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.

Her uncleanness is in her skirts; she did not remember her end, and has gone down astoundingly. There is no comforter for her. O Jehovah, behold my affliction, for the enemy has magnified himself.

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.

All her people sigh; they seek bread. They have given their desirable things for food to relieve the soul. See, O Jehovah, and look on me, for I have become vile.

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.

For these I weep; my eye, my eye runs down with water, because the comforter who could refresh my soul is far from me. My sons are desolated because the enemy prevails.

Jehovah is righteous, for I have rebelled against His command. I beseech you, all peoples, hear and behold my sorrow. My virgins and my young men went into exile.

I called for my lovers, but they deceived me; my priests and my elders expired in the city while they sought food for them to bring back their life.

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.

Let all their wickedness come before You; and do to them as You have done to me for all my transgressions. For my sighs are many, and my heart is faint.

He has cut off all the horn of Israel in His fierce anger; He has drawn back His right hand from before the enemy, and He burned against Jacob like flaming fire which devours all around.

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.

My eyes fail with tears; my inward parts ferment; my liver is poured on the ground for the ruin of the daughter of my people, in that the children and the babies faint in the streets of the city.

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?

Your prophets have seen false and foolish things for you, and they have not uncovered your iniquity, to turn away your captivity; but they have seen false oracles and seductions for you.

All your enemies have opened their mouth against you; 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.

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.

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

He has bent His bow and set me as a mark for the arrow.

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.

For the Lord will not cast off forever;

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

For He does not afflict from His heart, nor does He grieve the sons of men;

Fear and a pit have come to us, shame and ruin.

Streams of water run down my eye for the ruin of the daughter of my people.

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

You drew near in the day that I called on You; You said, Fear not.

O Lord, You strove for the causes of my soul; You redeemed my life.

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.

For the sins of her prophets and the iniquities of her priests, shedding the blood of the just in her midst,

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

They hunted our steps from going in our streets; our end was near, our days were fulfilled, for our end has come.

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.

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

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

Our heart is faint for this; our eyes are dim for these things.