Lamentations 2:9–11

9 Her gates have sunk into the ground;

he has ruined and broken her bars;

her king and princes are among the nations;

the law is no more,

and her prophets find

no vision from the Lord.

10 The elders of the daughter of Zion

sit on the ground in silence;

they have thrown dust on their heads

and put on sackcloth;

the young women of Jerusalem

have bowed their heads to the ground.

11 My eyes are spent with weeping;

my stomach churns;

my bile is poured out to the ground

because of the destruction of the daughter of my people,

because infants and babies faint

in the streets of the city.

9 Her gates are sunk into the ground; he hath destroyed and broken her bars:

Her king and her princes are among the Gentiles: the law is no more;

Her prophets also find no vision from the Lord.

10 The elders of the daughter of Zion sit upon the ground, and keep silence:

They have cast up dust upon their heads; they have girded themselves with sackcloth:

The virgins of Jerusalem hang down their heads to the ground.

11 Mine eyes do fail with tears, my bowels are troubled,

My liver is poured upon the earth, for the destruction of the daughter of my people;

Because the children and the sucklings swoon in the streets of the city.

9 Jerusalem’s gates have sunk into the ground.

He has smashed their locks and bars.

Her kings and princes have been exiled to distant lands;

her law has ceased to exist.

Her prophets receive

no more visions from the Lord.

10 The leaders of beautiful Jerusalem

sit on the ground in silence.

They are clothed in burlap

and throw dust on their heads.

The young women of Jerusalem

hang their heads in shame.

11 I have cried until the tears no longer come;

my heart is broken.

My spirit is poured out in agony

as I see the desperate plight of my people.

Little children and tiny babies

are fainting and dying in the streets.

9 Her gates have sunk into the ground;

He has destroyed and broken her bars.

Her king and her princes are among the nations;

The Law is no more,

And her prophets find no vision from the Lord.

10 The elders of the daughter of Zion

Sit on the ground and keep silence;

They throw dust on their heads

And gird themselves with sackcloth.

The virgins of Jerusalem

Bow their heads to the ground.

11 My eyes fail with tears,

My heart is troubled;

My bile is poured on the ground

Because of the destruction of the daughter of my people,

Because the children and the infants

Faint in the streets of the city.

9 Jerusalem’s gates have fallen to the ground;

he destroyed and smashed the bars of the gates.

Her king and her princes are among the nations.

The teaching of the Lord has stopped,

and the prophets do not have

visions from the Lord.

10 The elders of Jerusalem

sit on the ground in silence.

They throw dust on their heads

and put on rough cloth to show their sadness.

The young women of Jerusalem

bow their heads to the ground in sorrow.

11 My eyes have no more tears,

and I am sick to my stomach.

I feel empty inside,

because my people have been destroyed.

Children and babies are fainting

in the streets of the city.

9 Her gates are sunk into the ground; he hath destroyed and broken her bars:

Her king and her princes are among the nations where the law is not;

Yea, her prophets find no vision from Jehovah.

10 The elders of the daughter of Zion sit upon the ground, they keep silence;

They have cast up dust upon their heads; they have girded themselves with sackcloth:

The virgins of Jerusalem hang down their heads to the ground.

11 Mine eyes do fail with tears, my heart is troubled;

My liver is poured upon the earth, because of the destruction of the daughter of my people,

Because the young children and the sucklings swoon in the streets of the city.

9 Her gates are sunk into the ground; he hath destroyed and broken her bars. Her king and her princes are among the nations: the law is no more; her prophets also find no vision from Jehovah.

10 The elders of the daughter of Zion sit upon the ground, they keep silence; they have cast dust upon their heads, they have girded themselves with sackcloth: the virgins of Jerusalem hang down their head to the ground. 11 Mine eyes are consumed with tears, my bowels are troubled; my liver is poured upon the earth, because of the ruin of the daughter of my people; because infant and suckling swoon in the streets of the city.

9 “⸤Zion’s⸥ gates have sunk into the ground. 

⸤The Lord⸥ destroyed and shattered the bars across its ⸤gates⸥. 

Its king and influential people are ⸤scattered⸥ among the nations. 

There is no longer any instruction ⸤from Moses’ Teachings⸥. 

Its prophets can find no visions from the Lord. 

10 The respected leaders of Zion’s people sit silently on the ground. 

They throw dirt on their heads and put on sackcloth. 

The young women of Jerusalem bow their heads to the ground. 

11 My eyes are worn out with tears. 

My stomach is churning. 

My heart is poured out on the ground 

because of the destruction of my people. 

Little children and infants faint in the city streets. 

9 Zion’s gates have fallen to the ground;

He has destroyed and shattered the bars on her gates.

Her king and her leaders live among the nations,

instruction is no more,

and even her prophets receive

no vision from the Lord.

10 The elders of Daughter Zion

sit on the ground in silence.

They have thrown dust on their heads

and put on sackcloth.

The young women of Jerusalem

have bowed their heads to the ground.

11 My eyes are worn out from weeping;

I am churning within.

My heart is poured out in grief

because of the destruction of my dear people,

because children and infants faint

in the streets of the city.

9 Her gates have sunk into the ground;

he has ruined and broken her bars;

her king and princes are among the nations;

guidance is no more,

and her prophets obtain

no vision from the Lord.

10 The elders of daughter Zion

sit on the ground in silence;

they have thrown dust on their heads;

they put on sackcloth;

the young women of Jerusalem

have bowed their heads to the ground.

11 My eyes are spent with weeping;

my stomach churns;

my bile is poured out on the ground

because of the destruction of my people,

because infants and babes faint

in the streets of the city.

9 Her gates have sunk into the earth;

he has ruined and broken her bars,

her kings and its princes are among the nations;

there is no more law.

Also, her prophets have not found

a revelation from Yahweh.

10 They sit on the ground,

the elders of the daughter of Zion are silent.

They cast dust on their head,

they have put on sackcloth;

the young women of Jerusalem

have bowed their head down to the ground.

11 My eyes have spent all their tears;

my stomach is in torment,

my heart is poured out on the earth

because of the destruction of the daughter of my people,

because child and babe faint

in the public squares of a city.

9 Its gates sank down into the ground.

He broke their metal bars and destroyed them.

Its king and princes were taken away to other nations.

There is no law anymore.

Jerusalem’s prophets no longer receive

visions from the Lord.

10 The elders of the city of Zion

sit silently on the ground.

They have sprinkled dust on their heads.

They’ve put on black clothes to show how sad they are.

The young women of Jerusalem

have bowed their heads toward the ground.

11 I’ve cried so much I can’t see very well.

I’m suffering deep down inside.

My heart is broken

because my people are destroyed.

Children and babies are fainting

in the streets of the city.

9 Her gates have sunk into the ground,

He has destroyed and broken her bars.

Her king and her princes are among the nations;

The law is no more.

Also, her prophets find

No vision from the Lord.

10 The elders of the daughter of Zion

Sit on the ground, they are silent.

They have thrown dust on their heads;

They have girded themselves with sackcloth.

The virgins of Jerusalem

Have bowed their heads to the ground.

11 My eyes fail because of tears,

My spirit is greatly troubled;

My heart is poured out on the earth

Because of the destruction of the daughter of my people,

When little ones and infants faint

In the streets of the city.