|
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! |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
