Lamentations 1

^aHow doth the city ^bsit solitary, that was full of people!

^cHow is she become as a widow! she that was great among the nations,

And ^dprincess among ^ethe provinces, how is she become ^ftributary!

²She ^gweepeth sore ^hin the night, and her tears are on her cheeks:

Among all ⁱher lovers ^kshe hath none to comfort her:

All her friends ^lhave dealt treacherously with her, they are become her enemies.

^3mJudah is gone into captivity because of affliction, and because of great servitude:

ⁿShe dwelleth among the heathen, ^oshe findeth no rest:

All ^pher persecutors overtook her between ^qthe straits.

⁴The ways of Zion do mourn, because none come to ^rthe solemn feasts:

All ^sher gates are desolate: her priests ^tsigh:

Her virgins are ^uafflicted, and she is in bitterness.

⁵Her adversaries are ^vthe chief, her enemies ^wprosper;

For the Lord ^xhath afflicted her ^yfor the multitude of her transgressions:

^zHer children ^aare gone into captivity before the enemy.

⁶And from the daughter of Zion all her beauty is departed:

Her princes are become like harts that find no pasture,

And they are gone without strength before ^pthe pursuer.

⁷Jerusalem remembered in the days of her affliction and of her ^bmiseries

All her pleasant things that she had ^cin the days of old,

When her people fell into the hand of the enemy, and none did help her:

The adversaries saw her, and did mock at ^dher sabbaths.

⁸Jerusalem hath grievously sinned; therefore she is removed:

All that honoured her despise her, because ^fthey have seen her nakedness:

Yea, ^gshe sigheth, and turneth backward.

⁹Her filthiness is in her ^hskirts; she ⁱremembereth not her last end;

Therefore she came down wonderfully: ^jshe had no comforter.

O Lord, behold my affliction: for the enemy ^khath magnified himself.

¹⁰The adversary hath spread out his hand upon all her pleasant things:

For she hath seen that ^lthe heathen entered into her sanctuary,

Whom thou didst command that ^mthey should not enter into thy congregation.

¹¹All her people ^gsigh, ⁿthey seek bread;

They have given ^otheir pleasant things for meat to relieve the soul:

See, O Lord, and consider; for I am become vile.

¹²Is it nothing to you, all ye that pass by? behold, and see

^pIf there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow, ^qwhich is done unto me,

Wherewith the Lord ^rhath afflicted me ^sin the day of ^sshis fierce anger.

¹³From above ^thath he sent fire into my bones, and it prevaileth against them:

^uHe hath spread a net for my feet, he hath turned me back;

He hath made me desolate and ^vfaint all the day.

^14wThe yoke of my transgressions is bound by his hand:

They are ^xwreathed, and come up ^wupon my neck: he hath made my strength to fall,

The Lord hath delivered me into their hands, from whom I am not able to rise up.

¹⁵The Lord hath ^ytrodden under foot all ^zmy mighty men in the midst of me:

He hath called an assembly against me to crush my young men:

The Lord ^ahath trodden the virgin, the daughter of Judah, as in a winepress.

¹⁶For these things I weep; mine eye, ^bmine eye runneth down with water,

Because ^cthe comforter that should relieve my soul is far from me:

My children are desolate, because the enemy prevailed.

¹⁷Zion ^dspreadeth forth her hands, and ^cthere is none to comfort her:

The Lord hath commanded concerning Jacob, that his adversaries should be round about him:

Jerusalem is as ^ea menstruous woman among them.

^18fThe Lord is righteous; for I have rebelled against his commandment:

Hear, I pray you, all people, and behold my sorrow:

My virgins and my young men are gone into captivity.

¹⁹I called for ^gmy lovers, but they deceived me:

My priests and mine elders gave up the ghost in the city,

^hWhile they sought their meat, ^hto relieve their souls.

²⁰Behold, O Lord; for I am in distress: ⁱmy bowels are troubled;

Mine heart is turned within me; for I have grievously rebelled:

^kAbroad ^lthe sword bereaveth, ^kat home there is ^las death.

²¹They have heard that ^mI sigh; ^cthere is none to comfort me:

ⁿAll mine enemies have heard of my trouble; they are glad that thou hast done it:

Thou wilt bring the day that thou hast called, and ⁿthey shall be like unto me.

^22oLet all their wickedness come before thee;

And ^pdo unto them, as thou hast done unto me for all my transgressions:

For ^mmy sighs are many, and ^qmy heart is faint.

II.