¹How the city sits solitary,

that was full of people !

She has become as a widow,

who was great amongst the nations !

She who was a princess amongst the provinces

has become a slave!

²She weeps bitterly in the night .

Her tears are on her cheeks .

Amongst all her lovers

she has no one to comfort her .

All her friends have dealt treacherously with her .

They have become her enemies.

³Judah has gone into captivity because of affliction

and because of great servitude .

She dwells amongst the nations .

She finds no rest .

All her persecutors overtook her in her distress .

⁴The roads to Zion mourn,

because no one comes to the solemn assembly .

All her gates are desolate .

Her priests sigh.

Her virgins are afflicted ,

and she herself is in bitterness .

⁵Her adversaries have become the head .

Her enemies prosper ;

for the LORD has afflicted her for the multitude of her transgressions .

Her young children have gone into captivity before the adversary .

⁶All majesty has departed from the daughter of Zion.

Her princes have become like deer that find no pasture .

They have gone without strength before the pursuer .

⁷Jerusalem remembers in the days of her affliction and of her miseries

all her pleasant things that were from the days of old ;

when her people fell into the hand of the adversary ,

and no one helped her .

The adversaries saw her .

They mocked at her desolations.

⁸Jerusalem has grievously sinned .

Therefore she has become unclean .

All who honoured her despise her ,

because they have seen her nakedness .

Yes , she sighs and turns backward.

⁹Her filthiness was in her skirts .

She didn’t remember her latter end.

Therefore she has come down astoundingly.

She has no comforter .

“See , LORD , my affliction ;

for the enemy has magnified himself .”

¹⁰The adversary has spread out his hand on all her pleasant things ;

for she has seen that the nations have entered into her sanctuary ,

concerning whom you commanded that they should not enter into your assembly .

¹¹All her people sigh.

They seek bread .

They have given their pleasant things for food to refresh their soul .

“Look , LORD , and see ,

for I have become despised .”

¹²“Is it nothing to you , all you who pass by ?

Look , and see if there is any sorrow like my sorrow ,

which is brought on me ,

with which the LORD has afflicted me in the day of his fierce anger .

¹³“From on high has he sent fire into my bones ,

and it prevails against them .

He has spread a net for my feet .

He has turned me back .

He has made me desolate and I faint all day long .

¹⁴“The yoke of my transgressions is bound by his hand .

They are knit together .

They have come up on my neck .

He made my strength fail .

The Lord has delivered me into their hands ,

against whom I am not able to stand .

¹⁵“The Lord has set at nothing all my mighty men within me .

He has called a solemn assembly against me to crush my young men .

The Lord has trodden the virgin daughter of Judah as in a wine press .

¹⁶“For these things I weep .

My eye , my eye runs down with water ,

because the comforter who should refresh my soul is far from me .

My children are desolate ,

because the enemy has prevailed .”

¹⁷Zion spreads out her hands .

There is no one to comfort her .

The LORD has commanded concerning Jacob ,

that those who are around him should be his adversaries .

Jerusalem is amongst them as an unclean thing .

¹⁸“The LORD is righteous ,

for I have rebelled against his commandment .

Please hear all you peoples ,

and see my sorrow .

My virgins and my young men have gone into captivity .

¹⁹“I called for my lovers,

but they deceived me .

My priests and my elders gave up the spirit in the city ,

while they sought food for themselves to refresh their souls .

²⁰“Look , LORD ; for I am in distress .

My heart is troubled .

My heart turns over within me ,

for I have grievously rebelled .

Abroad , the sword bereaves.

At home , it is like death .

²¹“They have heard that I sigh.

There is no one to comfort me .

All my enemies have heard of my trouble .

They are glad that you have done it .

You will bring the day that you have proclaimed ,

and they will be like me .

²²“Let all their wickedness come before you .

Do to them as you have done to me for all my transgressions .

For my sighs are many ,

and my heart is faint .