Lamentations 1:1–4

How lonely sits the city

that was full of people!

How like a widow has she become,

she who was great among the nations!

She who was a princess among the provinces

has become a slave.

She weeps bitterly in the night,

with tears 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.

Judah has gone into exile because of affliction

and hard servitude;

she dwells now among the nations,

but finds no resting place;

her pursuers have all overtaken her

in the midst of her distress.

The roads to Zion mourn,

for none come to the festival;

all her gates are desolate;

her priests groan;

her virgins have been afflicted,

and she herself suffers bitterly.

How deserted lies the city,

once so full of people!

How like a widow is she,

who once was great among the nations!

She who was queen among the provinces

has now become a slave.

Bitterly she weeps at night,

tears are on her cheeks.

Among all her lovers

there is no one to comfort her.

All her friends have betrayed her;

they have become her enemies.

After affliction and harsh labor,

Judah has gone into exile.

She dwells among the nations;

she finds no resting place.

All who pursue her have overtaken her

in the midst of her distress.

The roads to Zion mourn,

for no one comes to her appointed festivals.

All her gateways are desolate,

her priests groan,

her young women grieve,

and she is in bitter anguish.

How she sits alone,

the city once crowded with people!

She who was great among the nations

has become like a widow.

The princess among the provinces

has been put to forced labor.

She weeps bitterly during the night,

with tears on her cheeks.

There is no one to offer her comfort,

not one from all her lovers.

All her friends have betrayed her;

they have become her enemies.

Judah has gone into exile

following affliction and harsh slavery;

she lives among the nations

but finds no place to rest.

All her pursuers have overtaken her

in narrow places.

The roads to Zion mourn,

for no one comes to the appointed festivals.

All her gates are deserted;

her priests groan,

her young women grieve,

and she herself is bitter.

Jerusalem, once so full of people,

is now deserted.

She who was once great among the nations

now sits alone like a widow.

Once the queen of all the earth,

she is now a slave.

She sobs through the night;

tears stream down her cheeks.

Among all her lovers,

there is no one left to comfort her.

All her friends have betrayed her

and become her enemies.

Judah has been led away into captivity,

oppressed with cruel slavery.

She lives among foreign nations

and has no place of rest.

Her enemies have chased her down,

and she has nowhere to turn.

The roads to Jerusalem are in mourning,

for crowds no longer come to celebrate the festivals.

The city gates are silent,

her priests groan,

her young women are crying—

how bitter is her fate!

How desolate the city sits

that was full of people!

She has become like a widow,

once great among the nations!

Like a woman of nobility in the provinces,

she has become a forced laborer.

She weeps bitterly in the night,

her tears are on her cheeks;

she has no comforter

among all her lovers.

All her friends have been unfaithful to her;

they have become her enemies.

Judah has gone into exile with misery

and under hard servitude;

she lives among the nations,

she has not found a resting place;

all her pursuers have overtaken her

amidst her distress.

The roads of Zion are mourning

because no one comes to the festival.

All her gates are desolate,

her priests groan;

her young women are worried,

and she herself suffers bitterly.

How doth the city sit solitary, that was full of people!

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

And princess among the provinces, how is she become tributary!

She weepeth sore in the night, and her tears are on her cheeks:

Among all her lovers she hath none to comfort her:

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

Judah is gone into captivity because of affliction, and because of great servitude:

She dwelleth among the heathen, she findeth no rest:

All her persecutors overtook her between the straits.

The ways of Zion do mourn, because none come to the solemn feasts:

All her gates are desolate: her priests sigh,

Her virgins are afflicted, and she is in bitterness.