Lamentations 1

1 How is seated alone, the city that abounded with people, hath become as a widow, —She who abounded among the nations was a princess among provinces, hath come under tribute.

How doth the city sit solitary, [that was] full of people! [how] is she become as a widow! she [that was] great among the nations, [and] princess among the provinces, [how] is she become tributary.

2 She, weepeth sore, in the night, and, her tear, is on her cheek, She hath none to comfort her, of all her lovers, —All her friends, have betrayed her, have become her foes.

She weepeth bitterly in the night, and her tears [are] on her cheeks: among all her lovers she hath none to comfort [her]: all her friends have dealt treacherously with her, they are become her enemies.

3 Carried away captive is Judah—because of oppression, and because of great servitude, She, hath remained among the nations, hath found no place of rest, —All her pursuers, have overtaken her, between straits.

Judah is gone into captivity because of affliction, and because of great servitude: she dwelleth among the heathen, she findeth no rest: all her persecutors overtook her between the straits.

4 The ways to Zion, are mourning, because none come to her appointed feasts, All her gates, are desolate, her priests, are sighing, —her virgins, are grieved, and, she, it is bitter for her.

The ways of Zion do mourn, because none come to the solemn feasts: all her gates are desolate: her priests sigh, her virgins are afflicted, and she [is] in bitterness.

5 Her adversaries have become chief, her foes, are at ease, for, Yahweh, hath grieved her, because of the multitude of her transgressions, —Her children, have gone into captivity, before the adversary.

Her adversaries are the chief, her enemies prosper; for the LORD hath afflicted her for the multitude of her transgressions: her children are gone into captivity before the enemy.

6 Thus hath gone forth from the daughter of Zion, all that adorned her, —Her princes have become like harts that have found no pasture, and have gone strengthless before the pursuer.

And from the daughter of Zion all her beauty hath departed: her princes are become like harts [that] find no pasture, and they are gone without strength before the pursuer.

7 Jerusalem hath remembered in the days of her humiliation and her fleeings—all her precious things, which have existed from the days of old, —Now that her people have been falling into the hand of the adversary, with none to help her, the adversaries have seen her, have mocked over her sabbath-keepings.

Jerusalem remembered in the days of her affliction and of her miseries all her pleasant things that she had in the days of old, when her people fell into the hand of the enemy, and none helped her: the adversaries saw her, [and] mocked at her sabbaths.

8 Jerusalem, hath grievously sinned, For this cause, unto exile, hath she been delivered, —All who used to honour her, have despised her, for they have descried her unseemliness, yea, she herself, hath sighed, and turned back.

Jerusalem hath grievously sinned; therefore she is removed: all that honored her despise her, because they have seen her nakedness: yes, she sigheth and turneth backward.

9 Her impurity, is in her skirts, She hath not remembered her hereafter, Therefore hath she come down wonderfully, none to comfort her, —Behold, O Yahweh, my humiliation, that the foe, hath made himself great.

Her filthiness [is] in her skirts; she remembereth not her last end; therefore she hath been wonderfully abased: she had no comforter. O LORD, behold my affliction: for the enemy hath magnified [himself].

10 His hand, hath the adversary spread out, over all her precious things, —for she saw that, the nations, entered her sanctuary, as to whom thou didst command they should not enter—in the convocation—unto thee!

The adversary hath spread out his hand upon all her pleasant things: for she hath seen [that] the heathen entered into her sanctuary, whom thou didst command [that] they should not enter into thy congregation.

11 All her people, are sighing, seeking bread, They have given their precious things for food, to bring back life, —Behold, O Yahweh, and discern, that I have become worthless.

All her people sigh, they seek bread; they have given their pleasant things for food to relieve the soul: see, O LORD, and consider; for I am become vile.

12 Is it nothing to you, all ye that pass by? Look around and see, whether there is pain like my pain, which is severely dealt out to me, —in that Yahweh, hath caused grief, in the day of the glow of his anger?

[Is it] nothing to you, all ye that pass by? behold, and see if there is any sorrow like my sorrow, which hath fallen upon me, with which the LORD hath afflicted [me] in the day of his fierce anger.

13 From on high, sent he fire, among my bones, and laid them prostrate, —He spread out a net for my feet, he made me turn back, he made me desolate, all the day, faint.

From above hath he sent fire into my bones, and it prevaileth against them: he hath spread a net for my feet, he hath turned me back: he hath made me desolate [and] faint all the day.

14 The yoke of my transgressions, hath been bound, by his hand—They have intertwined themselves, have come up on my neck, it hath paralysed my strength, —My Lord, hath delivered me, into the hands of those against whom I cannot rise up.

The yoke of my transgressions is bound by his hand: they are wreathed, [and] come up upon my neck: he hath made my strength to fall, the LORD hath delivered me into [their] hands, [from whom] I am not able to rise.

15 My Lord, hath flouted at all my magnates, in my midst, He hath called against me a host, to crush my young men, —A winepress, hath My Lord trodden, to the virgin, the daughter of Judah.

The LORD hath trodden under foot all my mighty [men] in the midst of me: he hath called an assembly against me to crush my young men: the LORD hath trodden the virgin, the daughter of Judah, [as] in a wine-press.

16 For these things, am, I, weeping, Mine eye, mine eye, is running down with waters, for, far from me, is any who could comfort, could bring back my life, —My sons are amazed, for strong is the foe.

For these [things] I weep; my eye, my eye runneth down with water, because the comforter that should relieve my soul is far from me: my children are desolate, because the enemy prevailed.

17 Zion, hath spread forth, her hands, there is none to comfort her, Yahweh, hath given command, respecting Jacob, unto them who surround him—his adversaries, —Jerusalem, hath become as a removed woman, in their midst.

Zion spreadeth forth her hands, [and there is] none to comfort her: the LORD hath commanded concerning Jacob, [that] his adversaries [should be] around him: Jerusalem is as a menstruous woman among them.

18 Righteous is Yahweh, for, against his bidding, had I rebelled, —Hear, I pray you, all ye peoples, and see my pain, My virgins and my young men, have gone into exile.

The LORD is righteous; for I have rebelled against his commandment: hear, I pray you, all people, and behold my sorrow: my virgins and my young men are gone into captivity.

19 I called to my lovers, they, deceived me, My priests and mine elders, in the city, have breathed their last, —for they sought them food, that they might bring back their life.

I called for my lovers, [but] they deceived me: my priests and my elders resigned their breath in the city, while they sought their food to relieve their souls.

20 See, O Yahweh, that I am in distress, Mine inward parts, are in ferment, My heart is turned within me, for I have obstinately rebelled, —Without, bereaveth the sword, Within, is like death,

Behold, O LORD; for I [am] in distress: my bowels are troubled; my heart is turned within me; for I have grievously rebelled: abroad the sword bereaveth, at home [there is] as death.

21 They have heard—that, sighing am, I, [and am saying] —There is none to comfort me, All my foes, —having heard of my calamity—have rejoiced, because, thou, hast done it, —thou hast brought in the day thou didst proclaim, So let them become like me.

They have heard that I sigh: [there is] none to comfort me: all my enemies have heard of my trouble; they are glad that thou hast done [it]: thou wilt bring the day [that] thou hast called, and they shall be like me.

22 Let all their wickedness, come in, before thee, and deal thou severely with them, according as thou hast dealt severely with me, for all my transgressions; for many are my sighs, and, my heart, is sick.

Let all their wickedness come before thee; and do to them, as thou hast done to me for all my transgressions: for my sighs [are] many, and my heart [is] faint.