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Chapter 1 |
| 1 | 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! |
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2 | She weepeth sore in the night, and her tears are on
her cheeks: among all her lovers she hath none to comfort her: all her friends
have dealt treacherously with her, they are become her enemies. |
| 3 | Judah
is gone into captivity because of affliction, and because of great servitude:
she dwelleth among the heathen, she findeth no rest: all her persecutors
overtook her between the straits. |
| 4 | The ways of Zion do mourn,
because none come to the solemn feasts: all her gates are desolate: her priests
sigh, her virgins are afflicted, and she is in bitterness. |
| 5 | Her
adversaries are the chief, her enemies prosper; for the LORD hath afflicted her
for the multitude of her transgressions: her children are gone into captivity
before the enemy. |
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6 | And from the daughter of Zion all her beauty is
departed: her princes are become like harts that find no pasture, and they are
gone without strength before the pursuer. |
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7 | Jerusalem remembered in the
days of her affliction and of her miseries all her pleasant things that she had
in the days of old, when her people fell into the hand of the enemy, and none
did help her: the adversaries saw her, and did mock at her sabbaths. |
| 8 |
Jerusalem hath grievously sinned; therefore she is removed: all that honoured
her despise her, because they have seen her nakedness: yea, she sigheth, and
turneth backward. |
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9 | Her filthiness is in her skirts; she remembereth not
her last end; therefore she came down wonderfully: she had no comforter. O
LORD, behold my affliction: for the enemy hath magnified himself. |
| 10 |
The adversary hath spread out his hand upon all her pleasant things: for she
hath seen that the heathen entered into her sanctuary, whom thou didst command
that they should not enter into thy congregation. |
| 11 | All her
people sigh, they seek bread; they have given their pleasant things for meat to
relieve the soul: see, O LORD, and consider; for I am become vile. |
| 12 |
Is it nothing to you, all ye that pass by? behold, and see if there be any
sorrow like unto my sorrow, which is done unto me, wherewith the LORD hath
afflicted me in the day of his fierce anger. |
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13 | From above hath he sent
fire into my bones, and it prevaileth against them: he hath spread a net for my
feet, he hath turned me back: he hath made me desolate and faint all the
day. |
| 14 |
The yoke of my transgressions is bound by his hand: they are
wreathed, and come up upon my neck: he hath made my strength to fall, the LORD
hath delivered me into their hands, from whom I am not able to rise up.
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| 15 | The LORD hath trodden under foot all my mighty men in the midst of me:
he hath called an assembly against me to crush my young men: the LORD hath
trodden the virgin, the daughter of Judah, as in a winepress. |
| 16 | For
these things I weep; mine eye, mine eye runneth down with water, because the
comforter that should relieve my soul is far from me: my children are desolate,
because the enemy prevailed. |
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17 | Zion spreadeth forth her hands, and
there is none to comfort her: the LORD hath commanded concerning Jacob, that
his adversaries should be round about him: Jerusalem is as a menstruous woman
among them. |
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18 | The LORD is righteous; for I have rebelled against
his commandment: hear, I pray you, all people, and behold my sorrow: my virgins
and my young men are gone into captivity. |
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19 | I called for my lovers,
but they deceived me: my priests and mine elders gave up the ghost in the city,
while they sought their meat to relieve their souls. |
| 20 | Behold, O
LORD; for I am in distress: my bowels are troubled; mine heart is turned within
me; for I have grievously rebelled: abroad the sword bereaveth, at home there
is as death. |
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21 | They have heard that I sigh: there is none to
comfort me: all mine enemies have heard of my trouble; they are glad that thou
hast done it: thou wilt bring the day that thou hast called, and they shall be
like unto me. |
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22 | Let all their wickedness come before thee; and do
unto them, as thou hast done unto me for all my transgressions: for my sighs
are many, and my heart is faint. |
