Lamentations 1:1–11

Lament over Jerusalem

א Alef

1How ^ashe sits alone, ^b

the city ^conce crowded with people!

She who was great among the nations

has become like a widow. ^d

The princess among the provinces

has been put to forced labor.

ב Bet

²She weeps aloud during the night, ^e

with tears on her cheeks.

There is no one to offer her comfort,

not one from all her lovers. ^fg

All her friends have betrayed her;

they have become her enemies.

ג Gimel

³Judah has gone into exile

following ^haffliction and harsh slavery;

she lives among the nations

but finds no place to rest. ⁱ

All her pursuers have overtaken her

in narrow places.

ד Dalet

⁴The roads to Zion ^jmourn,

for no one comes to the appointed festivals. ^k

All her gates are deserted;

her priests groan,

her young women grieve,

and she herself is bitter.

ה He

⁵Her adversaries have become her masters; ^l

her enemies are at ease, ^m

for the Lord has made her suffer

because of her many transgressions.

Her children have gone away

as captives before the adversary.

ו Vav

⁶All her splendor ⁿhas vanished

from Daughter Zion. ^o

Her leaders are like stags

that find no pasture;

they walk away exhausted

before the hunter. ^p

ז Zayin

⁷During the days of her affliction and homelessness ^q

Jerusalem remembers all her precious belongings

that were hers in days of old.

When her people fell into the adversary’s hand,

she had no one to help.

The adversaries looked at her,

laughing over her downfall.

ח Khet

⁸Jerusalem has sinned grievously;

therefore, she has become an object of scorn. ^r

All who honored her now despise her,

for they have seen her nakedness.

She herself groans and turns away.

ט Tet

⁹Her uncleanness stains her skirts. ^s

She never considered her end.

Her downfall was astonishing; ^t

there was no one to comfort her.

Lord, look on my affliction,

for the enemy triumphs!

י Yod

¹⁰The adversary has seized

all her precious belongings.

She has even seen the nations

enter her sanctuary—

those You had forbidden

to enter Your assembly. ^u

כ Kaf

¹¹All her people groan

while they search for bread. ^v

They have traded their precious belongings for food

in order to stay alive. ^w

Lord, look and see

how I have become despised.