Lamentations 1
GOD’S WORD Translation
The Prophet Speaks Out: No One Offers Comfort
1 [a]“Look how deserted Jerusalem is!
Once the city was crowded with people.
Once it was important among the nations.
Now it is a widow.
Once it was a princess among the provinces.
Now it does forced labor.
2 Jerusalem cries bitterly at night with tears running down its cheeks.
Out of all those who love the city, no one offers it comfort.
All of Jerusalem’s friends have betrayed it and become its enemies.
3 “Judah has been exiled after ⌞much⌟ suffering and harsh treatment.
Its ⌞people⌟ live among the nations; they find no rest.
Those who chased them caught up with them
in places where there was no way out.
4 “The roads to Zion are deserted.[b]
No one comes to the annual festivals.
No one passes through any of its gates.[c]
Its priests are groaning.
Its young women are made to suffer.
Zion is bitter.
5 Its opponents are now in control.
Its enemies have no worries.
The Lord made Zion suffer for its many rebellious acts.
Its children go ahead of their opponents into captivity.
6 All splendor has abandoned the people of Zion.
Its influential people were like deer that couldn’t find any pasture.
They ran without any strength ahead of the hunters.
7 “Now, during its suffering and oppression,
Jerusalem remembers all the treasures it had from ancient times,
when its people fell into the power of their enemies
with no one to help them.
Their opponents looked on, and they laughed at Jerusalem’s downfall.
8 Jerusalem has sinned so much that it has become a filthy thing.
Everyone who used to honor it now despises it.
They’ve seen it naked.
Jerusalem groans and turns away.
9 Jerusalem’s own filth ⌞covers⌟ its clothes.
It gave no thought to its future.
Its downfall was shocking.
No one offers it comfort.
‘O Lord, look at my suffering,
because my enemies have triumphed.’
10 The enemies laid their hands on all of the city’s treasures.
Jerusalem has seen the nations enter the holy place.
‘O Lord, they are the same people
you have forbidden to enter your congregation.’
11 All the people are groaning as they beg for bread.
They trade their treasures for food to keep themselves alive.
‘O Lord, look and see how despised I am!’ ”
Zion Speaks Out: No One Offers Comfort
12 “Doesn’t this affect all of you who pass by?
Look and see if there’s any pain
like the pain that the Lord has caused me,
like the pain that he has made me suffer on the day of his fierce anger.
13 He sent fire from above.
He made it go deep into my bones.
He spread a net for my feet.
He made me turn back.
He has left me devastated.
He has made me sick all day long.
14 My rebellious acts are a heavy burden for me.
They were tied together by God’s own hands.
They were tied around my neck.
He has weakened me ⌞with them⌟.
The Lord has handed me over to people I cannot oppose.
15 The Lord has treated all the warriors inside my ⌞walls⌟ with contempt.
He called an army to defeat my young men.
The Lord trampled the people of Judah in a winepress.
16 I’m crying because of ⌞all⌟ these things.
My eyes—my eyes flow with tears.
No one can give me the comfort I need to keep me alive.
Everyone is too far away from me.
My children are devastated because my enemies have won.”
17 Zion holds out its hands.
No one offers it comfort.
The Lord has given this order about Jacob:
His own neighbors will become his opponents.
Jerusalem has become a filthy thing among them.
18 “The Lord is right in what he did,
because I rebelled against his word.
Please listen, all you people, and look at my pain.
My young women and young men have gone into captivity.
19 I called for those who love me, but they betrayed me.
My priests and leaders breathed their last breath in the city,
looking for food to keep themselves alive.
20 “O Lord, see the distress I’m in!
My stomach is churning.
My heart is pounding because I’ve been very bitter.
In the streets swords kill my children.
Inside the houses it’s like death.
21 “All my enemies have heard that I am groaning.
No one offers me comfort.
All my enemies have heard about my disaster.
They are happy that you did it.
You have allowed the day to come, the one that you had announced.
Let my enemies be like me now.
22 Recall all of their wickedness.
Then deal with them as you have dealt with me
because of all my rebellious acts.
I groan so much and feel so sick at heart.”
Lamentations 1
New King James Version
Jerusalem in Affliction
1 How lonely sits the city
That was full of people!
(A)How like a widow is she,
Who was great among the nations!
The (B)princess among the provinces
Has become a [a]slave!
2 She (C)weeps bitterly in the (D)night,
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 have become her enemies.
3 (E)Judah has gone into captivity,
Under affliction and hard servitude;
(F)She dwells among the [b]nations,
She finds no (G)rest;
All her persecutors overtake her in dire straits.
