Lamentations 1:1–11

How deserted^a lies the city,

once so full of people!^b

How like a widow^c is she,

who once was great^d among the nations!

She who was queen among the provinces

has now become a slave.^e

²Bitterly she weeps^f at night,

tears are on her cheeks.

Among all her lovers^g

there is no one to comfort her.

All her friends have betrayed^h her;

they have become her enemies.ⁱ

³After affliction and harsh labor,

Judah has gone into exile.^j

She dwells among the nations;

she finds no resting place.^k

All who pursue her have overtaken her^l

in the midst of her distress.

⁴The roads to Zion mourn,^m

for no one comes to her appointed festivals.

All her gateways are desolate,ⁿ

her priests groan,

her young women grieve,

and she is in bitter anguish.^o

⁵Her foes have become her masters;

her enemies are at ease.

The Lord has brought her grief^p

because of her many sins.^q

Her children have gone into exile,^r

captive before the foe.^s

⁶All the splendor has departed

from Daughter Zion.^t

Her princes are like deer

that find no pasture;

in weakness they have fled^u

before the pursuer.

⁷In the days of her affliction and wandering

Jerusalem remembers all the treasures

that were hers in days of old.

When her people fell into enemy hands,

there was no one to help her.^v

Her enemies looked at her

and laughed^w at her destruction.

⁸Jerusalem has sinned^x greatly

and so has become unclean.^y

All who honored her despise her,

for they have all seen her naked;^z

she herself groans^a

and turns away.

⁹Her filthiness clung to her skirts;

she did not consider her future.^b

Her fall^c was astounding;

there was none to comfort^d her.

“Look, Lord, on my affliction,^e

for the enemy has triumphed.”

¹⁰The enemy laid hands

on all her treasures;^f

she saw pagan nations

enter her sanctuary^g—

those you had forbidden^h

to enter your assembly.

¹¹All her people groanⁱ

as they search for bread;^j

they barter their treasures for food

to keep themselves alive.

“Look, Lord, and consider,

for I am despised.”