy has magnified himself.
10
The adversary has spread out his handon all her pleasant things:For she has seen that the nationshave entered into her sanctuary,Concerning whom you commandedthat they should not enter into your assembly.
11
All her people sigh,they seek bread;They have given their pleasant things for foodto refresh the soul:See, O Yahweh, and behold;for I have become abject.
12
Is it nothing to you⁺, all you⁺ who pass by?Look, and seeif there is any sorrow like my sorrow,which is brought on me,With which Yahweh has afflicted [me]in the day of his fierce anger.
13
From on high he has sent fireinto my bones, and it prevails against them;He has spread a net for my feet,he has turned me back:He has made me desolateand faint all the day.
14
The yoke of my transgressions is tiedby his hand;They are knit together, they have come up on my neck;he has made my strength to fail:The Lord has delivered me into their hands,against whom I am not able to stand.
15
The Lord has set at nothingall my mighty men in the midst of me;He has called a solemn assembly against meto crush my young men:The Lord has trodden as in a wine pressthe virgin daughter of Judah.
16
For these things I weep;my eye, my eye runs down with water;Because the comforter that should refresh my soulis far from me:My sons are desolate,because the enemy has prevailed.
17
Zion spreads forth her hands;there is none to comfort her;Yahweh has commanded concerning Jacob,that those who are round about him should be his adversaries:Jerusalem is among themas an unclean thing.
18
Yahweh is righteous;for I have rebelled against his mouth:Hear, I pray you⁺, all you⁺ peoples,and look at my sorrow:My virgins and my young menhave gone into captivity.
19
I called for my lovers,[but] they deceived me:My priests and my elders gave up the ghost in the city,While they sought foodfor them to refresh their souls.
20
Look, O Yahweh; for I am in distress;my insides are troubled;My heart is turned inside me;for I have grievously rebelled:Abroad the sword bereaves,at home there is as death.
21
They have heard that I sigh;there is none to comfort me;All my enemies have heard of my trouble; they are gladthat you have done it:You have brought the day that you have proclaimed,and they will be like me.
22
Let all their wickedness come before you;And do to them, as you have done to mefor all my transgressions:For my sighs are many,and my heart is faint.
Footnotes
1
The title 'Lamentations' is not in the original text but has been adopted from the Greek translation (the Septuagint). In the original text from the Hebrew Bible, the title is How (the first word of the first sentence).
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