Lamentations 1:1

Easy-to-Read Version

Jerusalem once was a city full of people, but now the city is so empty. She was one of the greatest cities in the world, but now she is like a poor widow. She was once a princess among cities, but now she has been made a slave.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
How she sits alone,

Hebrew Names Version
How does the city sit solitary, that was full of people! She has become as a widow, who was great among the nations! She who was a princess among the provinces is become tributary!

King James Version
How doth the city sit solitary, that was full of people! how is she become as a widow! she that was great among the nations, and princess among the provinces, how is she become tributary!

English Standard Version
How lonely sits the city that was full of people! How like a widow has she become, she who was great among the nations! She who was a princess among the provinces has become a slave.

New American Standard Bible
How lonely sits the city That once had many people! She has become like a widow Who was once great among the nations! She who was a princess among the provinces Has become a forced laborer!

New Century Version
Jerusalem once was full of people, but now the city is empty. Jerusalem once was a great city among the nations, but now she is like a widow. She was like a queen of all the other cities, but now she is a slave.

Amplified Bible
How solitary and lonely sits the city [Jerusalem] That was [once] full of people! How like a widow she has become. She who was great among the nations! The princess among the provinces, Has become a forced laborer!

World English Bible
How does the city sit solitary, that was full of people! She has become as a widow, who was great among the nations! She who was a princess among the provinces is become tributary!

Geneva Bible (1587)
Howe doeth the citie remaine solitarie that was full of people? she is as a widowe: she that was great among the nations, & princesse among the prouinces, is made tributarie.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
How lonely sits the city That was full of people! She has become like a widow Who was once great among the nations! She who was a princess among the provinces Has become a forced laborer!

Legacy Standard Bible
How lonely sits the cityThat was great with people!She has become like a widowWho was once great among the nations!She who was a princess among the provincesHas become a forced laborer!

Berean Standard Bible
How lonely lies the city, once so full of people! She who was great among the nations has become like a widow. The princess of the provinces has become a slave.

Contemporary English Version
The Prophet Speaks: Jerusalem, once so crowded, lies deserted and lonely. This city that was known all over the world is now like a widow. This queen of the nations has been made a slave.

Complete Jewish Bible
How lonely lies the city that once thronged with people! Once great among the nations, now she is like a widow! Once princess among provinces, she has become a vassal.

Darby Translation
How doth the city sit solitary [that] was full of people! She that was great among the nations is become as a widow; the princess among the provinces is become tributary!

George Lamsa Translation
HOW does the city sit solitary that was full of people! How is she become like a widow! She that was so great among the nations, and she that was a princess of the cities has become a tributary!

Good News Translation
How lonely lies Jerusalem, once so full of people! Once honored by the world, she is now like a widow; The noblest of cities has fallen into slavery.

Lexham English Bible
How desolate the city sits that was full of people! She has become like a widow, once great among the nations! Like a woman of nobility in the provinces, she has become a forced laborer.

Literal Translation
How alone sits the city that was full of people! She has become like a widow, once great among the nations; a noblewoman among the provinces has become a payer of tribute.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Alas, how sitteth the cite so desolate, yt some tyme was full of people? how is she become like a wedowe, which was the lady of all nacions? How is she brought vnder tribute, that ruled all londes?

American Standard Version
How doth the city sit solitary, that was full of people! She is become as a widow, that was great among the nations! She that was a princess among the provinces is become tributary!

Bible in Basic English
See her seated by herself, the town which was full of people! She who was great among the nations has become like a widow! She who was a princess among the countries has come under the yoke of forced work!

JPS Old Testament (1917)
How doth the city sit solitary, that was full of people! How is she become as a widow! She that was great among the nations, and princess among the provinces, how is she become tributary!

King James Version (1611)
How doeth the citie sit solitarie that was full of people? How is she become as a widow? She that was great among the nations, and princesse among the prouinces, how is she become tributarie?

