¹ How alone sits the city that was full of people! She has become like a widow, once great among the nations, a noblewoman among the nations, but now has become a tribute-payer.

² She bitterly weeps in the night, and her tears are on her cheeks; among all her lovers, she has none to comfort her. All her friends have dealt deceitfully with her; they became her enemies.

³ Judah went into captivity because of affliction, and from great slavery. She dwells among the nations; she finds no rest; all her pursuers have overtaken her between the narrows.

⁴ The roads of Zion mourn without any going to the appointed feasts. All her gates are deserted; her priests sigh; her virgins are afflicted, and she is in bitterness.

⁵ Her enemies have become as chief; her haters are at ease; for the LORD has afflicted her for the multitude of her sins. Her children have gone, captive before the enemy.

⁶ And from the daughter of Zion all her beauty has departed. Her rulers have become like bucks: they find no pasture, and they have gone without strength before the pursuer.

⁷ In the days of her affliction and her wandering Jerusalem remembered all her desirable things from previous days; when her people fell into the hand of the foe; and there is no ally for her. The foes saw her; they laughed at her annihilation.

⁸ Jerusalem has grievously sinned, therefore she has been removed. All knowing her despise her because they saw her nakedness; yea, she sighs and turns backward.

⁹ Her uncleanness is in her skirts; she did not remember her end, and has gone down astoundingly. There is no comforter for her. O LORD, behold my affliction, for the enemy has magnified himself.

¹⁰ The enemy has spread out his hand upon all her desirable things; for she has seen the nations enter her holy place, whom You commanded that they should not enter into Your congregation.

¹¹ All her people sigh; they seek bread. They have given their desirable things for food to relieve the soul. See, O LORD, and look on me, for I have become vile.

¹² Is it nothing to you, all you who pass by? Behold and see if there is any sorrow like my sorrow which is done to me, with which the LORD has afflicted me in the day of His fierce anger.

¹³ From above He has sent fire into my bones and it has laid them low. He has spread a net for my feet; He has turned me back; He has made me amazed and faint all the day.

¹⁴ The yoke of my transgressions is bound by His hand; they intertwine; they rise on my neck. He has made my strength to falter; the LORD has delivered me into their hands. I am not able to rise up.

¹⁵ The LORD has trampled all my mighty ones in my midst; He has called a gathering against me to crush my young men. The LORD has trod the virgin daughter of Judah, as in a winepress.

¹⁶ For these I weep; my eye, my eye runs down with water, because the comforter who could refresh my soul is far from me. My sons are desolated because the enemy prevails.

¹⁷ Zion spreads forth her hands; none is comforting to me; the LORD has commanded concerning Jacob that his enemies should be all around him; Jerusalem has become as an impure thing among them.

¹⁸ The LORD is righteous, for I have rebelled against His command. I beseech you, all peoples, hear and behold my sorrow. My virgins and my young men went into exile.

¹⁹ I called for my lovers, but they deceived me; my priests and my elders expired in the city while they sought food for them to bring back their life.

²⁰ Behold, O LORD, for I am in trouble; my inward parts ferment; my heart is turned within me, for I have grievously rebelled. On the outside the sword bereaves; in the house it is as death.

²¹ They hear that I sigh; there is none to comfort me. All my enemies have heard my evil; they are glad that You have done it. You will bring the day that You have called, and they shall be like me.

²² Let all their wickedness come before You; and do to them as You have done to me for all my transgressions. For my sighs are many, and my heart is faint.