The Holy Bible

Lament over Jerusalem

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.

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:

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.