She weepeth sore in the night, And her tear is on her cheeks, There is no comforter for her out of all her lovers, All her friends dealt treacherously by her, They have been to her for enemies.

Judah has gone into exile under affliction
And under harsh servitude;
She dwells among the [pagan] nations,
But she has found no rest;
All her pursuers have overtaken her
In the midst of [her] distress.

Fled from cherished Zion are all that were her splendor. Her princes have become like deer that cannot find their feeding grounds. They flee with strength exhausted from their pursuers.

The Lord swallowed up without pity all of Jacob's habitations. In his wrath he tore down the strongholds of fair Judah. He cast to the ground in dishonor both her kingdom and its rulers.

And he will tear away as a garden his dwelling: he destroyed his appointment: Jehovah caused to forget the appointment in Zion, and the Sabbath, and he will despise in the wrath of his anger the king and the priest.

It is the Lord's purpose to make waste the wall of the daughter of Zion; his line has been stretched out, he has not kept back his hand from destruction: he has sent sorrow on tower and wall, they have become feeble together.

כ KafMy eyes are worn out from weeping;
I am churning within.
My heart is poured out in grief
because of the destruction of my dear people,
because children and infants faint
in the streets of the city.

He forced me off my way and tore me to pieces;
He left me desolate.

He drew his bow and made me the target for his arrow.

My eyes flow with streams of tears
because of the destruction of my dear people.

You drew near on the day I called to You;
You said, “Do not fear.”

Even the sea monsters draw out the breast, they give suck to their young ones: the daughter of my people is become cruel, like the ostriches in the wilderness.

ו VavThe punishment of my dear people
is greater than that of Sodom,
which was overthrown in an instant
without a hand laid on it.

(Khet) Now their appearance is darker than soot; they are not recognized in the streets. Their skin has shriveled on their bones; it is dried up, like tree bark.

י YodThe hands of compassionate women
have cooked their own children;
they became their food
during the destruction of my dear people.

While we exist -- consumed are our eyes for our vain help, In our watch-tower we have watched for a nation that saveth not.

צ TsadeOur steps were closely followed
so that we could not walk in our streets.
Our end drew near; our time ran out.
Our end had come!

The old men are no longer seated in the doorway, and the music of the young men has come to an end.