(Khet) Jerusalem committed terrible sin; therefore she became an object of scorn. All who admired her have despised her because they have seen her nakedness. She groans aloud and turns away in shame.

{Nun} The yoke of my transgression is come at the last; with his hand hath he taken it up, and put it about my neck. My strength is gone: the LORD hath delivered me into those hands, whereout I cannot quit myself.

The Lord has made sport of all my men of war in me, he has got men together against me to send destruction on my young men: the virgin daughter of Judah has been crushed like grapes under the feet of the Lord.

He hath cut off in his fierce anger all the horn of Israel: he hath drawn back his right hand from before the enemy, and he burned against Jacob like a flaming fire, which devoureth round about.

(Khet) The Lord was determined to tear down Daughter Zion's wall. He prepared to knock it down; he did not withdraw his hand from destroying. He made the ramparts and fortified walls lament; together they mourned their ruin.

Get up and cry aloud in the night, at the beginning of every hour. Pour out your heart like water in the presence of the Lord! Lift up your hands toward him for the lives of your children, who are fainting away at every street corner.

You [Lord] called as in the day of an appointed feast
My terrors (dangers) on every side;
And there was no one who escaped or survived
In the day of the Lord’s anger.
Those I have cared for and brought up with tenderness,
My enemy annihilated them.

I am the man who has seen affliction
under the rod of God’s wrath.

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

He has walled in my ways with cut stones;
He has made my paths crooked.

My soul has been cast far away from peace;
I have forgotten happiness.

And I said, My strength is cut off, and my hope from the Lord.

While I consider these things in my heart, I get a hope again.

(Khet) The Lord's loyal kindness never ceases; his compassions never end.

They are new every morning; great is your good faith.

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

It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD.

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

Let him sit alone [in hope] and keep quiet,
Because God has laid it on him [for his benefit].

To deprive a man of justice
In the presence of the Most High,

Out of the mouth of the most High proceedeth not evil and good?

Let us lift up our heart with our hands unto God in the heavens.

Covering yourself with a cloud, so that prayer may not get through.

(Tsade) For no good reason my enemies hunted me down like a bird.

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

Waters flowed over mine head; then I said, I am cut off.

Thou hast beheld, O Yahweh, my failure to get justice, Pronounce thou my sentence;

Take note of them when they are seated, and when they get up; I am their song.

How will the gold become dim the good gold will be changed the stones of the holy place shall be poured out in the head of all the streets.

Her princes were purer than snow,
They were whiter than milk [in appearance];
They were more ruddy in body than rubies,
Their polishing was like lapis lazuli (sapphire).

(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.

Those wounded by the sword were good above those wounded by famine: these will flow away, being thrust through from the produce of the field.

{Samekh} But they cried unto every man, "Flee the staining! Away, get you hence, touch it not! Yea," say they, "ye must be burnt: ye must dwell among the Gentiles, and bide no longer here."

{Pe} Wherefore yet our eyes fail us, while we look for vain help: seeing we be ever waiting upon a people that can do us no good.

Rejoice and be glad, O Daughter of Edom,
Who lives in the land of Uz.
But the cup [of the wine of God’s wrath] will pass to you as well;
You will become drunk and make yourself naked.

The punishment for your sin is complete, you women of Zion, and God will no longer exile you. He will punish your iniquity, you women of Edom, and he will expose your sins.

We give money for a drink of water, we get our wood for a price.

We have given the hand [as a pledge of fidelity and submission] to Egypt and Assyria to get enough bread.

We gat our bread with the peril of our lives because of the sword of the wilderness.

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