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¹ 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!² She weeps intensely in the night, and her tears are on her cheeks; Among all her lovers she has none to comfort her: All her friends have dealt treacherously with her; they have become her enemies.³ Judah has gone into captivity because of affliction, and because of great servitude; She dwells among the nations, she finds no rest: All her persecutors overtook her inside the straits.⁴ The ways of Zion mourn, because none come to the solemn assembly; All her gates are desolate, her priests sigh: Her virgins are afflicted, and she herself is in bitterness.⁵ Her adversaries have become the head, her enemies prosper; For Yahweh has afflicted her for the multitude of her transgressions: Her young children have gone into captivity before the adversary.⁶ And from the daughter of Zion all her majesty has departed: Her princes have become like harts that find no pasture, And they are gone without strength before the pursuer.⁷ Jerusalem remembers in the days of her affliction and of her wandering all her pleasant things that were from the days of old: When her people fell into the hand of the adversary, and none helped her, The adversaries saw her, they mocked at her desolations.⁸ Jerusalem has grievously sinned; therefore she has become as an unclean thing; All that honored her despise her, because they have seen her nakedness: Yes, she sighs, and turns backward.⁹ Her filthiness was in her skirts; she didn't remember her latter end; Therefore she has come down wonderfully; she has no comforter: See, O Yahweh, my affliction; for the enemy has magnified himself.¹⁰ The 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.¹¹ All her people sigh, they seek bread; They have given their pleasant things for food to refresh the soul: See, O Yahweh, and behold; for I have become abject.

¹² Is it nothing to you, all you that pass by? Look, and see if there is any sorrow like my sorrow, which is brought on me, With which Yahweh has afflicted [me] in the day of his fierce anger.¹³ From on high he has 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 faint all the day.¹⁴ The yoke of my transgressions is tied by his hand; They are knit together, they have come up on my neck; he has made my strength to 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 in the midst of me; He has called a solemn assembly against me to crush my young men: The Lord has trodden as in a wine press the virgin daughter of Judah.¹⁶ For these things I weep; my eye, my eye runs down with water; Because the comforter that should refresh my soul is far from me: My sons are desolate, because the enemy has prevailed.¹⁷ Zion spreads forth her hands; there is none to comfort her; Yahweh has commanded concerning Jacob, that those that are round about him should be his adversaries: Jerusalem is among them as an unclean thing.¹⁸ Yahweh is righteous; for I have rebelled against his commandment: Hear, I pray you, all you peoples, and look at 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 ghost in the city, While they sought food for them to refresh their souls.²⁰ Look, O Yahweh; for I am in distress; my insides are troubled; My heart is turned inside me; for I have grievously rebelled: Abroad the sword bereaves, at home there is as death.²¹ They have heard that I sigh; there is none to comfort me; All my enemies have heard of my trouble; they are glad that you have done it: You have brought the day that you have proclaimed, and they shall be like me.²² Let all their wickedness come before you; And do to them, as you have done to me for all my transgressions: For my sighs are many, and my heart is faint.