1:1 How deserted lies the city, once so full of people! How like a widow is she, who once was great among the nations! She who was queen among the provinces has now become a slave.
1:2 Bitterly she weeps at night, tears are upon her cheeks. Among all her lovers there is none to comfort her. All her friends have betrayed her; they have become her enemies.
1:3 After affliction and harsh labor, Judah has gone into exile. She dwells among the nations; she finds no resting place. All who pursue her have overtaken her in the midst of her distress.
1:4 The roads to Zion mourn, for no one comes to her appointed feasts. All her gateways are desolate, her priests groan, her maidens grieve, and she is in bitter anguish.
1:5 Her foes have become her masters; her enemies are at ease. The LORD has brought her grief because of her many sins. Her children have gone into exile, captive before the foe.
1:6 All the splendor has departed from the Daughter of Zion. Her princes are like deer that find no pasture; in weakness they have fled before the pursuer.
1:7 In the days of her affliction and wandering Jerusalem remembers all the treasures that were hers in days of old. When her people fell into enemy hands, there was no one to help her. Her enemies looked at her and laughed at her destruction.
1:8 Jerusalem has sinned greatly and so has become unclean. All who honored her despise her, for they have seen her nakedness; she herself groans and turns away.
1:9 Her filthiness clung to her skirts; she did not consider her future. Her fall was astounding; there was none to comfort her. “Look, O LORD, on my affliction, for the enemy has triumphed.”
1:10 The enemy laid hands on all her treasures; she saw pagan nations enter her sanctuary–those you had forbidden to enter your assembly.
1:11 All her people groan as they search for bread; they barter their treasures for food to keep themselves alive. “Look, O LORD, and consider, for I am despised.”
1:12 “Is it nothing to you, all you who pass by? Look around and see. Is any suffering like my suffering that was inflicted on me, that the LORD brought on me in the day of his fierce anger?
1:13 “From on high he sent fire, sent it down into my bones. He spread a net for my feet and turned me back. He made me desolate, faint all the day long.
1:14 “My sins have been bound into a yoke; by his hands they were woven together. They have come upon my neck and the Lord has sapped my strength. He has handed me over to those I cannot withstand.
1:15 “The Lord has rejected all the warriors in my midst; he has summoned an army against me to crush my young men. In his winepress the Lord has trampled the Virgin Daughter of Judah.
1:16 “This is why I weep and my eyes overflow with tears. No one is near to comfort me, no one to restore my spirit. My children are destitute because the enemy has prevailed.”
1:17 Zion stretches out her hands, but there is no one to comfort her. The LORD has decreed for Jacob that his neighbors become his foes; Jerusalem has become an unclean thing among them.
1:18 “The LORD is righteous, yet I rebelled against his command. Listen, all you peoples; look upon my suffering. My young men and maidens have gone into exile.
1:19 “I called to my allies but they betrayed me. My priests and my elders perished in the city while they searched for food to keep themselves alive.
1:20 “See, O LORD, how distressed I am! I am in torment within, and in my heart I am disturbed, for I have been most rebellious. Outside, the sword bereaves; inside, there is only death.
1:21 “People have heard my groaning, but there is no one to comfort me. All my enemies have heard of my distress; they rejoice at what you have done. May you bring the day you have announced so they may become like me.
1:22 “Let all their wickedness come before you; deal with them as you have dealt with me because of all my sins. My groans are many and my heart is faint.”
1:1 How the city sits alone / That was full of people! / She who was once great among the nations / Has become like a widow; / She who was a princess among the provinces / Has become tributary.
1:2 Bitterly she weeps in the night, / And her tears are on her cheeks. / There is no one to comfort her / Among all her lovers; / All her friends have dealt treacherously with her; / They have become her enemies.
1:3 Judah has gone into exile, away from affliction / And away from great servitude; / She dwells among the nations / But finds no rest; / All her pursuers have overtaken her / In the midst of distress.
1:4 The ways of Zion mourn, / For no one comes to the appointed feast; / All her gates are desolate; / Her priests groan; / Her virgins are afflicted, / And she is in bitterness.
1:5 Her adversaries have become the head; / Her enemies prosper; / For Jehovah has afflicted her / Because of the multitude of her transgressions; / Her little ones have gone into captivity / Before the adversary.
1:6 And all her majesty has departed / From the daughter of Zion; / Her princes have become like deer / That find no pasture, / And they have fled without strength / Before the pursuer.
1:7 In the days of her affliction and her wanderings, / Jerusalem remembers / All her precious things / Which were in the days of old, / When her people fell into the hand of the adversary, / And there was no one to help her. / The adversaries saw her; / They mocked at her downfall.
1:8 Jerusalem has sinned grievously; / Therefore she has become an impurity. / All who honored her despise her, / Because they have seen her nakedness; / And she groans / And turns backwards.
1:9 Her uncleanness is in her skirts; / She did not remember her latter end; / Therefore she has come down astonishingly; / There is no one to comfort her. / O Jehovah, see my affliction, / For the enemy has magnified himself.
1:10 The adversary has spread out his hand / Over all her precious things, / For she has seen the nations / Enter her sanctuary, / Concerning whom You commanded that they should not enter / Into Your assembly.
1:11 All her people groan; / They seek bread; They have given their precious things for food / To restore their soul. / See, O Jehovah, and look, / For I have become despised.
1:12 Is it nothing to you, all who pass by the way? / Look and see / If there is any pain like my pain / Which is dealt to me, / Whom Jehovah has afflicted / In the day of His burning anger.
1:13 He has sent fire from on high / Into my bones, and it prevails against them; / He has spread out a net for my feet; / He has turned me back; / He has made me a desolation / And faint all the day.
1:14 The yoke of my transgressions is bound by His hand; / They are knit together; / They have come up upon my neck; / He has made my strength fail; / The Lord has delivered me into hands / From which I am not able to rise up.
1:15 The Lord has made light of all my mighty men / In my midst; / He has called an assembly against me / To crush my young men. / The Lord has trodden, as in a winepress, / The virgin daughter of Judah.
1:16 For these things I weep; / My eye, my eye runs down with water, / For the comforter who should revive my soul / Is far from me; / My children have become desolate, / Because the enemy has prevailed.
1:17 Zion stretches out her hands, / Yet there is no one to comfort her. / Jehovah has commanded concerning Jacob / That those around him should be his adversaries; / Jerusalem has become an impurity / Among them.
1:18 Jehovah is righteous, / For I have rebelled against His commandment. / Hear now, all the peoples, / And see my pain; / My virgins and my young men / Have gone into captivity.
1:19 I have called to my lovers; / They have deceived me; / My priests and my elders / Have perished in the city, / While they sought food for themselves / To restore their souls.
1:20 See, O Jehovah, for I am in distress, / My bowels are in ferment; / My heart is overturned within me, / For I have been very rebellious. / In the street the sword bereaves; / In the house it is like death.
1:21 They have heard that I groan; / There is no one 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 will be like me.
1:22 Let all their wickedness come before You, / And deal with them / As You have dealt with me / For all my transgressions; / For my sighs are many, / And my heart is faint.