She weepeth sore in the night, and her tears are on her cheeks; among all her lovers she hath no comforter; all her friends have dealt treacherously with her, they are become her enemies.

Judah is gone into captivity because of affliction, and because of great servitude; she dwelleth among the nations, she findeth no rest: all her pursuers have overtaken her within the straits.

Her adversaries have become the head, her enemies prosper; for Jehovah hath afflicted her for the multitude of her transgressions: her children are gone into captivity before the adversary.

In the days of her affliction and of her wanderings, since her people fell into the hand of an adversary, and none did help her, Jerusalem remembereth all her precious things which she had in the days of old: the adversaries have seen her, they mock at her ruin.

Jerusalem hath grievously sinned; therefore is she removed as an impurity: all that honoured her despise her because they have seen her nakedness; and she sigheth, and turneth backward.

All her people sigh, they seek bread; they have given their precious things for food to revive their soul. See, Jehovah, and consider, for I am become vile.

Jehovah is righteous; for I have rebelled against his commandment. Hear, I pray you, all ye peoples, and behold my sorrow. My virgins and my young men are gone into captivity.

I called for my lovers, they have deceived me; my priests and mine elders have expired in the city, while they sought them food to revive their soul.

See, Jehovah, for I am in distress, my bowels are troubled; my heart is turned within me, for I have grievously rebelled: without, the sword hath bereaved me, within, it is as death.

They have heard that I sigh: I have no comforter: all mine enemies have heard of my calamity; they are glad that thou hast done it. Thou wilt bring the day that thou hast called, and they shall be like unto me.

The Lord hath cast off his altar, he hath rejected his sanctuary; he hath given up into the hand of the enemy the walls of her palaces: they have made a noise in the house of Jehovah, as on the day of a set feast.

The elders of the daughter of Zion sit upon the ground, they keep silence; they have cast dust upon their heads, they have girded themselves with sackcloth: the virgins of Jerusalem hang down their head to the ground.

Thy prophets have seen vanity and folly for thee; and they have not revealed thine iniquity, to turn away thy captivity; but have seen for thee burdens of falsehood and causes of expulsion.

All thine enemies open their mouth against thee, they hiss and gnash the teeth: they say, We have swallowed her up; this is forsooth the day that we looked for: we have found, we have seen it.

Thou hast called up, as on the day of a set feast, my terrors on every side; and in the day of Jehovah's anger there was none that escaped or remained: those that I have nursed and brought up hath mine enemy consumed.

He hath made me to dwell in dark places as those that have been long dead.

And thou hast removed my soul far off from peace: I have forgotten prosperity.

This I recall to heart, therefore have I hope.

but if he have caused grief, he will have compassion according to the multitude of his loving-kindnesses:

We have transgressed and have rebelled: thou hast not pardoned.

All our enemies have opened their mouth against us.

They that are mine enemies without cause have chased me sore like a bird.

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

The hands of pitiful women have boiled their own children: they were their meat in the ruin of the daughter of my people.

The kings of the earth, and all the inhabitants of the world, would not have believed that the adversary and the enemy should enter into the gates of Jerusalem.

It is for the sins of her prophets, and the iniquities of her priests, who have shed the blood of the righteous in the midst of her.

Our eyes still failed for our vain help; in our watching, we have watched for a nation that did not save.

Our water have we to drink for money, our wood cometh unto us for a price.

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

We have given the hand to Egypt, and to Asshur, to be satisfied with bread.

Our fathers have sinned, and they are not; and we bear their iniquities.

We have to get our bread at the risk of our lives, because of the sword of the wilderness.

They have ravished the women in Zion, the maids in the cities of Judah.

The young men have borne the mill, and the youths have stumbled under the wood.

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

The crown is fallen from our head: woe unto us, for we have sinned!

For this our heart is faint; for these things our eyes have grown dim,