Lamentations 1

1 Aleph. How doth the city sit solitary that was full of people! how is the mistress of the Gentiles become as a widow: the princes of provinces made tributary!

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 Beth. Weeping she hath wept in the night, and her tears are on her cheeks: there is none to comfort her among all them that were dear to her: all her friends have despised her, and are become her enemies.

She weepeth bitterly in the night; tears are upon her cheeks; Among all her lovers she hath no comforter; All her friends have dealt treacherously with her; they have become her enemies.

3 Ghimel. Juda hath removed her dwelling place because of her affliction, and the greatness of her bondage: she hath dwelt among the nations, and she hath found no rest: all her persecutors have taken her in the midst of straits.

Judah goeth into exile, because of affliction and because of great servitude; She dwelleth among the nations, she findeth no rest; All her pursuers overtake her in the straits.

4 Daleth. The ways of Sion mourn, because there are none that come to the solemn feast: all her gates are broken down: her priests sigh: her virgins are in affliction, and she is oppressed with bitterness.

The ways to Zion mourn, because none come to the solemn feasts; All her gates are desolate, her priests sigh, Her virgins wail, and she is in bitterness.

5 He. Her adversaries are become her lords, her enemies are enriched: because the Lord hath spoken against her for the multitude of her iniquities: her children are led into captivity: before the face of the oppressor.

Her adversaries have become the head; her enemies prosper; For Jehovah hath afflicted her for the multitude of her transgressions; Her children are gone into captivity before the enemy.

6 Vau. And from the daughter of Sion all her beauty is departed: her princes are become like rams that find no pastures: and they are gone away without strength before the face of the pursuer.

From the daughter of Zion all her beauty is departed; Her princes are become like harts, that find no pasture; Without strength, they flee before the pursuer.

7 Zain. Jerusalem hath remembered the days of her affliction, and prevarication of all her desirable things which she had from the days of old, when her people fell in the enemy’s hand, and there was no helper: the enemies have seen her, and have mocked at her sabbaths.

Jerusalem remembereth, in the days of her affliction and of her oppression, All her pleasant things, which she had in the days of old, When her people fell into the hand of the enemy, and she had no helper; Her adversaries saw her, and mocked at her destruction.

8 Heth. Jerusalem hath grievously sinned, therefore is she become unstable: all that honoured her have despised her, because they have seen her shame: but she sighed and turned backward.

Jerusalem hath grievously sinned; therefore is she become vile; All that honored her despise her, because they have seen her shame; She sigheth, and turneth backward.

9 Teth. Her filthiness is on her feet, and she hath not remembered her end: she is wonderfully cast down, not having a comforter: behold, O Lord, my affliction, because the enemy is lifted up.

Her filthiness is upon her skirts; She thought not of her end, therefore is she brought down wonderfully; she hath no comforter. “Behold, O Jehovah, my affliction, for the enemy doth triumph!”

10 Jod. The enemy hath put out his hand to all her desirable things: for she hath seen the Gentiles enter into her sanctuary, of whom thou gavest commandment that they should not enter into thy church.

The adversary spreadeth his hands over all her pleasant things; Yea, she seeth the nations enter into her sanctuary, Concerning whom thou didst command that they should not enter into her congregation.

11 Caph. All her people sigh, they seek bread: they have given all their precious things for food to relieve the soul: see, O Lord, and consider, for I am become vile.

All her people sigh; they seek bread; They give their precious things for bread to sustain life. “Behold, O Jehovah, and consider, how I am become vile!”

12 Lamed. O all ye that pass by the way, attend, and see if there be any sorrow like to my sorrow: for he hath made a vintage of me, as the Lord spoke in the day of his fierce anger.

“Is it nothing to you, all ye that pass by? Behold, and see, if there be any sorrow like to my sorrow, which is brought upon me, With which Jehovah hath afflicted me in the day of his fierce anger!

13 Mem. From above he hath sent fire into my bones, and hath chastised me: he hath spread a net for my feet, he hath turned me back: he hath made me desolate, wasted with sorrow all the day long.

“From on high hath he sent fire into my bones, and it prevailed against them: He hath spread a net for my feet; he hath turned me back; He hath made me desolate, faint all the day long.

14 Nun. The yoke of my iniquities hath watched: they are folded together in his hand, and put upon my neck: my strength is weakened: the Lord hath delivered me into a hand out of which I am not able to rise.

“The yoke of my transgressions is fastened in his hand; they are twisted together; They are laid upon my neck; he hath made my strength to fall; The Lord hath delivered me into their hands, against whom I cannot stand.

15 Samech. The Lord hath taken away all my mighty men out of the midst of me: he hath called against me the time, to destroy my chosen men: the Lord hath trodden the winepress for the virgin daughter of Juda.

“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 down the virgin, the daughter of Judah, as in a wine-vat.

16 Ain. Therefore do I weep, and my eyes run down with water: because the comforter, the relief of my soul, is far from me: my children are desolate because the enemy hath prevailed.

“For these things do I weep; mine eye runneth down with water; For far from me are they that should comfort me, that should restore my strength; My children have perished, because the enemy prevailed.”

17 Phe. Sion hath spread forth her hands, there is none to comfort her: the Lord hath commanded against Jacob, his enemies are round about him: Jerusalem is as a menstruous woman among them.

Zion spreadeth forth her hands, and there is none to comfort her; Jehovah hath given command against Jacob, that his adversaries should be round about him; Jerusalem is become an abhorrence among them.

18 Sade. The Lord is just, for I have provoked his mouth to wrath: hear, I pray you, all ye people, and see my sorrow: my virgins, and my young men are gone into captivity.

“Righteous is Jehovah, for I have disobeyed his commandment; Hear, I pray you, all ye nations, and behold my sorrow! My virgins and my young men are gone into captivity.

19 Coph. I called for my friends, but they deceived me: my priests and my ancients pined away in the city: while they sought their food, to relieve their souls.

“I called upon my lovers, but they have proved false to me; My priests and my elders have expired in the city, While they sought for food to sustain their lives.

20 Res. Behold, O Lord, for I am in distress, my bowels are troubled: my heart is turned within me, for I am full of bitterness: abroad the sword destroyeth, and at home there is death alike.

“Behold, O Jehovah, how I am distressed! my bowels boil, My heart turneth itself within me; for I have grievously rebelled. Abroad the sword bereaveth; at home, Death.

21 Sin. They have heard that I sigh, and there is none to comfort me: all my enemies have heard of my evil, they have rejoiced that thou hast done it: thou hast brought a day of consolation, and they shall be like unto me.

“They hear how I sigh, yet none comforteth me; mine enemies have heard of my calamity; they rejoice that thou hast done it. O bring the day which thou hast appointed, that they shall be like me!

22 Thau. Let all their evil be present before thee: and make vintage of them, as thou hast made vintage of me for all my iniquities: for my sighs are many, and my heart is sorrowful.

“Let all their wickedness come before thee, deal thou with them as thou hast dealt with me for all my transgressions! For my sighs are many, and my heart is faint.”