How Lonely Lies the City
1 How the city sits solitary,
that was full of people!
She has become as a widow,
who was great among the nations!
She who was a princess among the provinces
has become a slave!
2 She weeps bitterly in the night.
Her tears are on her cheeks.
Among all her lovers
she has no one to comfort her.
All her friends have dealt treacherously with her.
They have become her enemies.
3 Judah has gone into captivity because of affliction,
and because of harsh slavery.
She lives among the nations,
but finds no resting place.
All her persecutors overtook her
in the midst of her distress.
4 The roads to Zion mourn,
because no one comes to the appointed feasts.
All her gates are desolate.
Her priests groan.
Her young women are grieved,
and she is bitter.
5 Her adversaries have become the head.
Her enemies prosper,
for the LORD has afflicted her
for the multitude of her transgressions.
Her young children have gone into captivity
before the adversary.
6 All majesty has departed
from the daughter of Zion.
Her princes have become like deer
that find no pasture.
They have gone without strength
before the pursuer.
7 In the days of her affliction and miseries
Jerusalem remembers all her precious things
from the days of old,
when her people fell into the hand of the adversary,
and no one helped her.
The adversaries saw her.
They mocked her desolation.
8 Jerusalem has grievously sinned.
Therefore she has become unclean.
All who honored her despise her,
because they have seen her nakedness.
Yes, she groans and turns away.
9 Her filthiness was in her skirts.
She gave no thought to her future.
Therefore she has come down astoundingly.
She has no comforter.
Look, O LORD on my affliction,
for the enemy has triumphed!
10 The adversary has spread his hands
over all her precious things,
for she has seen the nations
entering into her sanctuary,
concerning those whom you had forbidden
from entering into your assembly.
11 All her people groan.
They seek bread.
They have given their precious things
for food to stay alive.
Look, O LORD and see,
for I have become despised.
12 Is it nothing to you, all you who pass by?
Look and see if there is any sorrow like my sorrow,
which has been brought on me,
with which LORD has afflicted me
in the day of his fierce anger.
13 From on high has he sent fire into my bones,
and it prevails against them.
He has spread a net for my feet.
He has turned me back.
He has made me desolate,
and I faint all day long.
14 The yoke of my transgressions
is bound by his hand.
They are knit together.
They have come up on my neck.
He made my strength fail.
The LORD has delivered me into their hands,
against whom I am not able to stand.
15 The LORD has trampled underfoot
all my mighty men in the midst of me.
He has called a solemn assembly against me
to crush my young men.
The LORD has trodden the virgin daughter of Judah
as in a wine press.
16 For these things I weep.
Tears flow from my eyes
because the comforter,
who should refresh my soul,
is far from me.
My children are desolate
because the enemy has prevailed.
17 Zion spreads out her hands.
There is no one to comfort her.
The LORD has commanded concerning Jacob,
that those who are around him should be his adversaries.
Jerusalem is among them as an unclean thing.
18 The LORD is righteous,
for I have rebelled against his commandment.
Please hear all you peoples,
and see my sorrow.
My young women and my young men
have gone into captivity.
19 I called for my lovers,
but they betrayed me.
My priests and my elders
perished in the city,
while they sought food
to keep themselves alive.
20 Look, LORD, for I am in distress.
My heart is troubled.
My heart turns over within me,
for I have grievously rebelled.
Abroad, the sword bereaves.
At home, it is like death.
21 They have heard that I groan.
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 that you have proclaimed,
and they will be like me.
22 Let all their wickedness come before you.
Do to them as you have done to me
for all my transgressions.
For my groans are many,
and my heart is faint.