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Alas] howe sitteth the citie so desolate, that sometime was full of people? Howe is she become lyke a widow which was great among nations? Howe is she brought vnder tribute that ruled landes?

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
ALEPH. How does the city that was filled with people sit solitary! she is become as a widow: she that was magnified among the nations, and princess among the provinces, has become tributary.

English Revised Version
How doth the city sit solitary, that was full of people! how is she become as a widow! she that was great among the nations, and princess among the provinces, how is she become tributary!

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Aleph. Hou sittith aloone the citee ful of puple? the ladi of folkis is maad as a widewe; the prince of prouynces is maad vndir tribute.

Update Bible Version
How the city sits solitary, that was full of people! She has become as a widow, that was great among the nations! She that was a princess among the provinces has become slave labor!

Webster's Bible Translation
How doth the city sit solitary, [that was] full of people! [how] is she become as a widow! she [that was] great among the nations, [and] princess among the provinces, [how] is she become tributary.

New English Translation

א (Alef)

Alas! The city once full of people now sits all alone! The prominent lady among the nations has become a widow! The princess who once ruled the provinces has become a forced laborer!

New King James Version
How lonely sits the city That was full of people! How like a widow is she, Who was great among the nations! The princess among the provinces Has become a slave!

New Living Translation
Jerusalem, once so full of people, is now deserted. She who was once great among the nations now sits alone like a widow. Once the queen of all the earth, she is now a slave.

New Life Bible
How empty is the city that was once full of people! She was once great among the nations. But now she has become like a woman whose husband has died. She who was once a queen among the cities has become a servant made to work.

New Revised Standard
How lonely sits the city that once was full of people! How like a widow she has become, she that was great among the nations! She that was a princess among the provinces has become a vassal.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
How is seated alone, the city that abounded with people, hath become as a widow, - She who abounded among the nations was a princess among provinces, hath come under tribute.

Douay-Rheims Bible

In these JEREMIAS laments in a most pathetical manner the miseries of his people, and the destruction of JERUSALEM and the temple, in Hebrew verses, beginning with different letters according to the order of the Hebrew alphabet.

And it came to pass, after Israel was carried into captivity, and Jerusalem was desolate, that Jeremias the prophet sat weeping, and mourned with this lamentation over Jerusalem, and with a sorrowful mind, sighing and moaning, he said: [fn] Aleph. How doth the city sit solitary that was full of people! how is the mistress of the Gentiles become as a widow: the princes of provinces made tributary!

Revised Standard Version
How lonely sits the city that was full of people! How like a widow has she become, she that was great among the nations! She that was a princess among the cities has become a vassal.

Young's Literal Translation
How hath she sat alone, The city abounding with people! She hath been as a widow, The mighty among nations! Princes among provinces, She hath become tributary!

THE MESSAGE
Oh, oh, oh... How empty the city, once teeming with people. A widow, this city, once in the front rank of nations, once queen of the ball, she's now a drudge in the kitchen.

Contextual Overview

¹ Jerusalem once was a city full of people, but now the city is so empty. She was one of the greatest cities in the world, but now she is like a poor widow. She was once a princess among cities, but now she has been made a slave. ² She cries bitterly in the night. Her tears are on her cheeks. She has no one to comfort her. Many nations were friendly to her, but not one of them comforts her now. All her friends have turned their backs on her and have become her enemies. ³ Judah suffered very much, and then she was taken into captivity. She lives among other nations but has found no rest. The people who chased her caught her where there was no way out. ⁴ The roads to Zion are very sad, because no one comes to Zion for the festivals anymore. All of Zion's gates have been destroyed; all her priests groan in sorrow. Zion's young women have been taken away, and all this made Zion sad. ⁵ Jerusalem's enemies have won. Her enemies have been successful. This happened because the Lord punished her. He punished Jerusalem for her many sins. Her children have gone away. Their enemies captured them and took them away. ⁶ The beauty of Daughter Zion has gone away. Her princes were like deer that cannot find a meadow to feed in. They walk away without strength from those who chased them. ⁷ Jerusalem thinks back. She remembers the time when she was hurt and when she lost her home. She remembers all the nice things that she had in the past. She remembers those nice things that she had in the old days. She remembers when her people were captured by the enemy. She remembers when there was no one to help her. When her enemies saw her, they laughed, because she was destroyed. ⁸ Jerusalem sinned very badly. Because Jerusalem sinned, she became a ruined city that people shake their heads about. In the past people respected her. But now they hate her, because they abused her. Jerusalem groaned and turned away. ⁹ Jerusalem's skirts were dirty. She gave no thought to what would become of her. Her fall was amazing. She had no one to comfort her. She says, " Lord , see how I am hurt! See how my enemy thinks he is so great!" ¹⁰ The enemy stretched out his hand. He took all her nice things. In fact, she saw the foreign nations go inside her Temple. And you said those people could not join in our assembly!