4 The roads to Zion mourn
Because no one comes to the [c]set feasts.
All her gates are (H)desolate;
Her priests sigh,
Her virgins are afflicted,
And she is in bitterness.
5 Her adversaries (I)have become [d]the master,
Her enemies prosper;
For the Lord has afflicted her
(J)Because of the multitude of her transgressions.
Her (K)children have gone into captivity before the enemy.
6 And from the daughter of Zion
All her splendor has departed.
Her princes have become like deer
That find no pasture,
That [e]flee without strength
Before the pursuer.
7 In the days of her affliction and roaming,
Jerusalem (L)remembers all her pleasant things
That she had in the days of old.
When her people fell into the hand of the enemy,
With no one to help her,
The adversaries saw her
And mocked at her [f]downfall.
8 (M)Jerusalem has sinned gravely,
Therefore she has become [g]vile.
All who honored her despise her
Because (N)they have seen her nakedness;
Yes, she sighs and turns away.
9 Her uncleanness is in her skirts;
She (O)did not consider her destiny;
Therefore her collapse was awesome;
She had no comforter.
“O Lord, behold my affliction,
For the enemy is exalted!”
10 The adversary has spread his hand
Over all her [h]pleasant things;
For she has seen (P)the nations enter her [i]sanctuary,
Those whom You commanded
(Q)Not to enter Your assembly.
11 All her people sigh,
(R)They [j]seek bread;
They have given their [k]valuables for food to restore life.
“See, O Lord, and consider,
For I am scorned.”
12 “Is it nothing to you, all you who [l]pass by?
Behold and see
(S)If there is any sorrow like my sorrow,
Which has been brought on me,
Which the Lord has inflicted
In the day of His fierce anger.
13 “From above He has sent fire into my bones,
And it overpowered them;
He has (T)spread a net for my feet
And turned me back;
He has made me desolate
And faint all the day.
14 “The(U) yoke of my transgressions was [m]bound;
They were woven together by His hands,
And thrust upon my neck.
He made my strength fail;
The Lord delivered me into the hands of those whom I am not able to withstand.
15 “The Lord has trampled underfoot all my mighty men in my midst;
He has called an assembly against me
To crush my young men;
(V)The Lord trampled as in a winepress
The virgin daughter of Judah.
16 “For these things I weep;
My eye, (W)my eye overflows with water;
Because the comforter, who should restore my life,
Is far from me.
My children are desolate
Because the enemy prevailed.”
17 (X)Zion [n]spreads out her hands,
But no one comforts her;
The Lord has commanded concerning Jacob
That those (Y)around him become his adversaries;
Jerusalem has become an unclean thing among them.
18 “The Lord is (Z)righteous,
For I (AA)rebelled against His [o]commandment.
Hear now, all peoples,
And behold my sorrow;
My virgins and my young men
Have gone into captivity.
19 “I called for my lovers,
But they deceived me;
My priests and my elders
Breathed their last in the city,
While they sought food
To restore their life.
20 “See, O Lord, that I am in distress;
My (AB)soul[p] is troubled;
My heart is overturned within me,
For I have been very rebellious.
(AC)Outside the sword bereaves,
At home it is like death.
21 “They have heard that I sigh,
But no one comforts me.
All my enemies have heard of my trouble;
They are (AD)glad that You have done it.
Bring on (AE)the day You have [q]announced,
That they may become like me.
22 “Let(AF) all their wickedness come before You,
And do to them as You have done to me
For all my transgressions;
For my sighs are many,
And my heart is faint.”
Footnotes
- Lamentations 1:1 Lit. forced laborer
- Lamentations 1:3 Gentiles
- Lamentations 1:4 appointed
- Lamentations 1:5 Lit. her head
- Lamentations 1:6 Lit. are gone
- Lamentations 1:7 Vg. Sabbaths
- Lamentations 1:8 LXX, Vg. moved or removed
- Lamentations 1:10 desirable
- Lamentations 1:10 holy place, the temple
- Lamentations 1:11 hunt food
- Lamentations 1:11 desirable things
- Lamentations 1:12 Lit. pass by this way
- Lamentations 1:14 So with MT, Tg.; LXX, Syr., Vg. watched over
- Lamentations 1:17 Prays
- Lamentations 1:18 Lit. mouth
- Lamentations 1:20 Lit. inward parts
- Lamentations 1:21 proclaimed
Lamentations 1
English Standard Version
How Lonely Sits the City
1 (A)How lonely sits the city
that was full of people!
How like (B)a widow has she become,
she who was great among the nations!
She who was (C)a princess among the provinces
has become (D)a slave.
