1 She sits alone. She was a town full of people! Once great among the nations she has become like a widow! She who was a princess among the countries has come under the yoke of forced labor!
2 She weeps bitterly in the night. Her cheeks are wet from crying. Her lovers offer no comfort. Her friends have been false to her. They have become her enemies.
3 Judah has been taken away as a prisoner because of trouble and hard work. She dwells among the nations. There is no rest for her. Her attackers have overtaken her in the midst of her distress.
4 The roads to Zion are sad. No one comes to the holy meeting. All her doorways are desolate. Her priests are sighing out of sorrow. Her virgins are troubled, and it is bitter for her.
5 Her enemies are at ease and her foes have become her masters. Jehovah sends her sorrow because of the great number of her sins. Young children have gone away as prisoners before the attacker.
6 Glory has gone from the daughter of Zion! Her rulers are like stags with no place to eat. They flee without strength from their attacker.
7 Jerusalem remembers in her days of sorrow and of her wanderings, all the desired things that were hers in the past. When her people were captive to the power of her adversary she had no helper. Her attackers desired her and made fun of her in her destruction.
8 Great is the sin of Jerusalem! For this cause she has become an unclean thing. Those who gave her honor are looking down on her. They see her shame. Now truly, sighing out grief, she turns back.
9 In her skirts were her unclean ways. She did not think of the future. Her fall has been a wonder. She has no comforter: »See her sorrow, O Jehovah, for the enemy is lifted up.«
10 The hand of her enemies is stretched out over all her desired things. She sees the nations come into her holy place. Whom you gave orders that they were not to come into the meeting of your people.
11 Her people are sighing and looking for bread. They have given their desired things for something to eat to give them life. »See, O Jehovah, and take note. She has become a thing of shame.«
12 »Come to me all you who go by, keep your eyes on me! See if there is any pain like the pain of my wound. For Jehovah has sent it to me in the day of his burning anger.
13 »He sends fire into my bones from on high. It overcomes them. His net is stretched out for my feet. He turns me back. He made me waste and feeble all the day.
14 »He keeps watch on my sins. They are joined together by his hand, they have come on to my neck; he makes my strength give way. Jehovah gives me into the hands of those against whom I have no power.
15 »Jehovah makes fun of my men of war. He gathers men against me to send destruction on my young men. The virgin daughter of Judah has been crushed like grapes under the feet of Jehovah.
16 »For these things I weep. My eye streams with water because the comforter who might give me new life is far from me. My children are desolate because the enemy is strong.«
17 Zions hands are outstretched. She has no comforter. Jehovah gave orders to the attackers of Jacob round about him: Jerusalem is an unclean abhorrent thing among them.
18 »Jehovah is upright. I have rebelled against him. Listen all you people and see my pain. My virgins and my young men are taken away as prisoners.
19 »I sent for my lovers, but they were false to me. My priests and my responsible men are dying. They look for food to give them new life.
20 »See, O Jehovah, I am in trouble. The inmost parts of my body are deeply moved. My heart is turned in me for I have been rebellious. Outside the children are put to the sword, and in the house there is death.
21 Listen to the voice of my grief. I have no comforter. All my enemies have news of my troubles. They are glad because you did it. Let the day come when they will be like me.
22 »Let all their badness come before you. Do to them as you have done to me for all my sins: for loud is the sound of my grief, and the strength of my heart is gone.«