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

How doth: The LXX have the following words as an introduction: "And it came to pass after Israel had been carried captive, and Jerusalem was become desolate, that Jeremiah sat weeping, and lamented with this lamentation over Jerusalem, and said." Lamentations 2:1, Lamentations 4:1, Isaiah 14:12, Jeremiah 50:23, Zephaniah 2:15, Revelation 18:16, Revelation 18:17

sit: Lamentations 2:10, Isaiah 3:26, Isaiah 47:1-15, Isaiah 50:5, Isaiah 52:2, Isaiah 52:7, Jeremiah 9:11, Ezekiel 26:16

full: Psalms 122:4, Isaiah 22:2, Zechariah 8:4, Zechariah 8:5

as a: Isaiah 47:8, Isaiah 47:9, Isaiah 54:4, Revelation 18:7

great: 1 Kings 4:21, 2 Chronicles 9:26, Ezra 4:20

how is: Lamentations 5:16, 2 Kings 23:33, 2 Kings 23:35, Nehemiah 5:4, Nehemiah 9:37

Reciprocal: Leviticus 13:46 - without Leviticus 26:31 - And I will make Deuteronomy 28:16 - in the city Isaiah 24:12 - General Isaiah 47:5 - silent Isaiah 49:21 - am desolate Isaiah 54:11 - not comforted Isaiah 60:15 - thou Isaiah 64:10 - General Jeremiah 12:11 - it mourneth Jeremiah 15:9 - She that hath Jeremiah 34:22 - and I will Jeremiah 42:2 - left Jeremiah 44:2 - a desolation Jeremiah 48:39 - How is it Jeremiah 51:34 - the king Lamentations 1:9 - came Ezekiel 26:2 - the gates Ezekiel 26:17 - How art Ezekiel 36:3 - they have made Daniel 9:2 - the desolations Amos 6:1 - named Obadiah 1:5 - how Micah 2:4 - a doleful lamentation

Cross-References

Genesis 1:4
He saw the light, and he knew that it was good. Then he separated the light from the darkness.

Genesis 1:5
God named the light "day," and he named the darkness "night." There was evening, and then there was morning. This was the first day.

Genesis 1:11
Then God said, "Let the earth grow grass, plants that make grain, and fruit trees. The fruit trees will make fruit with seeds in it. And each plant will make its own kind of seed. Let these plants grow on the earth." And it happened.

Genesis 1:12
The earth grew grass and plants that made grain. And it grew trees that made fruit with seeds in it. Every plant made its own kind of seeds. And God saw that this was good.

Genesis 1:16
So God made the two large lights. He made the larger light to rule during the day and the smaller light to rule during the night. He also made the stars.

Genesis 1:17
God put these lights in the sky to shine on the earth.

Genesis 1:19
There was evening, and then there was morning. This was the fourth day.

Genesis 1:20
Then God said, "Let the water be filled with many living things, and let there be birds to fly in the air over the earth."

Genesis 1:22
God blessed all the living things in the sea and told them to have many babies and fill the seas. And he blessed the birds on land and told them to have many more babies.

