| 1:1 |
How lonely sits the city that was full of people How like a widow has she become she thatwho was great among the nations She thatwho was a princess among the citiesprovinces has become a vassalslave |
| 1:2 |
She weeps bitterly in the night with tears on her cheeks; among all her lovers she has none to comfort her; all her friends have dealt treacherously with her; they have become her enemies |
| 1:4 |
The roads to Zion mourn for none come to the appointed feastsfestival; all her gates are desolate; her priests groan; her maidensvirgins have been draggedafflicted away and she herself suffers bitterly |
| 1:5 |
Her foes have become the head; her enemies prosper because the Lord has madeafflicted her suffer for the multitude of her transgressions; her children have gone away captives before the foe |
| 1:6 |
From the daughter of Zion has departed all her majesty has departed Her princes have become like hartsdeer that find no pasture; they fled without strength before the pursuer |
| 1:7 |
Jerusalem remembers in the days of her affliction and bitternesswandering all the precious things that were hers from days of old When her people fell into the hand of the foe and there was none to help her theher foefoes gloated over her; mockingthey mocked at her downfall |
| 1:8 |
Jerusalem sinned grievously; therefore she became filthy; all who honored her despise her for they have seen her nakedness; yea she herself groans and turns her face away |
| 1:9 |
Her uncleanness was in her skirts; she took no thought of her doomfuture; therefore her fall is terrible; she has no comforter O Lord behold my affliction for the enemy has triumphed |
| 1:10 |
The enemy has stretched out his hands over all her precious things; yeafor she has seen the nations invadeenter her sanctuary those whom thouyou didstforbade forbid to enter thyyour congregation |
| 1:11 |
All her people groan as they search for bread; they trade their treasures for food to revive their strength Look O Lord and beholdsee for I am despised |
| 1:15 |
The Lord floutedrejected all my mighty men in themy midst of me; he summoned an assembly against me to crush my young men; the Lord has trodden as in a winewinepress press the virgin daughter of Judah |
| 1:16 |
For these things I weep; my eyes flow with tears; for a comforter is far from me one to revive my couragespirit; my children are desolate for the enemy has prevailed |
| 1:18 |
The Lord is in the right for I have rebelled against his word; but hear all you peoples and beholdsee my suffering; my maidensyoung women and my young men have gone into captivity |
| 1:20 |
BeholdLook O Lord for I am in distress; my soulstomach ischurns; in tumult my heart is wrung within me because I have been very rebellious In the street the sword bereaves; in the house it is like death |
| 1:21 |
HearThey howheard Imy groan;groaning yet there is noneno one to comfort me All my enemies have heard of my trouble; they are glad that thouyou hasthave done it BringYou thouhave brought the day thouyou hast announced; andnow let them be as I am |
| 1:22 |
Let all their evilevildoing doing come before thee;you and deal with them as thouyou hasthave dealt with me because of all my transgressions; for my groans are many and my heart is faint |
| 2:2 |
The Lord has destroyedswallowed up without mercy all the habitations of Jacob; in his wrath he has broken down the strongholds of the daughter of Judah; he has brought down to the ground in dishonor the kingdom and its rulers |
| 2:4 |
He has bent his bow like an enemy with his right hand set like a foe; and he has slainkilled all thewho pridewere ofdelightful in our eyes in the tent of the daughter of Zion; he has poured out his fury like fire |
| 2:5 |
The Lord has become like an enemy; he has destroyedswallowed up Israel; he has destroyedswallowed up all its palaces; he has laid in ruins its strongholds; and he has multiplied in the daughter of Judah mourning and lamentation |
| 2:6 |
He has brokenlaid downwaste his booth like that of a garden laid in ruins the place of his appointedmeeting feastsplace; the Lord has broughtmade to an end in Zion appointedforget feastfestival and sabbathSabbath and in his fierce indignation has spurned king and priest |
| 2:7 |
The Lord has scorned his altar disowned his sanctuary; he has delivered into the hand of the enemy the walls of her palaces; they raised a clamor was raised in the house of the Lord as on the day of an appointed feastfestival |
| 2:8 |
The Lord determined to lay in ruins the wall of the daughter of Zion; he markedstretched itout offthe bymeasuring the line; he restraineddid not restrain his hand from destroying; he caused rampart and wall to lament; they languishlanguished together |
| 2:9 |
Her gates have sunk into the ground; he has ruined and broken her bars; her king and princes are among the nations; the law is no more and her prophets obtainfind no vision from the Lord |
| 2:10 |
The elders of the daughter of Zion sit on the ground in silence; they have castthrown dust on their heads and put on sackcloth; the maidensyoung women of Jerusalem have bowed their heads to the ground |
| 2:11 |
My eyes are spent with weeping; my soulstomach is in tumultchurns; my heartbile is poured out into griefthe ground because of the destruction of the daughter of my people because infants and babesbabies faint in the streets of the city |
| 2:12 |
They cry to their mothers Where is bread and wine as they faint like a wounded menman in the streets of the city as their life is poured out on their mothers bosom |
| 2:13 |
What can I say for you to what compare you O daughter of Jerusalem What can I liken to you that I may comfort you O virgin daughter of Zion For your ruin is vast as the sea is your ruin; who can restoreheal you |
| 2:14 |
Your prophets have seen for you false and deceptive visions; they have not exposed your iniquity to restore your fortunes but have seen for you oracles that are false and misleading |
| 2:15 |
All who pass along the way clap their hands at you; they hiss and wag their heads at the daughter of Jerusalem;: Is this the city whichthat was called the perfection of beauty the joy of all the earth |
| 2:16 |
All your enemies rail against you; they hiss they gnash their teeth they cry: We have destroyedswallowed her Ah this is the day we longed for; now we have it; we see it |
| 2:17 |
The Lord has done what he purposed; he has carried out his threat;word aswhich he ordainedcommanded long ago; he has demolishedthrown down without pity; he has made the enemy rejoice over you and exalted the might of your foes |
| 2:18 |
CryTheir aloudheart cried to the Lord O wall of the daughter of Zion Letlet tears stream down like a torrent day and night Give yourself no rest your eyes no respite |
| 2:19 |
Arise cry out in the night at the beginning of the night watches Pour out your heart like water before the presence of the Lord Lift your hands to him for the lives of your children who faint for hunger at the head of every street |
| 2:20 |
Look O Lord and see With whom hasthave thouyou dealt thus Should women eat the fruit of their offspringwomb the children of their tender care Should priest and prophet be slainkilled in the sanctuary of the Lord |
| 2:21 |
In the dust of the streets lie the young and the old; my maidensyoung women and my young men have fallen by the sword; you have killed them in the day of thyyour anger thou hast slain them slaughtering without mercypity |
| 2:22 |
ThouYou didstsummoned invite as if to thea festival day of an appointed feast my terrors on every side; and on the day of the anger of the Lord noneno one escaped or survived; those whom I dandledheld and rearedraised my enemy destroyed |
| 3:4 |
He has made my flesh and my skin waste away; andhe has broken my bones; |
| 3:7 |
He has walled me about so that I cannot escape; he has putmade heavymy chains on meheavy; |
| 3:9 |
he has blocked my ways with hewnblocks of stones; he has made my paths crooked |
| 3:10 |
He is to me like a bear lying in wait likefor me a lion in hiding; |
| 3:11 |
he ledturned measide off my waysteps and tore me to pieces; he has made me desolate; |
| 3:12 |
he bent his bow and set me as a marktarget for his arrow |
| 3:13 |
He drove into my heartkidneys the arrows of his quiver; |
| 3:14 |
I have become the laughingstock of all peoples the burdenobject of their songstaunts all day long |
| 3:15 |
He has filled me with bitterness; he has sated me with wormwood |
| 3:17 |
my soul is bereft of peace; I have forgotten what happiness is; |
| 3:18 |
so I say GoneMy isendurance myhas gloryperished; andso has my expectationhope from the Lord |
| 3:19 |
Remember my affliction and my bitternesswanderings the wormwood and the gall |
| 3:20 |
My soul continually thinksremembers of it and is bowed down within me |
| 3:22 |
The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; |
| 3:23 |
they are new every morning; great is thyyour faithfulness |
| 3:25 |
The Lord is good to those who wait for him to the soul thatwho seeks him |
| 3:28 |
Let him sit alone in silence when heit hasis laid it on him; |
| 3:30 |
let him give his cheek to the smiterone who strikes and let him be filled with insults |
| 3:31 |
For the Lord will not cast off for everforever |
| 3:33 |
for he does not willingly afflict from his heart or grieve the sonschildren of men |
| 3:34 |
To crush underunderfoot foot all the prisoners of the earth |
| 3:35 |
to turndeny aside the right of a man justice in the presence of the Most High |
| 3:36 |
to subvert a man in his causelawsuit the Lord does not approve |
| 3:37 |
Who has commandedspoken and it came to pass unless the Lord has ordainedcommanded it |
| 3:38 |
Is it not from the mouth of the Most High that good and evilbad come |
| 3:42 |
We have transgressed and rebelled and thouyou hasthave not forgiven |
| 3:43 |
ThouYou hasthave wrapped thyselfyourself with anger and pursued us slayingkilling without pity; |
| 3:44 |
thouyou hasthave wrapped thyselfyourself with a cloud so that no prayer can pass through |
