1 Zion Lays Desolate Aleph How lonely sits the cityThat was great with people!She has become like a widowWho wasoncegreat among the nations!She who was a princess among the 1:1 Or districts provincesHas become a forced laborer!Beth
2 She weeps bitterly in the night,And her tears are on her cheeks;She has none to comfort herAmong all her lovers.All her friends have dealt treacherously with her;They have become her enemies.Gimel
3 Judah has gone into exile because of afflictionAnd because of great slavery;She sits among the nations,Butshe has found no rest;All her pursuers have overtaken herIn the midst of 1:3Or narrow places distress.Daleth
4 The roads 1:4 Or to of Zion are in mourningBecause no one comes to the appointed times.All her gates are desolate;Her priests are sighing,Her virgins are grieving,And she herself 1:4 Or suffers bitterly is bitter.He
5 Her adversaries have become 1:5 Lit head her masters;Her enemies are complacent;For 1:5 The personal covenant name of God, a form of I AM WHO I AM, cf. Ex 3:14-15 Yahweh has caused her griefBecause of the greatness of her transgressions;Her infants have gone awayAs captives before the adversary.Vav
6 So all her majestyHas gone out from the daughter of Zion;Her princes have become like deerThat have found no pasture;So they have 1:6Lit gone fled without strengthBefore the pursuer.Zayin
7 In the days of her affliction and homelessnessJerusalem remembers all her precious thingsThat were from the days of old,When her people fell into the hand of the adversaryAnd no one helped her.The adversaries saw her;They laughed at her 1:7Lit cessation ruin.Heth
8 Jerusalem sinned greatly;Therefore she has become an impure thing.All who honored her despise herBecause they have seen her nakedness;Even she herself sighs and turns away.Teth
9 Her uncleanness was in her skirts;She did not remember her future.Therefore she has gone down astonishingly;She has no comforter.“See, O Yahweh, my affliction,For the enemy has magnified himself!”Yodh
10 The adversary has stretched out his handOver all her desirable things,For she has seen the nations enter her sanctuary,The ones whom You commandedThat they should not enter into Your assembly.Kaph
11 All her people are sighing, seeking bread;They have given their desirable things for foodTo restoretheirsouls.“See, O Yahweh, and look,For I am despised.”Lamedh
12 “Is it nothing to all you who pass this way?Look and see if there is any 1:12Or sorrow pain like my 1:12Or sorrow painWhich was dealt severely to me,Which Yahweh grievedmewith on the day of His burning anger.Mem
13 “From on high He sent fire into my bones,And it dominatedthem.He has spread a net for my feet;He has turned me back;He has made me desolate, 1:13Or Sick Faint all day long.Nun
14 “The yoke of my transgressions is bound;By His hand they are knit together.They have come upon my neck;He has made my strength stumble.The Lord has given me into the handsOfthose against whomI am not able to stand.Samekh
15 “The Lord has rejected all my mighty menIn my midst;He has called an appointed time against meTo break my young men;The Lord has troddenas ina wine pressThe virgin daughter of Judah.Ayin
16 “For these things I am weeping; 1:16 Lit My eye, my eye My eyes run down with water;Because far from me is a comforter,One who restores my soul.My children are desolateBecause the enemy has prevailed.”Pe
17 Zion stretches out her hands;There is no one to comfort her;Yahweh has commanded concerning JacobThat the ones round about him should be his adversaries;Jerusalem has become an impure thing among them.Tsadhe
18 “Yahweh is righteous;For I have rebelled against His 1:18 Lit mouth command;Hear now, all peoples,And behold my 1:18 Or sorrow pain;My virgins and my young menHave gone into captivity.Qoph
19 “I called to my lovers,butthey deceived me;My priests and my elders breathed their last in the cityWhile they sought food for themselves in order to restore their souls.Resh
20 “See, O Yahweh, for I am in distress;My 1:20 Lit inward parts are in ferment inmost being is greatly disturbed;My heart is overturned within me,For I have been very rebellious.In the street the sword bereaves;In the house it is like death.Shin
21 “They have heard that I am sighing;There is no one to comfort me;All my enemies have heard of the 1:21Or calamity evildone tome;They rejoice that You have doneit.You have brought the day which You have proclaimed,So that they will become like me.Tav
22 “Let all their evil come before You;And deal severely with them as You have dealt severely with meFor all my transgressions;For my groans are great and my heart is faint.”