1
How lonely sits the city that was once full of people. She has become like a widow, she who was great among the nations. A princess among the provinces has become subject to forced labor.
2
Weeping, she weeps in the night, and her tears are upon her cheeks. Among all her lovers there is none to comfort her. All her companions have dealt treacherously with her; they have become her enemies.
3
Yehudah has gone into exile because of affliction and because of great servitude. She dwells among the nations; she finds no rest. All her pursuers overtook her in the narrow places.
4
The roads of Tziyon mourn, because none come to the appointed feast. All her gates are desolate. Her kohenim sigh. Her maidens are afflicted, and she herself is bitter.
5
Her adversaries have become the head. Her enemies prosper. For Yahuah has afflicted her because of the multitude of her transgressions. Her little ones have gone into captivity before the adversary.
6
All her splendor has departed from the daughter of Tziyon. Her rulers have become like deer that find no pasture, and they have gone without strength before the pursuer.
7
Yerushalayim remembers, in the days of her affliction and her wandering, all her precious things that were hers from days of old. When her people fell into the hand of the adversary and there was none to help her, her enemies saw her and laughed at her downfall.
8
Yerushalayim has sinned greatly; therefore she has become unclean. All who honored her despise her, because they have seen her nakedness. She herself groans and turns away.
9
Her uncleanness was in her skirts. She did not remember her latter end. Therefore she descended wonderfully, and there was none to comfort her. “See, Yahuah, my affliction, for the enemy has magnified himself.”
10
The adversary has spread his hand over all her precious things. For she has seen nations enter her Sanctuary, those whom You commanded not to enter Your assembly.
11
All her people groan as they seek bread. They give their precious things for food to restore their being. “See, Yahuah, and look, for I have become despised.”
12
Is it nothing to you, all you who pass by? Look and see whether there is any pain like my pain, which was dealt to me, with which Yahuah afflicted me in the day of His burning anger.
13
From on high He sent fire into my bones, and it ruled over them. He spread a net for my feet. He turned me back. He made me desolate, faint all the day.
14
The yoke of my transgressions is bound by His hand. They are woven together and have risen upon my neck. He caused my strength to fail. Yahuah gave me into hands from which I cannot rise.
15
Yahuah rejected all my mighty ones in my midst. He called an assembly against me to crush my young men. Yahuah has trodden the virgin daughter of Yehudah like grapes in a winepress.
16
For these things I weep. My eye, my eye runs down with water, because the comforter who would restore my being is far from me. My sons have become desolate, because the enemy has prevailed.
17
Tziyon spreads out her hands, but there is none to comfort her. Yahuah commanded concerning Yaaqov that those around him should become his adversaries. Yerushalayim has become among them as an unclean thing.
18
Yahuah is righteous, for I rebelled against His mouth. Hear now, all peoples, and see my pain. My maidens and my young men have gone into captivity.
19
I called to my lovers, but they deceived me. My kohenim and my elders expired in the city while they sought food for themselves to restore their being.
20
See, Yahuah, for I am in distress. My inward parts are troubled. My heart is overturned within me, for rebelling, I have greatly rebelled. Outside, the sword bereaves. Inside, there is death.
21
They heard that I groan, yet there is none to comfort me. All my enemies have heard of my evil. They rejoice because You have done it. Bring the day You proclaimed, and let them become like me.
22
Let all their evil come before You, and deal with them as You dealt with me because of all my transgressions. For my groanings are many, and my heart is faint.