1How the city sits solitary that was full of people! She has become as a widow, she who was great among the nations! She who was a princess among the provinces has been put to forced labor!
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 betrayed her; they have become her enemies.
3Judah has gone into captivity under affliction and under great servitude; she lives among the nations, she finds no rest; all her persecutors overtook her in the midst of her distress.
4The roads of Zion mourn because no one comes to the appointed feasts. All her gates are desolate. Her priests are groaning, her virgins are grieving, and she herself is bitter.
5Her adversaries have become her head, her enemies prosper for Yahweh has afflicted her because of the multitude of her transgressions. Her young children have gone into captivity before the face of the adversary.
6All the splendor has departed from Daughter Zion; her leaders have become like stags that can find no pasture, they have gone away, without strength, before the pursuer.
7In the days of her affliction and her wandering, Jerusalem remembers all her precious things that were hers in the days of old. When her people fell into the hand of the adversary and no one helped her, her adversaries saw her; they mocked at her ruin.
8Jerusalem has grievously sinned, therefore she has become as an unclean thing. All who honored her hold her in contempt because they have seen her nakedness. Even she herself groans and turns her face away.
9Her filthiness was in her skirts; she did not consider her future, therefore her downfall was astonishing; she has no comforter. O Yahweh, see my affliction; for the enemy has magnified himself!
10The adversary has spread out his hand upon all her pleasant things, for she has seen that the nations have entered into her sanctuary concerning whom you commanded that they were not to enter into your congregation.
11All her people groan; they seek bread; they have given up their pleasant things for food to refresh their soul. Look, Yahweh, and consider how worthless I have become.
12Is it nothing to you, all you who pass by? Look and see if there is any sorrow like my sorrow that has been brought upon 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 has prevailed against them. He has spread a net for my feet; he has turned me back; he has made me desolate, faint all day long.
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 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 trampled 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 out 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 died in the city while they sought food for themselves to refresh their souls.
20See, Yahweh, for I am in distress; my bowels are troubled; my heart is churning 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 may 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.
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