She weeps bitterly 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 treacherously with her; they have become her enemies.

The roads to Zion mourn, because no one comes to the solemn assembly; all her gates are desolate, her priests groan: her virgins are afflicted, and she herself is in bitterness.

Jerusalem remembers in the days of her affliction and wandering all her precious things that were 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 at her desolations.

The adversary has spread out his hand on all her precious things: for she has seen that the nations have entered into her sanctuary, concerning whom you commanded that they should not enter into your assembly.

My transgressions are bound into a yoke; by his hand they are fastened together, they are set upon my neck; he has made my strength to fail. The Lord has delivered me into their hands, against whom I am not able to stand.

For these things I weep; my eyes, my eyes flow with tears; because the comforter who should refresh my soul is far from me. My children are desolate, because the enemy has prevailed.

Zion spreads forth her hands; there is none 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.

They have heard that I groan; there is none to comfort me. All my enemies have heard of my trouble; they are glad that you have done it. Bring the day that you have proclaimed, so that they shall end up like me.

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.

He has bent his bow like an enemy; his right hand he has positioned like an adversary. He killed all that were pleasant to the eye. In the tent of the daughter of Zion he has poured out his wrath like fire.

He has done violence to his temple, as if it were a garden; he has destroyed his place of assembly. The LORD has caused solemn assembly and Sabbath to be forgotten in Zion. He has spurned in his fierce anger the king and the priest.

Her gates are sunk into the ground; he has destroyed and broken her bars. Her king and her princes are among the nations where the law is no more, and her prophets find no vision from the LORD.

My eyes are worn out from weeping, my stomach is churning. My heart is poured on the earth, because of the destruction of the daughter of my people, because the young children and the infants faint in the streets of the city.

They tell their mothers, "Where is grain and wine?" When they faint as the wounded in the streets of the city, as their lives fade away in their mothers' bosom.

What shall I testify of you? What shall I liken to you, daughter of Jerusalem? What shall I compare to you, that I may comfort you, virgin daughter of Zion? For your ruin is great like the sea. Who can heal you?

Your prophets have seen for you false and deceptive visions. They have not uncovered your iniquity, to bring back your captivity, but have seen for you false and misleading oracles.

All your enemies have opened wide their mouth against you. They hiss and gnash the teeth; they say, "We have swallowed her up. Certainly this is the day that we looked for; we have found, we have seen it."

The LORD has done that which he purposed, he has fulfilled his word that he commanded in the days of old. He has thrown down, and has not pitied. He has caused the enemy to gloat over you and exalted the horn of your adversaries.

Their heart cried to the Lord. O wall of the daughter of Zion, let tears run down like a river day and night. Give yourself no respite; do not let your tears cease.

Arise, cry out in the night, at the beginning of the watches. Pour out your heart like water before the face of the Lord. Lift up your hands toward him for the life of your young children, that faint for hunger at the head of every street.

Look, LORD, and see to whom you have done like this. Shall the women eat their fruit, the children that are dandled in the hands? Shall the priest and the prophet be killed in the sanctuary of the Lord?

The youth and the old man lie on the ground in the streets; my virgins and my young men have fallen by the sword. You have killed them in the day of your anger; you have slaughtered, without pity.

You have called, as in the day of a solemn assembly, my terrors on every side. There was none that escaped or remained in the day of the LORD's anger. Those that I have borne and brought up has my enemy destroyed.

He has bent his bow, and set me as a mark for the arrow.

They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.

For he is not predisposed to bring affliction or suffering to the children of men.

Let us examine and search our ways, and return to the LORD.

Let us lift up our heart with our hands to God in the heavens.

All our enemies have opened their mouth wide against us.

They have chased me relentlessly like a bird, those who are my enemies without cause.

I called on your name, LORD, out of the depths of the pit.

You heard my voice; do not hide your ear at my sighs, to my cry.

You will give them hardness of heart as your curse to them.

How the gold has become dim. How the most pure gold has changed. The stones of the sanctuary are poured out at the head of every street.

The precious sons of Zion, comparable to fine gold, How they are regarded as clay jars, the work of the hands of the potter.

Those who ate delicacies are destitute in the streets. Those who were brought up in purple embrace ash heaps.

For the iniquity of the daughter of my people is greater than the sin of Sodom, which was overthrown in an instant, and no hands were laid on her.

Her consecrated ones were purer than snow, whiter than milk; their bodies more ruddy than rubies, their appearance was like lapis lazuli.

They appear darker than soot; they are not known in the streets. Their skin cleaves to their bones; it is withered and has become as dry as a stick.

Those who are killed with the sword are better than those who are killed with hunger; those who waste away, pierced through, for lack of the fruits of the field.

The hands of the compassionate women have cooked their own children; they were their food in the destruction of the daughter of my people.

The kings of the earth did not believe, neither all the inhabitants of the world, that the adversary or the enemy would enter into the gates of Jerusalem.

They wander as blind men in the streets, they are polluted with blood, so that men can't touch their garments.

Our eyes still fail, looking in vain for our help. In our watching we have watched for a nation that could not save.

They hunt our steps, so that we can't go in our streets. Our end is near, our days are fulfilled; for our end has come.

Our pursuers were swifter than the eagles of the sky. They chased us on the mountains, they lay in wait for us in the wilderness.

The breath of our nostrils, the anointed of the LORD, was taken in their pits; of whom we said, "Under his shadow we can live among the nations."

The punishment of your iniquity is accomplished, daughter of Zion; he will no more carry you away into captivity. He will visit your iniquity, daughter of Edom; he will uncover your sins.

Remember, LORD, what has come on us. Look, and see our disgrace.

Our inheritance is turned over to strangers, our houses to foreigners.

We are orphans and fatherless. Our mothers are like widows.

We have to pay for a drink of water; our wood is sold to us.

Our pursuers are on our necks; we are weary, and have no rest.

Our fathers sinned, and are no more; we have borne their iniquities.

We get our bread at the peril of our lives, because of the sword in the wilderness.

Our skin is hot like an oven, because of the burning heat of famine.

Princes were hung by their hands; elders were shown no respect.

The joy of our heart has ceased; our dancing is turned into mourning.

The crown is fallen from our head; woe to us, for we have sinned.

For this our heart is faint; for these things our eyes grow dim.

You, LORD, abide forever; your throne is from generation to generation.

Restore us to you, LORD, and we shall be restored; renew our days as in former times,

unless you have completely rejected us and are angry with us beyond measure.