1 How alone she sits, The city once great with people! Like a widow she has become, One great among the nations! A princess among provinces has become a slave!
2 She weeps bitterly at night, And her tears are upon her cheeks. Among all her lovers there is no comforter for her. All her friends have betrayed her, They have become her enemies.
3 Yehuḏah has gone into exile, Because of affliction and because of harsh labour. She has dwelt among gentiles, She has found no rest. All her pursuers have overtaken her Between narrow places.
4 The ways to Tsiyon mourn For no one comes to the appointed times. All her gates are deserted, Her priests sigh, her maidens are afflicted, And she has bitterness.
5 Her adversaries have become chief, Her enemies have become at ease. For יהוה has afflicted her Because of her many transgressions. Her children have gone into captivity before the enemy.
6 And all the splendour has departed From the daughter of Tsiyon. Her rulers have become like buck, They have found no pasture, And they go powerless before the pursuer.
7 In the days of her affliction and wandering, Yerushalayim remembered all her precious matters She had in the days of old. When her people fell into the hand of the enemy, With no one to help her, The adversaries saw her, They mocked at her Sabbaths.
8 Yerushalayim has sinned greatly, Therefore she has become defiled. All who esteemed her despised her Because they have seen her nakedness. She herself has sighed and turned away.
9 Her uncleanness is in her skirts. She did not keep in mind her latter end, And has gone down appallingly, There was no one to comfort her. “See, O יהוה, my affliction, For the enemy has made himself great!”
10 The adversary has spread his hand Over all her precious matters; Indeed, she has seen: The gentiles have entered her set-apart place, Those whom You commanded not to enter Your assembly.
11 All her people are sighing, seeking bread. They have given their precious matters For food, to bring back life. “See, O יהוה, and look, For I have become despised.”
12 “Is it naught to you, All you who pass by? Look and see if there is any pain like my pain, Which has been brought on me, Which יהוה has inflicted on me In the day of His burning displeasure.
13 “From above He has sent fire into my bones, And it overpowered them; He has spread a net for my feet and turned me back; He has laid me waste and faint all the day.
14 “The yoke of my transgressions Has been bound by His hand, Woven together and thrust upon my neck. He has made my strength stumble, יהוה has given me into hands Which I am unable to withstand.
15 “יהוה has trodden down all my strong men in my midst, He has called an appointed time Against me to crush my young men. יהוה has trodden down as in a winepress The maiden daughter of Yehuḏah.
16 “This is why I weep. My eye, my eye is running down with water, Because the comforter, Who could bring back my life, Has been far from me. My children are stunned, For the enemy has prevailed.”
17 Tsiyon spreads out her hands, There is no comforter for her. יהוה has commanded concerning Ya‛aqoḇ, His neighbours are his adversaries. Yerushalayim has become an uncleanness among them.
18 יהוה is righteous, for I rebelled against His mouth. Hear now, all peoples, and see my pain. My maidens and my young men have gone into captivity.
19 I called for my lovers, but they deceived me. My priests and my elders breathed their last in the city, While they sought food to bring back their life.
20 “See, O יהוה, that I am in distress. My inward parts are boiling up, My heart is overturned within me, For I have been very rebellious. From without the sword has bereaved, At home it is like death.
21 “They have heard that I sighed, With no one to comfort me. All my enemies have heard of my calamity, They have rejoiced that You have done it. You shall bring on the day that You have announced, So let them become like me.
22 “Let all their evil 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.”