¹How the city sits solitary, that was full of people!

• She has become as a widow, who was great among the nations!

• She who was a princess among the provinces has become tributary!

• ²She weeps bitterly in the night, and her tears are on her cheeks;

• among all her lovers she has none to comfort her:

• All her friends have dealt treacherously with her; they are become her enemies.

• ³Judah is gone into captivity because of affliction, and because of great servitude;

• she dwells among the nations, she finds no rest:

• all her persecutors overtook her within the straits.

• ⁴The 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.

• ⁵Her adversaries are become the head, her enemies prosper;

• for Yahweh *“Yahweh” is God’s proper Name, sometimes rendered “LORD” (all caps) in other translations. has afflicted her for the multitude of her transgressions:

• her young children are gone into captivity before the adversary.

• ⁶From the daughter of Zion all her majesty is departed:

• her princes are become like harts that find no pasture,

• they are gone without strength before the pursuer.

• ⁷Jerusalem remembers 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 no one helped her,

• The adversaries saw her, they mocked at her desolations.

• ⁸Jerusalem has grievously sinned; therefore she has become as an unclean thing;

• all who honored her despise her, because they have seen her nakedness:

• yes, she sighs, and turns backward.

• ⁹Her filthiness was in her skirts; she didn’t remember her latter end;

• therefore is she come down wonderfully; she has no comforter:

• see, Yahweh, my affliction; for the enemy has magnified himself.

• ¹⁰The adversary has spread out his hand on all her pleasant things:

• for she has seen that the nations are entered into her sanctuary,

• concerning whom you commanded that they should not enter into your assembly.

• ¹¹All her people sigh, they seek bread;

• they have given their pleasant things for food to refresh the soul:

• look, Yahweh, and see; for I am become abject.

• ¹²Is it nothing to you, all you who pass by?

• Look, and see if there be any sorrow like my sorrow, which is brought on me,

• With which Yahweh has afflicted me in the day of his fierce anger.

• ¹³From on high has he sent fire into my bones, and it prevails against them;

• He has spread a net for my feet, he has turned me back:

• He has made me desolate and faint all the day.

• ¹⁴The yoke of my transgressions is bound by his hand;

• They are knit together, they have come up on my neck; he has made my strength to fail:

• The Lord *The word translated “Lord” is “Adonai.” has delivered me into their hands, against whom I am not able to stand.

• ¹⁵The Lord has set at nothing all my mighty men in the midst of me;

• He has called a solemn assembly against me to crush my young men:

• The Lord has trodden as in a winepress the virgin daughter of Judah.

• ¹⁶For these things I weep; my eye, my eye runs down with water;

• Because the comforter who should refresh my soul is far from me:

• My children are desolate, because the enemy has prevailed.

• ¹⁷Zion spreads forth her hands; there is none to comfort her;

• Yahweh has commanded concerning Jacob, that those who are around him should be his adversaries:

• Jerusalem is among them as an unclean thing.

• ¹⁸Yahweh is righteous; for I have rebelled against his commandment:

• Please hear all you peoples, and see my sorrow:

• My virgins and my young men are gone into captivity.

• ¹⁹I called for my lovers, but they deceived me:

• My priests and my elders gave up the spirit in the city,

• While they sought them food to refresh their souls.

• ²⁰See, Yahweh; for I am in distress; my heart is troubled;

• My heart is turned within me; for I have grievously rebelled:

• Abroad the sword bereaves, at home there is as death.

• ²¹They have heard that I sigh; there is none to comfort me;

• All my enemies have heard of my trouble; they are glad that you have done it:

• You will bring the day that you have proclaimed, and they shall be like me.

• ²²Let all their wickedness come before you;

• Do to them, as you have done to me for all my transgressions:

• For my sighs are many, and my heart is faint.