Read the Bible

¹ 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?² She wepeth sore in the night, so that ye teares runne downe hir chekes: for amonge all hir louers, there is none, that geueth her eny comforte: yee hir nexte frendes abhorre her, & are become hir enemies.³ Iuda is taken presoner, because she was defyled: & for seruynge so many straunge goddes, she dwelleth now amonge the Heithen. She fyndeth no rest, all they that persecuted her, toke her, and so she dwelleth amonge hir enemies.⁴ The stretes of Sion mourne, because no man commeth more to the solempne feastes: All hir gates are desolate, hir prestes make lamentacion, hir maydens are carefull, and she herself is in greate heuynesse.⁵ Hir enemies are fallen vpon hir heade, & haue put her to shame: because the LORDE hath chastened her for hir greate wickednes: hir children are ledde awaye captiue before their enemie.⁶ All the bewtie of the doughter of Sion is awaye, hir prynces are become like wethers, that fynde no pasture. They are dryue awaye before their enemie, so that they haue no more power.⁷ Now doth Ierusalem remembre the tyme of hir misery & disobedience, yee the ioye & pleasure yt she hath had in tymes past: seynge hir people is brought downe thorow the power of their enemie, & there is no man for to helpe her: hir enemies stode lokinge at her and laugh hir Sabbath dayes to scorne.⁸ Ierusalem synned euer more & more, therfore is she come in decaye. All they that had her in honoure, despise her: for they haue sene hir fylthinesse. Yee she sigheth, and is a shamed of herselfe.⁹ Hir skyrtes are defyled, she remebred not what wolde folowe: therfore is hir fall so greate, and there is no ma to comforte her. O LORDE, cosidre my trouble, for myne enemie hath the vpper honde.¹⁰ The enemie hath put his honde to all the precious thinges that she had, yee euen before hir eyes came the Heithen in and out of the Sanctuary: whom thou (neuertheles) hast forbydden to come within thy congregacion.¹¹ All hir people seke their bred with heuynes, & loke what precious thinge euery man hath, that geueth he for meate, to saue his life. Considre (O LORDE) and se, how vyle I am become.

¹² O ye all that go fore by, beholde and se, yf there be eny sorowe like vnto myne, wherwith the LORDE hath troubled me, in the daye of his fearefull wrath.¹³ From aboue hath he sent downe a fyre, in to my bones and chastened me: he hath layed a net for my fete, and throwne me wyde open: he hath made me desolate, so that I must euer be mournynge.¹⁴ The yocke of my transgression is come at the last, with his honde hath he taken it vp, and put it aboute my neck. My strength is gone: the LORDE hath delyuered me in to those hondes, wherout I can not quyte myself.¹⁵ The LORDE hath destroyed all the mightie men, that were in me. He hath proclamed a feast, to slaughter all my best me. The LORDE hath troden downe the doughter of Iuda, like as it were in a wyne presse.¹⁶ Therfore do I wepe, and myne eyes gusshe out of water: for the coforter that shulde quycken me, is farre fro me. My children are dryuen awaye, for why? the enemie hath gotten the ouer honde.¹⁷ Sion casteth out hir hodes, and there is no man to comforte her. The LORDE hath layed the enemies rounde aboute Iacob, and Ierusalem is as it were a menstruous woma, in the myddest of them.¹⁸ The LORDE is rightuous, for I haue prouoked his countenaunce vnto anger. O take hede all ye people, and considre my heuynes: My maydens and my yonge men are led awaye in to captiuyte.¹⁹ I called for my louers (but they begyled me:) for my prestes and councelers, but they perished: euen while they sought for meate, to saue their lyues.²⁰ Considre (O LORDE) how I am troubled, my wombe is disquieted, my herte turneth aboute in me, and I am full of heuynes. The swearde hurteth me without, and within I am like vnto death.²¹ They heare my mournynge, but there is none that wil comforte me. All myne enemies haue herde of my trouble, and are glad therof, because thou hast done it. But thou shalt brynge forth the tyme, when they also shal be like vnto me.²² From the shall come all their aduersite: thou shalt plucke them awaye, eue as thou hast plucked me, because of all my wickednesse. For my sorow is very greate, and my herte is heuy.