Lamentations 1

Revised Geneva Translation

1 How solitary sits the city that was full of people! She is as a widow. She who was great among the nations, princess among the provinces, has been made a forced laborer!

² She weeps continually in the night, and her tears run down her cheeks. Among all her lovers she has no one to comfort her. All her friends have dealt unfaithfully with her and are her enemies.

³ Judah has been carried away captive because of affliction and because of great servitude. She dwells among the heathen and finds no rest. All her persecutors overtook her in the midst of her distress.

⁴ The ways of Zion lament, because no one comes to the solemn feasts; all her gates are desolate. Her priests sigh, her virgins are afflicted, and she is in heaviness.

⁵ Her adversaries are her masters; her enemies prosper. For the LORD has afflicted her for the multitude of her transgressions. Her children have gone into captivity before the enemy,

⁶ and all her beauty has departed from the daughter of Zion. Her princes have become like deer that find no pasture; and they have gone without strength before the pursuer.

⁷ Jerusalem remembered the days of her affliction, and of her rebellion, all her pleasant things that she had in times past, when her people fell into the hand of the enemy, and no one helped her. The adversary saw her and mocked her Sabbaths.

⁸ Jerusalem has grievously sinned; therefore, she is filthy. All who honored her despise her because they have seen her nakedness. Indeed, she sighs and turns away.

⁹ Her uncleanness is in her skirts. She did not remember her future, therefore she fell spectacularly. She had no comforter. O LORD, behold my affliction. For the enemy is proud.

¹⁰ The enemy has stretched out his hand upon all her pleasant things. For she has seen the heathen enter into her Sanctuary, whom You Commanded not to enter into Your congregation.

¹¹ All her people sigh and seek bread. They have given their pleasant things for food to refresh the soul. See, O LORD, and consider. For I have become vile.

¹² Is it nothing to you, all you who pass this way? Behold and see if there is any sorrow like my sorrow which is done to me, with which the LORD has afflicted on the day of His fierce wrath.

¹³ From above has He sent fire into my bones, which prevails against them. He has spread a net for my feet, turned me back. He has made me desolate, daily in heaviness.

¹⁴ The yoke of my transgressions is bound upon His Hand. They are wrapped and come up upon my neck. He has made my strength fall. The LORD has delivered me into their hands. I am not able to rise up.

¹⁵ The LORD has tread all my valiant men in the midst of me under foot. He has called an assembly against me, to destroy my young men. The LORD has tread the winepress upon the virgin, the daughter of Judah.

¹⁶ For 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 prevailed.

¹⁷ Zion stretches out her hands, and there is no one to comfort her. The LORD has appointed the enemies of Jacob all around him. Jerusalem is as a menstruous woman in the midst of them.

¹⁸ The LORD is righteous, for I have rebelled against His Commandment. Hear, please, all people, 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 perished in the city while they sought their food to refresh their souls.

²⁰ Behold, O LORD, how I am troubled! My bowels swell! My heart is turned within me, for I am full of heaviness! The sword bereaves in the street, as death does at home.

²¹ They have heard that I mourn. There is no one to comfort me. All my enemies have heard of my trouble and are glad that You have done it. You will bring the day that You have pronounced; and they shall be like me.

²² Let 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 heavy.