It is, however, a hope that is not well sustained in the poetry that follows. The poetry of Lamentations ends close to abject despair. By the end in 5:22, it is clear that Israel does not know and cannot be any longer certain of YHWH’s continued fidelity. All of the old assurances are now in deep dispute. The population that was deported to Babylon is commonly thought to be different from those “left behind.” That population is not large. According to Jeremiah 52:28–30, it amounted to only 4,600