'Laments' in the Bible

Jeremiah composed laments for Josiah which all the male and female singers use to mourn Josiah to this very day. It has become customary in Israel to sing these; they are recorded in the Book of Laments.

"Futile! Futile!" laments the Teacher, "Absolutely futile! Everything is futile!"

A man who is all alone with no companion, he has no children nor siblings; yet there is no end to all his toil, and he is never satisfied with riches. He laments, "For whom am I toiling and depriving myself of pleasure?" This also is futile and a burdensome task!

"Absolutely futile!" laments the Teacher, "All of these things are futile!"

He unrolled it before me, and it had writing on the front and back; written on it were laments, mourning, and woe.

"I will pour out on the kingship of David and the population of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication so that they will look to me, the one they have pierced. They will lament for him as one laments for an only son, and there will be a bitter cry for him like the bitter cry for a firstborn.