King James VersionLamentations1

Lamentations

1 How doth the city sit soli­tary, that was full of peo­ple! how is she be­come as a wid­ow! she that was great among the na­tions, and princess among the provinces, how is she be­come trib­u­tary! 2 She weep­eth sore in the night, and her tears are on her cheeks: among all her lovers she hath none to com­fort her: all her friends have dealt treach­er­ous­ly with her, they are be­come her en­e­mies. 3 Ju­dah is gone into cap­tiv­i­ty be­cause of af­flic­tion, and be­cause of great servi­tude: she dwelleth among the hea­then, she find­eth no rest: all her per­se­cu­tors over­took her be­tween the straits. 4 The ways of Zion do mourn, be­cause none come to the solemn feasts: all her gates are des­o­late: her priests sigh, her vir­gins are af­flict­ed, and she is in bit­ter­ness. 5 Her ad­ver­saries are the chief, her en­e­mies pros­per; for the LORD hath af­flict­ed her for the mul­ti­tude of her trans­gres­sions: her chil­dren are gone into cap­tiv­i­ty be­fore the en­e­my. 6 And from the daugh­ter of Zion all her beau­ty is de­part­ed: her princes are be­come like harts that find no pas­ture, and they are gone with­out strength be­fore the pur­suer. 7 Jerusalem re­mem­bered in the days of her af­flic­tion and of her mis­eries all her pleas­ant things that she had in the days of old, when her peo­ple fell into the hand of the en­e­my, and none did help her: the ad­ver­saries saw her, and did mock at her sab­baths. 8 Jerusalem hath grievous­ly sinned; there­fore she is re­moved: all that hon­oured her de­spise her, be­cause they have seen her naked­ness: yea, she sigheth, and tur­neth back­ward. 9 Her filth­i­ness is in her skirts; she re­mem­bereth not her last end; there­fore she came down won­der­ful­ly: she had no com­forter. O LORD, be­hold my af­flic­tion: for the en­e­my hath mag­ni­fied himself. 10 The ad­ver­sary hath spread out his hand upon all her pleas­ant things: for she hath seen that the hea­then en­tered into her sanc­tu­ary, whom thou didst com­mand that they should not en­ter into thy con­gre­ga­tion. 11 All her peo­ple sigh, they seek bread; they have giv­en their pleas­ant things for meat to re­lieve the soul: see, O LORD, and con­sid­er; for I am be­come vile. 12 Is it noth­ing to you, all ye that pass by? be­hold, and see if there be any sor­row like unto my sor­row, which is done unto me, where­with the LORD hath af­flict­ed me in the day of his fierce anger. 13 From above 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: he hath made me des­o­late and faint all the day. 14 The yoke of my trans­gres­sions is bound by his hand: they are wreathed, and come up upon my neck: he hath made my strength to fall, the Lord hath de­liv­ered me into their hands, from whom I am not able to rise up. 15 The Lord hath trod­den un­der foot all my mighty men in the midst of me: he hath called an as­sem­bly against me to crush my young men: the Lord hath trod­den the vir­gin, the daugh­ter of Ju­dah, as in a wine­press. 16 For these things I weep; mine eye, mine eye run­neth down with wa­ter, be­cause the com­forter that should re­lieve my soul is far from me: my chil­dren are des­o­late, be­cause the en­e­my pre­vailed. 17 Zion spread­eth forth her hands, and there is none to com­fort her: the LORD hath com­mand­ed con­cern­ing Ja­cob, that his ad­ver­saries should be round about him: Jerusalem is as a men­stru­ous wom­an among them. 18 The LORD is righ­teous; for I have re­belled against his com­mand­ment: hear, I pray you, all peo­ple, and be­hold my sor­row: my vir­gins and my young men are gone into cap­tiv­i­ty. 19 I called for my lovers, but they de­ceived me: my priests and mine el­ders gave up the ghost in the city, while they sought their meat to re­lieve their souls. 20 Be­hold, O LORD; for I am in dis­tress: my bow­els are trou­bled; mine heart is turned with­in me; for I have grievous­ly re­belled: abroad the sword be­reaveth, at home there is as death. 21 They 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: thou wilt bring the day that thou hast called, and they shall be like unto me. 22 Let all their wicked­ness come be­fore thee; and do unto them, as thou hast done unto me for all my trans­gres­sions: for my sighs are many, and my heart is faint.