Bitterly she cries in the night, as tears stream down her cheeks. No one consoles her of all her friends. All her neighbors have betrayed her; they have become her enemies.

The roads that lead to Zion are in mourning, because no one travels to the festivals. All her gates are desolate; her priests are moaning. Her young women are grieving, and she is bitter.

Uncleanness has soiled her skirts, and she gave no thought to what would follow. She fell in such a startling way, with no one to comfort her. Look, LORD, upon my affliction, because my enemy is boasting.

All her people groaned as they searched for food. They traded their valuables in order to eat, to keep themselves alive. Look, LORD, and see how I have become dishonored.

May it not befall you, all who pass along the road! Look and see: Is there any grief like my grief dealt out to me, by which the LORD afflicted me in the time of his fierce wrath?

He rejected all the valiant men the LORD, in my midst. He set a time to meet with me to crush my young warriors. The LORD has trampled, as in a winepress, the fair virgin that is Judah.

Because of all this, I weep; my eyes stream with tears because far from me is the comforter of my soul. My children are sorrowful, because the enemy has won.

Zion spreads out her hands; no one is there to comfort her. The LORD has issued an order against Jacob, that all who are around him are to be his enemies; Jerusalem has become unclean among them.

The LORD is in the right, but I rebelled against his commands. Listen, please, all you people, and look at my pain my young men and women have gone into captivity.

Look, LORD, how distressed I am; all my insides are churning. My heart is troubled within me, because I vigorously rebelled. Outside the sword brings loss of life, while at home death rules.

May all of their wickedness come to your attention, and deal with them as you have done with me because of all my transgressions. For I am constantly groaning, and my heart is faint.

In his fierce wrath he cut off all the strength of Israel. He withdrew his protection as the enemy approached. He burned Jacob like a blazing fire consumes everything around it.

He bent his bow against us as would an enemy, his right hand cocked as would an adversary. He has killed everyone in whom we took pride; in the tent of cherished Zion he poured out his anger like fire.

The Lord rejected his altar, disavowing his sanctuary. He gave up her palace walls to the control of the enemy. They shouted in the LORD's Temple, as though they were attending a day of celebration.

Jerusalem's gates collapsed to the ground; he destroyed and broke the bars of her gates. Both king and prince have gone into captivity. There is no instruction, and the prophets receive no vision from the LORD.

They ask their mothers, "Is there anything to eat or drink?" They faint in the streets of the city like wounded men. Their life ebbs away while they lie on their mother's bosom.

What can be said about you? To what should you be compared, fair Jerusalem? To what may I liken you, so I may comfort you, fair one of Zion? Indeed, your wound is as deep as the sea who can heal you?

Everyone who passes by on the road shake their fists at you. They hiss and shake their heads at cherished Jerusalem: "Is this the city men used to call "The Perfection of Beauty,' and "The Joy of the Entire Earth'"?

All of your enemies insult you with gaping mouths. They hiss and grind their teeth while saying, "We have devoured her completely. Yes, this is the day that we anticipated! We found it at last; we have seen it!"

The LORD did what he planned. He carried out his threat. Just as he commanded long ago, he has torn down without pity; He let the enemy boast about you and has exalted the power of your enemies.

You have invited those who terrorize me to come around, as if today were a festival. No one has escaped or survived the time of the LORD's anger. My enemy has finished off those whom I cuddled and raised.

He is like a bear that lies in wait for me, a lion in hiding.

You have removed peace from my life; I have forgotten what prosperity is.

So I say, "My strength is gone as is my hope in the LORD."

This is what comes to mind, and therefore I have hope:

They are new every morning great is your faithfulness!

"The LORD is all I have," says my soul, "Therefore I will trust in him."

The LORD is good to those who wait for him, to the person who searches for him.

It is good to hope and wait patiently for the LORD's salvation.

It is good when a young man carries the yoke of discipline in his youth.

He is to sit apart and remain silent, because the LORD has laid it upon him.

Indeed, the Lord will not always reject us

When a man is thwarted in his appeal, does the Lord condone it?

Let us examine our lifestyles, putting them to the test, and turn back to the LORD.

Let us lift up our hearts and our hands to God in heaven.

As for us, we have sinned and rebelled; but you have not pardoned us.

Clothing yourself with anger, you pursued us. You killed without pity,

You have reduced us to scum and garbage among the nations.

All our enemies jeer at us with gaping mouths.

Panic and pitfalls beset us, along with devastation and ruin.

people stagger around in the streets like the blind, defiled by blood unclean so that no one is able to touch their clothing.

Our steps were closely stalked, so we couldn't travel on our own streets. Our end is near, our days are over; indeed, our end has come.

Our pursuers were swifter than soaring eagles; they pursued us over the mountains, lying in wait for us in the wilderness.

Celebrate and rejoice, you women of Edom, who live in the land of Uz. But to you the cup also will pass you will become drunk and stripped naked.

The punishment for your sin is complete, you women of Zion, and God will no longer exile you. He will punish your iniquity, you women of Edom, and he will expose your sins.

LORD, remember what has happened to us. Pay attention, and look at our shame!

We pay to drink our own water, and our own wood is sold to us at high price.

Our pursuers breathe down our necks; we are weary, but there is no rest for us.

Slaves rule over us, and no one delivers us from their control.

Our skin blisters as from an oven, due to ravaging blasts of the famine.

The crown has fallen from our head woe to us, because we have sinned!

This is why our hearts faint, and why our eyes grow dim:

Because Mount Zion is desolate; foxes roam around it.

So why have you completely forgotten us, forsaking us for so long?

Restore us to yourself, LORD, so that we may return. Renew our days as before,

unless you have utterly rejected us and are angry with us without limit.