1How lonely the city sits, that once was full of people! She has become like a widow. She who was great among the nations, a princess among the provinces, now must pay tribute.
2She weeps bitterly in the night, and her tears are on her cheeks. Among all her lovers she has no one to comfort her. All her friends have betrayed her; they have become her enemies.
3Judah has gone away as a captive, because of suffering and hard slavery. She lives among the nations, and finds no rest. All who chased her caught her in the narrow places.
4The roads to Zion mourn, because no one comes to the appointed feasts. All her gates lie empty. Her priests groan, her young women are in grief, and she herself is full of bitterness.
5Her enemies have become her masters; those who hate her do well. For the LORD has brought grief on her because of her many sins. Her children have gone away as captives before the enemy.
6All her beauty has left the daughter of Zion. Her princes have become like deer that find no pasture; they flee with no strength left before the one who chases them.
7In the days of her suffering and her misery, Jerusalem remembered all the precious things she had in the days of old. She remembered them when her people fell into the hand of the enemy, and no one helped her. Her enemies looked at her, and mocked her sabbaths.
8Jerusalem has sinned terribly; so she has become unclean. All who honoured her now despise her, because they have seen her nakedness. She herself groans, and turns her face away.
9Her filth clung to her skirts; she did not think about what would come at the end. So her fall was terrible, and she had no one to comfort her. LORD, look at my suffering, for the enemy has made himself great.
10The enemy has reached out his hand and taken all her precious things. She has seen the nations go into her sanctuary, the very people you commanded should not enter your assembly.
11All her people groan as they look for bread. They have given away their precious things for food to keep themselves alive. Look, LORD, and see, for I have become worthless.
12Is it nothing to you, all you who pass by? Look, and see if there is any sorrow like my sorrow, which has been done to me, the sorrow the LORD laid on me in the day of his fierce anger.
13From above he sent fire into my bones, and it overpowers them. He spread a net for my feet and turned me back. He has left me ruined and faint all day long.
14The yoke of my sins is bound by his hand; they are woven together and come up on my neck. He has made my strength fail. The Lord has handed me over to people I cannot stand up against.
15The Lord has trampled down all my strong men inside my walls. He has called an army against me to crush my young men. The Lord has trodden the virgin daughter of Judah as grapes in a winepress.
16Because of these things I weep. My eyes, my eyes run down with water, because the comforter who should keep me alive is far from me. My children are ruined, because the enemy has won.
17Zion stretches out her hands, and there is no one to comfort her. The LORD has commanded that Jacob's enemies should surround him. Jerusalem has become something unclean among them.
18The LORD is righteous, for I rebelled against his command. Listen, please, all you peoples, and look at my sorrow. My young women and my young men have gone away as captives.
19I called to my lovers, but they betrayed me. My priests and my elders died in the city, while they were looking for food to keep themselves alive.
20Look, LORD, for I am in distress. I am churning inside; my heart is turned over within me, for I have rebelled bitterly. Outside, the sword takes away my children; inside the house, there is death.
21People have heard me groaning, and there is no one to comfort me. All my enemies have heard of my trouble; they are glad that you have done it. You will bring the day you have announced, and then they will be like me.
22Let all their wickedness come before you, and do to them as you have done to me for all my sins. For my groans are many, and my heart is faint.