2 (E)She weeps bitterly in the night,
with tears on her cheeks;
(F)among all her lovers
she has (G)none to comfort her;
(H)all her friends have dealt treacherously with her;
they have become her enemies.
3 (I)Judah has gone into exile because of affliction[a]
and hard servitude;
(J)she dwells now among the nations,
(K)but finds no resting place;
her pursuers have all overtaken her
in the midst of her distress.[b]
4 The roads to Zion mourn,
for none come to (L)the festival;
(M)all her gates are desolate;
her priests (N)groan;
her virgins have been afflicted,[c]
and she herself suffers bitterly.
5 (O)Her foes have become the head;
her (P)enemies prosper,
because (Q)the Lord has afflicted her
(R)for the multitude of her transgressions;
(S)her children have gone away,
captives before the foe.
6 From the daughter of Zion
all her majesty has departed.
Her princes have become like deer
(T)that find no pasture;
they fled without strength
before the pursuer.
7 Jerusalem remembers
in the days of her affliction and wandering
(U)all the precious things
that were hers from (V)days of old.
When her people fell into the hand of the foe,
and there was none to help her,
her foes gloated over her;
they (W)mocked at her downfall.
8 (X)Jerusalem sinned grievously;
therefore she became filthy;
all who honored her despise her,
(Y)for they have seen her nakedness;
she herself (Z)groans
and turns her face away.
9 Her uncleanness was (AA)in her skirts;
(AB)she took no thought of her future;[d]
therefore her fall is terrible;
(AC)she has no comforter.
“O Lord, behold my affliction,
for the enemy has (AD)triumphed!”
10 The enemy has stretched out his hands
over all her (AE)precious things;
for she has seen (AF)the nations
enter her sanctuary,
those whom you (AG)forbade
to enter your congregation.
11 All her people (AH)groan
as (AI)they search for bread;
they trade their (AJ)treasures for (AK)food
to revive their strength.
“Look, O Lord, and see,
for I am despised.”
12 “Is it nothing to you, all (AL)you who pass by?
(AM)Look and see
if there is any sorrow like my sorrow,
which was brought upon me,
which (AN)the Lord inflicted
on (AO)the day of his fierce anger.
13 “From on high he (AP)sent fire;
into my bones[e] he made it descend;
(AQ)he spread a net for my feet;
he turned me back;
(AR)he has left me stunned,
faint all the day long.
14 “My transgressions were bound[f] into (AS)a yoke;
by his hand they were fastened together;
they were set upon my neck;
he caused my strength to fail;
the Lord gave me into the hands
of those whom I cannot withstand.
15 “The Lord rejected
all my mighty men in my midst;
he summoned an assembly against me
to crush my young men;
(AT)the Lord has trodden as in a winepress
the virgin daughter of Judah.
16 “For these things (AU)I weep;
my eyes flow with tears;
for (AV)a comforter is far from me,
one to (AW)revive my spirit;
my children are desolate,
for the enemy has prevailed.”
17 (AX)Zion stretches out her hands,
but (AY)there is none to comfort her;
the Lord has commanded against Jacob
that his neighbors should be his foes;
Jerusalem has become
a filthy thing among them.
18 (AZ)“The Lord is in the right,
(BA)for I have rebelled against his word;
but hear, all you peoples,
and see my suffering;
(BB)my young women and my young men
have gone into captivity.
19 “I called to (BC)my lovers,
but they deceived me;
my priests and elders
perished in the city,
while (BD)they sought food
to revive their strength.
20 “Look, O Lord, for I am in distress;
(BE)my stomach churns;
my heart is wrung within me,
because I have been very rebellious.
(BF)In the street the sword bereaves;
in the house it is like death.
21 “They heard[g] (BG)my groaning,
yet (BH)there is no one to comfort me.
All my enemies have heard of my trouble;
(BI)they are glad that you have done it.
You have brought[h] the day you announced;
(BJ)now let them be as I am.
22 (BK)“Let all their evildoing come before you,
and deal with them
as (BL)you have dealt with me
because of all my transgressions;
for (BM)my groans are many,
and (BN)my heart is faint.”
Footnotes
- Lamentations 1:3 Or under affliction
- Lamentations 1:3 Or in the narrow passes
- Lamentations 1:4 Septuagint, Old Latin dragged away
- Lamentations 1:9 Or end
- Lamentations 1:13 Septuagint; Hebrew bones and
- Lamentations 1:14 The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain
- Lamentations 1:21 Septuagint, Syriac Hear
- Lamentations 1:21 Syriac Bring
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Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
