1How doth the city sit solitary, that was full of people!
2She weepeth sore in the night, and her tears are on her cheeks; Among all her lovers she hath none to comfort her:
3Judah is gone into captivity because of affliction, and because of great servitude; She dwelleth among the nations, she findeth no rest:
4The ways of Zion do mourn, because none come to the solemn assembly; All her gates are desolate, her priests do sigh:
5Her adversaries are become the head, her enemies prosper; For Yahweh hath afflicted her for the multitude of her transgressions:
6And from the daughter of Zion all her majesty is departed:
7Jerusalem remembereth in the days of her affliction and of her miseries all her pleasant things that were from the days of old:
8Jerusalem hath grievously sinned; therefore she is become as an unclean thing; All that honored her despise her, because they have seen her nakedness:
9Her filthiness was in her skirts; she remembered not her latter end; Therefore is she come down wonderfully; she hath no comforter:
10The adversary hath spread out his hand upon all her pleasant things:
11All her people sigh, they seek bread; They have given their pleasant things for food to refresh the soul:
12Is it nothing to you, all ye that pass by?
13From on high 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:
14The yoke of my transgressions is bound by his hand; They are knit together, they are come up upon my neck; he hath made my strength to fail:
15The Lord hath set at nought all my mighty men in the midst of me; He hath called a solemn assembly against me to crush my young men:
16For these things I weep; mine eye, mine eye runneth down with water; Because the comforter that should refresh my soul is far from me:
17Zion spreadeth forth her hands; there is none to comfort her; Yahweh hath commanded concerning Jacob, that they that are round about him should be his adversaries:
18Yahweh is righteous; for I have rebelled against his commandment:
19I called for my lovers, [but] they deceived me:
20Behold, O Yahweh; for I am in distress; my heart is troubled; My heart is turned within me; for I have grievously rebelled:
21They 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:
22Let all their wickedness come before thee; And do unto them, as thou hast done unto me for all my transgressions: