Lamentations 1

1 How hath she sat alone, The city abounding with people! She hath been as a widow, The mighty among nations! Princes among provinces, She hath become tributary!

The city that once was full of people is now sitting all alone. She has become like a widow, though she was a mighty nation. She was a princess among the nations, but is now forced into slavery.

2 She weepeth sore in the night, And her tear [is] on her cheeks, There is no comforter for her out of all her lovers, All her friends dealt treacherously by her, They have been to her for enemies.

She weeps and wails in the night, and her tears cover her cheeks. None of her lovers comfort her. All her friends have betrayed her. They have become her enemies.

3 Removed hath Judah because of affliction, And because of the abundance of her service; She hath dwelt among nations, She hath not found rest, All her pursuers have overtaken her between the straits.

After poverty and affliction, Judah has gone into exile. She lives among the nations and finds no rest. All her pursuers overtook her in her desperation.

4 The ways of Zion are mourning, Without any coming at the appointed time, All her gates are desolate, her priests sigh, Her virgins are afflicted — and she hath bitterness.

The roads of Zion mourn because none come to the appointed feasts. All her gates are desolate. Her priests groan. Her virgins are sorrowful and she herself is in complete distress.

5 Her adversaries have become chief, Her enemies have been at ease, For Jehovah hath afflicted her, For the abundance of her transgressions, Her infants have gone captive before the adversary.

Her adversaries have become her master; her enemies prosper. Yahweh has afflicted her for her many sins. Her little children go into captivity to her adversary.

6 And go out from the daughter of Zion doth all her honour, Her princes have been as harts — They have not found pasture, And they go powerless before a pursuer.

Beauty has left the daughter of Zion. Her princes have become like deer that cannot find pasture, and they go without strength before their pursuer.

7 Remembered hath Jerusalem [In] the days of her affliction and her mournings, all her desirable things that were from the days of old, In the falling of her people into the hand of an adversary, And she hath no helper; Seen her have adversaries, They have laughed at her cessation.

In the days of her affliction and her homelessness, Jerusalem will call to mind all her precious treasures that she had in former days. When her people fell into the hand of the adversary, no one helped her. The adversaries saw her and laughed at her destruction.

8 A sin hath Jerusalem sinned, Therefore impure she hath become, All who honoured her have esteemed her lightly, For they have seen her nakedness, Yea, she herself hath sighed and turneth backward.

Jerusalem sinned greatly, therefore, she has become scorned as something that is filthy. All who honored her now despise her since they have seen her nakedness. She groans and tries to turn away.

9 Her uncleanness [is] in her skirts, She hath not remembered her latter end, And she cometh down wonderfully, There is no comforter for her. See, O Jehovah, mine affliction, For exerted himself hath an enemy.

She has become unclean beneath her skirts. She did not think about her future. Her fall was terrible. There was no one to comfort her. She cried out, “Look at my affliction, Yahweh, for the enemy has become too great!”

10 His hand spread out hath an adversary On all her desirable things, For she hath seen — Nations have entered her sanctuary, Concerning which Thou didst command, 'They do not come into the assembly to thee.'

The adversary has put his hand on all our precious treasures. She has seen the nations enter her sanctuary, even though you had commanded that they must not enter into your assembly place.

11 All her people are sighing — seeking bread, They have given their desirable things For food to refresh the body; See, O Jehovah, and behold attentively, For I have been lightly esteemed.

All her people groan as they search for bread. They have given their precious treasures for food to restore their lives. Look, Yahweh, and consider me, for I have become worthless.

12 [Is it] nothing to you, all ye passing by the way? Look attentively, and see, If there is any pain like my pain, That He is rolling to me? Whom Jehovah hath afflicted In the day of the fierceness of His anger.

Is it nothing to you, all you who pass by? Look and see if there is anyone else's sorrow like the sorrow that is being inflicted on me, since Yahweh has tormented me on the day of his fierce anger.

13 From above He hath sent fire into my bone, And it subdueth it, He hath spread a net for my feet, He hath turned me backward, He hath made me desolate — all the day sick.

It is from on high that he has sent fire into my bones, and it has conquered them. He has spread a net for my feet and turned me back. He has made me constantly desolate and weak.

14 Bound hath been the yoke of my transgressions by His hand, They are wrapped together, They have gone up on my neck, He hath caused my power to stumble, The Lord hath given me into hands, I am not able to rise.

The yoke of my transgressions is bound together by his hand. They are knit together and placed upon my neck. He has made my strength fail. The Lord has given me over into their hands, and I am not able to stand.

15 Trodden down all my mighty ones hath the Lord in my midst, He proclaimed against me an appointed time, To destroy my young men, A wine-press hath the Lord trodden, To the virgin daughter of Judah.

The Lord has tossed aside all my mighty men who defended me. He has called an assembly against me to crush my vigorous men. The Lord has trampled the virgin daughter of Judah in the winepress.

16 For these I am weeping, My eye, my eye, is running down with waters, For, far from me hath been a comforter, Refreshing my soul, My sons have been desolate, For mighty hath been an enemy.

For these things I weep, my eyes overflow with tears; for a comforter is far from me, one who restores my life. My children are desolate because the enemy has conquered me.

17 Spread forth hath Zion her hands, There is no comforter for her, Jehovah hath charged concerning Jacob, His neighbours [are] his adversaries, Jerusalem hath become impure among them.

Zion has spread her hands wide; there is none to comfort her. Yahweh has commanded that those around Jacob should be his adversaries. Jerusalem is something unclean to them.

18 Righteous is Jehovah, For His mouth I have provoked. Hear, I pray you, all ye peoples, and see my pain, My virgins and my young men have gone into captivity.

Yahweh is righteous, for I have rebelled against his commandment. Hear, all you peoples, and see my sorrow. My virgins and my vigorous men have gone into captivity.

19 I called for my lovers, they — they have deceived me, My priests and my elders in the city have expired; When they have sought food for themselves, Then they give back their soul.

I called for my friends, but they were treacherous toward me. My priests and my elders perished in the city, while they sought food to restore their lives.

20 See, O Jehovah, for distress [is] to me, My bowels have been troubled, Turned hath been my heart in my midst, For I have greatly provoked, From without bereaved hath the sword, In the house [it is] as death.

Look, Yahweh, for I am in distress; my stomach churns, my heart is disturbed within me, for I have been very rebellious. Outside, the sword bereaves a mother, inside the house there is only death.

21 They have heard that I have sighed, There is no comforter for me, All my enemies have heard of my calamity, They have rejoiced that Thou hast done [it], Thou hast brought in the day Thou hast called, And they are like to me.

They have heard my groaning, but there is no one to comfort me. All my enemies have heard of my trouble and they are glad that you have done it. You have brought the day you promised; now let them become like me.

22 Come in doth all their evil before Thee, And one is doing to them as Thou hast done to me, For all my transgressions, For many [are] my sighs, and my heart [is] sick!

Let all their wickedness come before you. deal with them as you have dealt with me because of all my transgressions. My groans are many and my heart is faint.