LORD has cast off his altar. He has abhorred his sanctuary. He has given up the walls of her palaces into the hand of the enemy. They have made a noise in the house of LORD, as in the day of a solemn assembly.

The elders of the daughter of Zion sit upon the ground. They keep silence. They have cast up dust upon their heads. They have girded themselves with sackcloth. The virgins of Jerusalem hang down their heads to the ground.

Thy prophets have seen FALSE and foolish visions for thee. And they have not uncovered thine iniquity, to bring back thy captivity, but have seen for thee FALSE oracles and causes of banishment.

All thine enemies have opened their mouth wide against thee. 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.

See, O LORD, and behold to whom thou have done thus! Shall the women eat their fruit, the sons who are dandled in the hands? Shall the priest and the prophet be slain in the sanctuary of LORD?

The youth and the old man lay on the ground in the streets. My virgins and my young men have fallen by the sword. Thou have slain them in the day of thine anger. Thou have slaughtered, [and] not pitied.

Thou have called, as in the day of a solemn assembly, my terrors on every side. And there was none who escaped or remained in the day of LORD's anger. My enemy has consumed those whom I have dandled and brought up.

He has made me to dwell in dark places, as those who have long been dead.

I have become a derision to all my people, and their song all the day.

And thou have removed my soul far off from peace. I forgot prosperity.

This I recall to my mind, therefore I have hope:

For though he causes grief, yet he will have compassion according to the multitude of his loving kindnesses.

We have transgressed and have rebelled. Thou have not pardoned.

Thou have covered with anger and pursued us. Thou have slain; thou have not pitied.

Thou have covered thyself with a cloud, so that no prayer can pass through.

Thou have made us an off-scouring and refuse in the midst of the peoples.

All our enemies have opened their mouth wide against us.

Fear and the pit have come upon us, devastation and destruction.

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

They have cut off my life in the dungeon, and have cast a stone upon me.

O LORD, thou have pleaded the causes of my soul. Thou have redeemed my life.

O LORD, thou have seen my wrong. Judge thou my cause.

Thou have seen all their vengeance and all their devices against me.

Thou have heard their reproach, O LORD, and all their devices against me,

The hands of the pitiful women have boiled their own children. They were their food in the destruction of the daughter of my people.

[It is] because of the sins of her prophets, [and] the iniquities of her priests, who have shed the blood of the just in the midst of her.

Our eyes do yet fail [in looking] for our vain help. In our watching we have watched for a nation that could not save.

We have drunken our water for money. Our wood is sold to us.

Our pursuers are upon our necks. We are weary, and have no rest.

We have given the hand to the Egyptians, and to the Assyrians, to be satisfied with bread.

Our fathers sinned, and are not, and we have borne their iniquities.

The elders have ceased from the gate, the young men from their music.

The crown has fallen from our head. Woe to us! For we have sinned.

But thou have utterly rejected us. Thou are very angry against us.