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 sore 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 within 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 assembly; all her gates are desolate, her priests do sigh: her virgins are afflicted, and she herself 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 become the head, her enemies prosper; for the LORD hath afflicted her for the multitude of her transgressions: her young children are gone into captivity before the adversary.

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 majesty is 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 remembereth in the days of her affliction and of her miseries all her pleasant things that were from the days of old: when her people fell into the hand of the adversary, and none did help her, the adversaries saw her, they did mock at her desolations.

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 become as an unclean thing: all that honoured her despise her, because they have seen her nakedness: yea, 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 was in her skirts; she remembered not her latter end; therefore is she come down wonderfully; she hath no comforter: behold, O LORD, 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 are entered into her sanctuary, concerning 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 meat to refresh the soul: see, O LORD, and behold; 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 be any sorrow like unto my sorrow, which is done unto me, wherewith 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 on high 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 knit together, they are come up upon my neck; he hath made my strength to fail: the Lord hath delivered me into their hands, against whom I am not able to stand.

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 set at nought all my mighty men in the midst of me; he hath called a solemn assembly against me to crush my young men: the Lord hath trodden as in a winepress the virgin daughter of Judah.

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; mine eye, mine eye runneth down with water; because the comforter that should refresh my soul is far from me: my children are desolate, because the enemy hath 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; there is none to comfort her; the LORD hath commanded concerning Jacob, that they that are round about him should be his adversaries: Jerusalem is among them as an unclean thing.

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 ye peoples, 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 mine elders gave up the ghost in the city, while they sought them meat to refresh 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; mine 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 mine enemies have heard of my trouble; they are glad that thou hast done it: thou wilt bring the day that thou hast proclaimed, and they shall be like unto 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 unto them, as thou hast done unto me for all my transgressions: for my sighs are many, and my heart is faint.