¹ Aleph. Hou hath the Lord hilid the douyter of Sion with derknesse in his strong veniaunce? he hath caste doun fro heuene in to erthe the noble citee of Israel; and bithouyte not on the stool of hise feet, in the dai of his strong veniaunce.

² Beth. The Lord castide doun, and sparide not alle the faire thingis of Jacob; he distried in his strong veniaunce the strengthis of the virgyn of Juda, and castide doun in to erthe; he defoulide the rewme, and the princes therof.

³ Gymel. He brak in the ire of his strong veniaunce al the horn of Israel; he turnede a bak his riyt hond fro the face of the enemy; and he kyndlide in Jacob, as fier of flawme deuowrynge in cumpas.

⁴ Deleth. He as an enemye bente his bouwe, he as an aduersarie made stidfast his riyt hond; and he killide al thing that was fair in siyt in the tabernacle of the douytir of Sion; he schedde out his indignacioun as fier.

⁵ He. The Lord is maad as an enemy; he castide doun Israel, he castide doun alle the wallis therof; he destriede the strengthis therof, and fillide in the douyter of Juda a man maad low, and a womman maad low.

⁶ Vau. And he scateride his tent as a gardyn, he distried his tabernacle; the Lord yaf to foryetyng in Sion a feeste dai, and sabat; and the kyng and prest in to schenschipe, and in to the indignacioun of his strong veniaunce.

⁷ Zai. The Lord puttide awei his auter, he curside his halewyng; he bitook in to the hondis of enemy the wallis of the touris therof; thei yauen vois in the hous of the Lord, as in a solempne dai.

⁸ Heth. The Lord thouyte to distrie the wal of the douyter of Sion; he stretchide forth his coorde, and turnede not awei his hond fro perdicioun; the forwal, ether the outerward, mourenyde, and the wal was distried togidere.

⁹ Teth. The yatis therof ben piyt in the erthe, he loste and al to-brak the barris therof; the kyng therof and the princes therof among hethene men; the lawe is not, and the profetis therof founden not of the Lord a visioun.

¹⁰ Joth. Thei saten in erthe, the elde men of the douytir of Sion weren stille; thei bispreynten her heedis with aische, the eldere men of Juda ben girt with hairis; the virgyns of Juda castiden doun to erthe her heedis.

¹¹ Caph. Myn iyen failiden for teeris, myn entrails weren disturblid; my mawe was sched out in erthe on the sorewe of the douyter of my puple; whanne a litil child and soukynge failide in the stretis of the citee.

¹² Lameth. Thei seiden to her modris, Where is wheete, and wyn? whanne thei failiden as woundid men in the stretis of the citee; whanne thei senten out her soulis in the bosum of her modris.

¹³ Men. To whom schal Y comparisoun thee? ether to whom schal Y licne thee, thou douyter of Jerusalem? to whom schal Y make thee euene, and schal Y coumforte thee, thou virgyn, the douyter of Sion? for whi thi sorewe is greet as the see; who schal do medicyn to thee?

¹⁴ Nun. Thi profetis sien to thee false thingis, and fonned; and openyden not thi wickidnesse, that thei schulden stire thee to penaunce; but thei sien to thee false takyngis, and castyngis out.

¹⁵ Sameth. Alle men passynge on the weie flappiden with hondis on thee; thei hissiden, and mouyden her heed on the douyter of Jerusalem; and seiden, This is the citee of perfit fairnesse, the ioie of al erthe.

¹⁶ Ayn. Alle thin enemyes openyden her mouth on thee; thei hissiden, and gnaistiden with her teeth, and seiden, We schulen deuoure; lo! this is the dai which we abididen, we founden, we sien.

¹⁷ Phe. The Lord dide tho thingis whiche he thouyte, he fillide hise word which he hadde comaundid fro elde daies; he distriede, and sparide not; and made glad the enemy on thee, and enhaunside the horn of thin enemyes.

¹⁸ Sade. The herte of hem criede to the Lord, on the wallis of the douyter of Syon; leede thou forth teeris as a stronde, bi dai and niyt; yyue thou not reste to thee, nether the appil of thin iye be stille.

¹⁹ Coph. Rise thou togidere, herie thou in the nyyt, in the begynnyng of wakyngis; schede out thin herte as watir, bifore the siyt of the Lord; reise thin hondis to hym for the soulis of thi litle children, that failiden for hungur in the heed of alle meetyngis of weies.

²⁰ Res. Se thou, Lord, and byholde, whom thou hast maad so bare; therfor whether wymmen schulen ete her fruyt, litle children at the mesure of an hond? for a prest and profete is slayn in the seyntuarie of the Lord.

²¹ Syn. A child and an elde man laien on the erthe withoutforth; my virgyns and my yonge men fellen doun bi swerd; thou hast slayn hem in the dai of thi strong veniaunce, thou smotist `and didist no merci.

²² Thau. Thou clepidist, as to a solempne dai, hem that maden me aferd of cumpas; and noon was that ascapide in the dai of the strong veniaunce of the Lord, and was left; myn enemy wastide hem, whiche Y fedde, and nurschide up.