| 3:45 |
ThouYou hasthave made us offscouringscum and refusegarbage among the peoples |
| 3:46 |
All our enemies railopen their mouths against us; |
| 3:51 |
my eyes cause me grief at the fate of all the maidensdaughters of my city |
| 3:55 |
I called on thyyour name O Lord from the depths of the pit; |
| 3:56 |
thouyou didstheard hear my plea Do not close thineyour ear to my cry for help |
| 3:57 |
ThouYou didstcame come near when I called on theeyou; thouyou didstsaid say Do not fear |
| 3:58 |
ThouYou hasthave taken up my cause O Lord; thouyou hasthave redeemed my life |
| 3:59 |
ThouYou hasthave seen the wrong done to me O Lord; judge thou my cause |
| 3:60 |
ThouYou hasthave seen all their vengeance all their devicesplots against me |
| 3:61 |
ThouYou hasthave heard their taunts O Lord all their devicesplots against me |
| 3:63 |
Behold their sitting and their rising; I am the burdenobject of their songstaunts |
| 3:64 |
ThouYou wiltwill requiterepay them O Lord according to the work of their hands |
| 3:65 |
ThouYou wiltwill give them dullness of heart; thyyour curse will be on them |
| 3:66 |
ThouYou wiltwill pursue them in anger and destroy them from under thyyour heavens O Lord |
| 4:2 |
The precious sons of Zion worth their weight in fine gold how they are reckonedregarded as earthen pots the work of a potters hands |
| 4:3 |
Even the jackals giveoffer the breast; andthey sucklenurse their young; but the daughter of my people has become cruel like the ostriches in the wilderness |
| 4:4 |
The tongue of the nurslingnursing cleavesinfant sticks to the roof of its mouth for thirst; the children beg for food but no one gives to them |
| 4:5 |
Those who once feasted on daintiesdelicacies perish in the streets; those who were brought up in purple lieembrace on ash heaps |
| 4:6 |
For the chastisement of the daughter of my people has been greater than the punishment of Sodom which was overthrown in a moment and no handhands beingwere laidwrung onfor ither |
| 4:8 |
Now their visageface is blacker than soot; they are not recognized in the streets; their skin has shriveled uponon their bones; it has become as dry as wood |
| 4:9 |
Happier were the victims of the sword than the victims of hunger who pinedwasted away strickenpierced by wantlack of the fruits of the field |
| 4:10 |
The hands of compassionate women have boiled their own children; they became their food induring the destruction of the daughter of my people |
| 4:11 |
The Lord gave full vent to his wrath; he poured out his hot anger; and he kindled a fire in Zion whichthat consumed its foundations |
| 4:12 |
The kings of the earth did not believe ornor any of the inhabitants of the world that foe or enemy could enter the gates of Jerusalem |
| 4:14 |
They wandered blind through the streets; they were so defiled with blood that noneno couldone was able to touch their garments |
| 4:15 |
Away Unclean menpeople cried at them; Away Away TouchDo not touch So they became fugitives and wanderers; menpeople said among the nations They shall stay with us no longer |
| 4:16 |
The Lord himself has scattered them; he will regard them no more; no honor was shown to the priests no favor to the elders |
| 4:18 |
MenThey dogged our steps so that we could not walk in our streets; our end drew near; our days were numbered; for our end had come |
| 4:19 |
Our pursuers were swifter than the vultureseagles in the heavens; they chased us on the mountains; they lay in wait for us in the wilderness |
| 4:20 |
The breath of our nostrils the Lords anointed was takencaptured in their pits he of whom we said Under his shadow we shall live among the nations |
| 4:21 |
Rejoice and be glad O daughter of Edom dwelleryou who dwell in the land of Uz; but to you also the cup shall pass; you shall become drunk and strip yourself bare |
| 4:22 |
The punishment of your iniquity O daughter of Zion is accomplished; he will keep you in exile no longer; but your iniquity O daughter of Edom he will punish; he will uncover your sins |
| 5:1 |
Remember O Lord what has befallen us; beholdlook and see our disgrace |
| 5:2 |
Our inheritance has been turned over to strangers our homes to aliensforeigners |
| 5:4 |
We must pay for the water we drink; the wood we get must be bought |
| 5:5 |
WithOur apursuers yokeare onat our necks we are hard driven; we are weary; we are given no rest |
| 5:11 |
Women are ravishedraped in Zion virginsyoung women in the towns of Judah |
| 5:13 |
Young men are compelled to grind at the mill; and boys stagger under loads of wood |
| 5:14 |
The old men have quitleft the city gate the young men their music |
| 5:19 |
But thouyou O Lord dost reign for everforever; thyyour throne endures to all generations |
| 5:20 |
Why dostdo thouyou forget us forforever ever why dostdo thouyou forsake us for so longmany forsake usdays |
| 5:21 |
Restore us to thyselfyourself O Lord that we may be restored Renew our days as of old— |
| 5:22 |
Orunless hastyou thouhave utterly rejected us Artand thouyou remain exceedingly angry with us |