Lamentations 1

1How doth the city sit solitary, that was full of people! She is become as a widow, that was great among the nations! She that was a princess among the provinces is become tributary!

1How lonely the city sits that was once full of people! She who was great among the nations has become like a widow. The princess among the provinces has now been forced into hard labor.

2She 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.

2She cries bitterly in the night, and her tears run down her cheeks. Among all her lovers, there is no one to comfort her. All her friends have betrayed her and become her enemies.

3Judah is gone into captivity because of affliction, and because of great servitude; She dwelleth among the nations, she findeth no rest: All her persecutors overtook her within the straits.

3Judah has gone into exile because of suffering and harsh slavery. She lives among the nations but finds no rest. All who chased her caught her in her time of trouble.

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.

4The roads to Zion mourn because no one comes to the sacred festivals. All her gates are deserted, her priests groan, her young women grieve, and she is in deep bitterness.

5Her adversaries are become the head, her enemies prosper; For Jehovah hath afflicted her for the multitude of her transgressions: Her young children are gone into captivity before the adversary.

5Her enemies have become her masters, and those who hate her prosper. The LORD has brought this grief on her because of her many sins. Her children have been taken away as captives by the enemy.

6And 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.

6All the beauty of daughter Zion has departed. Her leaders are like deer that can find no pasture; they have fled without strength from those who chase them.

7Jerusalem 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.

7In the days of her misery and wandering, Jerusalem remembers all the treasures she had in the past. When her people fell into the enemy’s hand and no one helped her, her enemies looked at her and mocked her downfall.

8Jerusalem hath grievously sinned; therefore she is become as an unclean thing; All that honored her despise her, because they have seen her nakedness: Yea, she sigheth, and turneth backward.

8Jerusalem has sinned greatly, and so she has become unclean. All who respected her now despise her because they have seen her stripped bare; she herself groans and turns away in shame.

9Her filthiness was in her skirts; she remembered not her latter end; Therefore is she come down wonderfully; she hath no comforter: Behold, O Jehovah, my affliction; for the enemy hath magnified himself.

9Her uncleanness was visible on her skirts, yet she did not think about her future. Her fall was shocking, and there is no one to comfort her. 'Look, O LORD, at my suffering, for the enemy has triumphed!'

10The adversary hath spread out his hand upon all her pleasant things: For she hath seen that the nations are entered into her sanctuary, Concerning whom thou didst command that they should not enter into thine assembly.

10The enemy has grabbed all her treasures. She watched as foreign nations entered her temple—the very people you commanded never to enter your assembly.

11All her people sigh, they seek bread; They have given their pleasant things for food to refresh the soul: See, O Jehovah, and behold; for I am become abject.

11All her people groan as they search for bread. They have traded their treasures for food just to stay alive. 'Look, O LORD, and see how worthless I have become.'

12Is it nothing to you, all ye that pass by? Behold, and see if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow, which is brought upon me, Wherewith Jehovah hath afflicted me in the day of his fierce anger.

12'Is it nothing to all of you who pass by? Look and see if there is any pain like the pain that has been dealt to me, which the LORD brought on me in the day of his fierce anger.

13From 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.

13'He sent fire from high above into my bones. He spread a net for my feet and turned me back. He has left me deserted and faint all day long.

14The 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.

14'My sins have been tied into a yoke by his hand; they are woven together and placed on my neck. He has drained my strength. The Lord has handed me over to those I cannot resist.

15The 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.

15'The Lord has rejected all the mighty men within my walls. He called an army against me to crush my young men. The Lord has trampled daughter Judah like grapes in a winepress.

16For 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.

16'This is why I weep; my eyes overflow with tears. No one is near to comfort me or to restore my spirit. My children are left helpless because the enemy has won.'

17Zion spreadeth forth her hands; there is none to comfort her; Jehovah hath commanded concerning Jacob, that they that are round about him should be his adversaries: Jerusalem is among them as an unclean thing.

17Zion reaches out her hands, but there is no one to comfort her. The LORD has ordered that Jacob’s neighbors become his enemies. Jerusalem has become an unclean thing among them.

18Jehovah 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.

18'The LORD is right, for I rebelled against his command. Listen, all you people, and look at my suffering. My young women and young men have gone into captivity.

19I called for my lovers, butthey deceived me: My priests and mine elders gave up the ghost in the city, While they sought them food to refresh their souls.

19'I called out to my allies, but they betrayed me. My priests and my elders died in the city while they were looking for food just to keep themselves alive.

20Behold, O Jehovah; for I am in distress; my heart is troubled; My heart is turned within me; for I have grievously rebelled: Abroad the sword bereaveth, at home there is as death.

20'Look, O LORD, for I am in deep distress; my stomach is in knots. My heart is broken within me because I have been very rebellious. Outside, the sword kills; inside, it is like death itself.

21They 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.

21'People have heard my groaning, but there is no one to comfort me. All my enemies have heard of my trouble; they are happy that you have done this. Bring the day you promised, so that they will become just like me.

22Let 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.

22'Let all their wickedness come before you. Treat them just as you have treated me because of all my sins. My groans are many, and my heart is weak.'