Genesis 1:30
And I am giving all the green plants to the animals. These green plants will be their food. Every animal on earth, every bird in the air, and all the little things that crawl on the earth will eat that food." And all these things happened.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

How doth the city sit solitary, that was full of people!.... These are the words of Jeremiah; so the Targum introduces them,

"Jeremiah the prophet and high priest said;''

and began thus, "how"; not inquiring the reasons of this distress and ruin; but as amazed and astonished at it; and commiserating the sad case of the city of Jerusalem, which a little time ago was exceeding populous; had thousands of inhabitants in it; besides those that came from other parts to see it, or trade with it: and especially when the king of Babylon had invaded the land, which drove vast numbers to Jerusalem for safety; and which was the case afterwards when besieged by the Romans; at which time, as Josephus f relates, there were eleven hundred thousand persons; and very probably a like number was in it before the destruction of it by the Chaldeans, who all perished through famine, pestilence, and the sword; or were carried captive; or made their escape; so that the city, as was foretold it should, came to be without any inhabitant; and therefore is represented as "sitting", which is the posture of mourners; and as "solitary", or "alone" g, like a menstruous woman in her separation, to which it is compared, Lamentations 1:17; or as a leper removed from the society of men; so the Targum,

"as a man that has the plague of leprosy on his flesh, that dwells alone;''

or rather as a woman deprived of her husband and children; as follows:

[how] is she become as a widow! her king, that was her head and husband, being taken from her, and carried captive; and God, who was the husband also of the Jewish people, having departed from them, and so left in a state of widowhood. Jarchi h observes, that it is not said a widow simply, but as a widow, because her husband would return again; and therefore only during this state of captivity she was like one; but Broughton takes the "caph" not to be a note of similitude, but of reality; and renders it, "she is become a very widow". Vespasian, when he had conquered Judea, struck a medal, on one side of which was a woman sitting under a palm tree in a plaintive and pensive posture, with this inscription, "Judea Capta", as Grotius observes:

she [that was] great among the nations, and princess among the provinces, [how] is she become tributary! that ruled over many nations, having subdued them, and to whom they paid tribute, as the Philistines, Moabites, Syrians, and Edomites, in the times of David and Solomon; but since obliged to pay tribute herself, first to Pharaohnecho, king of Egypt; then to the king of Babylon in the times of Jehoiakim; and last of all in the times of Zedekiah; so the Targum,

"she that was great among the people, and ruled over the provinces that paid tribute to her, returns to be depressed; and after this to give tribute to them.''

f De Bello Jud. l. 6. c. 9. sect. 3. g בדד "sola", V. L. Montanus. h E Talmud Bab. Sanhedrin. fol. 104. 1. & Taanith, fol. 20. 1.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

In these two verses is the same sad image as appears in the well-known medal of Titus, struck to celebrate his triumph over Jerusalem. A woman sits weeping beneath a palm-tree, and below is the legend “Judaea capta.”

Translate Lamentations 1:1 :

How sitteth solitary the city that was full of people:

She is become as a widow that was great among the nations:

A princess among provinces she is become a vassal.

Tributary - In the sense of personal labor Joshua 16:10.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

THE LAMENTATIONS OF JEREMIAH

Chronological notes relative to the Book of the Lamentations

- Year from the Creation, according to Archbishop Usher, 3416.

- Year of the Jewish era of the world, 3173.

- Year from the Deluge, 1760.

- First year of the forty-eighth Olympiad.

- Year from the building of Rome, according to the Varronian account, 166.

- Year before the birth of Christ, 584.

- Year before the vulgar era of Christ's nativity, 588.

- Year of the Julian Period, 4126.

- Year of the era of Nabonassar, 160.

- Cycle of the Sun, 10.

- Cycle of the Moon, 3.

- Second year after the fourth Sabbatic year after the seventeenth Jewish jubilee, according to Helvicus.

- Twenty-ninth year of Tarquinius Priscus, the fifth king of the Romans: this was the seventy-ninth year before the commencement of the consular government.

