How doth the city sit solitary that was full of people! She that was great among the nations is become as a widow; the princess among the provinces is become tributary!

And from the daughter of Zion all her splendour is departed: her princes are become like harts that find no pasture; and they are gone without strength before the pursuer.

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.

The adversary hath spread out his hand upon all her precious things; for she hath seen the nations enter into her sanctuary, concerning whom thou didst command that they should not enter into thy congregation.

Is it nothing to you, all ye that pass by? Behold, and see if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow, which is done unto me, whom Jehovah hath afflicted in the day of his fierce anger.

For these things I weep; mine eye, mine eye runneth down with water: for the comforter that should revive my soul is far from me; my children are desolate, for the enemy hath prevailed.

Zion spreadeth forth her hands; there is none to comfort her; Jehovah hath commanded concerning Jacob, that his adversaries should be round about him; Jerusalem is as an impurity among them.

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.

He hath bent his bow like an enemy; he stood with his right hand as an adversary, and hath slain all that was pleasant to the eye: in the tent of the daughter of Zion, he hath poured out his fury like fire.

What shall I take to witness for thee? what shall I liken unto thee, daughter of Jerusalem? What shall I equal to thee, that I may comfort thee, virgin daughter of Zion? For thy ruin is great as the sea: who will heal thee?

All that pass by clap their hands at thee; they hiss and shake their head at the daughter of Jerusalem: Is this the city which they called, The perfection of beauty, The joy of the whole earth?

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.

See, Jehovah, and consider to whom thou hast done this! Shall the women eat their fruit, the infants that they nursed? Shall priest and prophet be slain in the sanctuary of the Lord?

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.

I am the man that hath seen affliction by the rod of his wrath.

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

He hath hedged me about that I cannot get out: he hath made my chain heavy.

Jehovah is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.

It is good that one should both wait, and that in silence, for the salvation of Jehovah.

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

he giveth his cheek to him that smiteth him; he is filled full with reproach.

Who is he that saith, and there cometh to pass, what the Lord hath not commanded?

Thou hast covered thyself with a cloud, that prayer should not pass through.

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

Thou drewest near in the day that I called upon thee; thou saidst, Fear not.

the lips of those that rise up against me and their meditation against me all the day.

They that fed delicately are desolate in the streets; they that were brought up in scarlet embrace dung-hills.

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.

They wandered about blind in the streets; they were polluted with blood, so that men could not touch their garments.

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

They hunted our steps, that we could not go in our streets: our end is near, our days are fulfilled; for our end is come.

Rejoice and be glad, daughter of Edom, that dwellest in the land of Uz: the cup shall pass also unto thee; thou shalt be drunken, and make thyself naked.

Or is it that thou hast utterly rejected us? Wouldest thou be exceeding wroth against us?