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.

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

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.

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.

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 Jehovah has afflicted me in the day of His fierce anger.

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.

Behold, O Jehovah, 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.

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.

He has bent His bow like an enemy; He stood with His right hand like an adversary, and killed all who were desirable to the eye in the tabernacle of the daughter of Zion. He poured out His fury like fire.

Jehovah purposed to destroy the wall of the daughter of Zion; He has stretched out a line; He has not withdrawn His hand from swallowing, and He made rampart and wall lament; they languish together.

They say to their mothers, Where are grain and wine? In their fainting they are like the wounded in the streets of the city, in their pouring out their lives to their mothers' bosom.

What can I testify for you? What thing shall I compare to you, O daughter of Jerusalem? What shall I equal to you, so that I may comfort you, O virgin daughter of Zion? For your break is great like the sea! Who can heal you?

All who pass by clap their hands at you; they hiss and wag their head at the daughter of Jerusalem, saying, Is this the city which they called the perfection of beauty, the joy of the whole earth?

Jehovah has done what He has purposed; He has fulfilled His Word which He commanded from the days of old. He has thrown down and not pitied. And He caused your hater to rejoice over you; He has set up the horn of your foes.

Arise, cry out in the night. At the beginning of the watches, pour out your heart like water before the face of Jehovah. Lift up your hands toward Him for the life of your children who are faint for hunger in the head of every street.

Behold, O Jehovah, and consider to whom You have done this. Shall the women eat their fruit, children of tender care? Shall the priest and the prophet be killed in the holy place of the Lord?

He has set a fence around me and I cannot go out; He has made my bronze chain heavy.

Also when I cry and shout, He shuts out my prayer.

He was a bear lying in wait for me, a lion in secret places.

It is by Jehovah's kindnesses that we are not destroyed, because His mercies never fail.

Jehovah is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him.

It is good that one should hope for the salvation of Jehovah, even in silence.

It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth.

He sits alone and keeps silence because He laid it on him.

for though He causes grief, yet He will have pity according to the multitude of His kindnesses.

Who is this who speaks, and it occurs, when the Lord does not command it?

From the mouth of the Most High does not go out the evil and the good.

What? Should mankind complain, a living man, because of his sins?

My eye flows out and does not cease, from there being no intermission,

They have cut off my life in the pit, and cast a stone at me.

I called on Your name, O Jehovah, out of the lowest pit.

You have heard my voice; do not hide Your ear at my relief, at my cry for help.

How the gold has become dim; the fine gold has changed! The stones of the sanctuary are poured out at the head of every street.

Even the jackals draw out the breast; they suckle their young ones. The daughter of my people is cruel, like the ostriches in the wilderness.

Those who ate delicacies are desolate in the streets; those reared in scarlet embrace dunghills.

Their appearance is blacker than soot; they are not recognized in the streets; their skin has shriveled on their bones; it is dried up; it has become like wood.

Jehovah has fulfilled His fury; He has poured out His fierce anger, and has kindled a fire in Zion, and it has devoured its foundations.

The face of Jehovah has shared them out; He will no longer look on them; they did not respect the persons of the priests; they did not favor the elders.

While we are, our eyes fail, for our help is vain; in our watching we have watched for a nation; it does not save.

Our pursuers were swifter than the eagles of the heavens; they pursued us on the mountains, they lay in wait for us in the wilderness.

Remember, O Jehovah, what has been to us; look down and see our shame.

We have drunk our water for silver; our wood comes for a price.

Servants rule over us; there is no rescuer out of their hand.

They took the young men to grind, and the youths stumbled at the wood.

On the mountain of Zion is laid waste, the foxes walk on it.