Lamentations 1:1–11

The Sorrows of Zion

1 How alonely sits the city

That was bfull of people!

She has become like a cwidow

Who was once dgreat among the nations!

She who was a princess among the 1provinces

Has become a eforced laborer!

2 She aweeps bitterly in the night

And her tears are on her cheeks;

She has none to comfort her

Among all her blovers.

All her friends have cdealt treacherously with her;

They have become her enemies.

3 aJudah has gone into exile 1under affliction

And 1under 2harsh servitude;

She dwells bamong the nations,

But she has found no rest;

All cher pursuers have overtaken her

In the midst of 3distress.

4 The roads 1of Zion are in mourning

Because ano one comes to the appointed feasts.

All her gates are bdesolate;

Her priests are groaning,

Her cvirgins are afflicted,

And she herself 2is dbitter.

5 Her adversaries have become 1her masters,

Her enemies 2prosper;

For the Lord has acaused her grief

Because of the multitude of her transgressions;

Her little ones have gone away

As captives before the adversary.

6 All her amajesty

Has departed from the daughter of Zion;

Her princes have become like deer

That have found no pasture;

And they have 1bfled without strength

Before the pursuer.

7 In the days of her affliction and homelessness

aJerusalem remembers all her precious things

That were from the days of old,

When her people fell into the hand of the adversary

And bno one helped her.

The adversaries saw her,

They cmocked at her 1ruin.

8 Jerusalem sinned agreatly,

Therefore bshe has become an unclean thing.

All who honored her despise her

Because they have seen her nakedness;

Even cshe herself groans and turns away.

9 Her auncleanness was in her skirts;

She 1did not consider her bfuture.

Therefore she has 2cfallen astonishingly;

dShe has no comforter.

“eSee, O Lord, my affliction,

For the enemy has fmagnified himself!”

10 The adversary has stretched out his hand

Over all her precious things,

For she has seen the anations enter her sanctuary,

The ones whom You commanded

That they should bnot enter into Your congregation.

11 All her people groan aseeking bread;

They have given their precious things for food

To brestore their 1lives themselves.

“See, O Lord, and look,

For I am cdespised.”