- Thirty-eighth year of Cyaxares or Cyaraxes, the fourth king of Media.

- Eighteenth year of Agasicles, king of Lacedaemon, of the family of the Proclidae.

- Twentieth year of Leon, king of Lacedaemon, of the family of the Eurysthenidae.

- Thirty-second year of Alyattes II., king of Lydia. This was the father of the celebrated Croesus.

- Fifteenth year of AEropas, the seventh king of Macedon.

- Nineteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon.

- Eleventh year of Zedekiah, the last king of Judah.

CHAPTER I

The prophet begins with lamenting the dismal reverse of fortune

that befell his country, confessing at the same time that her

calamities were the just consequence of her sins, 1-6.

Jerusalem herself is then personified and brought forward to

continue the sad complaint, and to solicit the mercy of God,

7-22.

In all copies of the Septuagint, whether of the Roman or Alexandrian editions, the following words are found as a part of the text: Και εγενετο μετα το αιχμαλωτισθηναι τον Ισραηλ, και Ιερουσαλημ ερημωθηναι, εκαθισεν Ιερεμιας κλαιων, και εθρηνησεν τον θρηνον τουτον επι Ιερουσαλημ, και ειπεν· - "And it came to pass after Israel had been carried away captive, and Jerusalem was become desolate, that Jeremiah sat weeping: and he lamented with this lamentation over Jerusalem; and he said."

The Vulgate has the same, with some variations: - "Et factum est, postquam in captivitatem redactus est Israel, et Jerusalem deserta est, sedit Jeremias propheta fiens, et planxit lamentations hac in Jerusalem, et amaro animo suspirans et ejulans, digit." The translation of this, as given in the first translation of the Bible into English, may be found at the end of Jeremiah, taken from an ancient MS. in my own possession.

I subjoin another taken from the first PRINTED edition of the English Bible, that by Coverdale, 1535. "And it came to passe, (after Israel was brought into captyvitie, and Jerusalem destroyed;) that Jeremy the prophet sat weeping, mournynge, and makinge his mone in Jerusalem; so that with an hevy herte he sighed and sobbed, sayenge."

Matthew's Bible, printed in 1549, refines upon this: "It happened after Israell was brought into captyvite, and Jerusalem destroyed, that Jeremy the prophet sate wepyng, and sorrowfully bewayled Jerusalem; and syghynge and hewlynge with an hevy and wooful hert, sayde."

Becke's Bible of the same date, and Cardmarden's of 1566, have the same, with a trifling change in the orthography.

On this Becke and others have the following note: - "These words are read in the LXX. interpreters: but not in the Hebrue."

All these show that it was the ancient opinion that the Book of Lamentations was composed, not over the death of Josiah, but on account of the desolations of Israel and Jerusalem.

The Arabic copies the Septuagint. The Syriac does not acknowledge it; and the Chaldee has these words only: "Jeremiah the great priest and prophet said."

NOTES ON CHAP. I

Verse Lamentations 1:1. How doth the city sit solitary — Sitting down, with the elbow on the knee, and the head supported by the hand, without any company, unless an oppressor near, - all these were signs of mourning and distress. The coin struck by Vespasian on the capture of Jerusalem, on the obverse of which there is a palm-tree, the emblem of Judea, and under it a woman, the emblem of Jerusalem, sitting, leaning as before described, with the legend Judea capta, illustrates this expression as well as that in Isaiah 47:1. Isaiah 3:26, where the subject is farther explained.

Become as a widow — Having lost her king. Cities are commonly described as the mothers of their inhabitants, the kings as husbands, and the princes as children. When therefore they are bereaved of these, they are represented as widows, and childless.

The Hindoo widow, as well as the Jewish, is considered the most destitute and wretched of all human beings. She has her hair cut short, throws off all ornaments, eats the coarsest food, fasts often, and is all but an outcast in the family of her late husband.

Is she become tributary! — Having no longer the political form of a nation; and the remnant that is left paying tribute to a foreign and heathen conqueror.