1 How lonely sits the city, once so full of people! She has become like a widow, great among the nations, a princess among the provinces, now a slave.

How doth the city sit solitary, that was full of people! how is she become as a widow! she that was great among the nations, and princess among the provinces, how is she become tributary!

2 Bitterly she weeps in the night, tears on her cheeks. There is no one to comfort her—all who loved her have betrayed her; they have become her enemies.

She weepeth sore in the night, and her tears are on her cheeks: among all her lovers she hath none to comfort her: all her friends have dealt treacherously with her, they are become her enemies.

3 Judah has gone into exile, suffering and hard service. She lives among the nations but finds no rest. All her pursuers have overtaken her in narrow places.

Judah is gone into captivity because of affliction, and because of great servitude: she dwelleth among the heathen, she findeth no rest: all her persecutors overtook her between the straits.

4 The roads to Zion mourn, for no one comes to her appointed festivals. All her gates are desolate; her priests groan, her young women grieve, and she is in bitter anguish.

The ways of Zion do mourn, because none come to the solemn feasts: all her gates are desolate: her priests sigh, her virgins are afflicted, and she is in bitterness.

5 Her adversaries have become her masters; her enemies prosper because the LORD has afflicted her for her many sins. Her children have gone into captivity before the enemy.

Her adversaries are the chief, her enemies prosper; for the LORD hath afflicted her for the multitude of her transgressions: her children are gone into captivity before the enemy.

6 All the splendor has departed from Daughter Zion. Her princes are like deer that find no pasture; they flee without strength before the pursuer.

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

7 In the days of her affliction and wandering, Jerusalem remembers all the treasures that were hers in days of old. When her people fell into the hand of the enemy, there was no one to help her. Her enemies saw her and mocked her downfall.

Jerusalem remembered in the days of her affliction and of her miseries all her pleasant things that she had in the days of old, when her people fell into the hand of the enemy, and none did help her: the adversaries saw her, and did mock at her sabbaths.

8 Jerusalem has sinned greatly and so has become unclean. All who honored her despise her, for they have seen her nakedness; she herself groans and turns away.

Jerusalem hath grievously sinned; therefore she is removed: all that honoured her despise her, because they have seen her nakedness: yea, she sigheth, and turneth backward.

9 Her uncleanness clings to her skirts; she did not consider her future. Her fall was astounding; there was no one to comfort her. "Look, LORD, on my affliction, for the enemy has triumphed."

Her filthiness is in her skirts; she remembereth not her last end; therefore she came down wonderfully: she had no comforter. O LORD, behold my affliction: for the enemy hath magnified himself.

10 The enemy has laid hands on all her treasures; she saw nations enter her sanctuary—those you had forbidden to enter your assembly.

The adversary hath spread out his hand upon all her pleasant things: for she hath seen that the heathen entered into her sanctuary, whom thou didst command that they should not enter into thy congregation.

11 All her people groan as they search for bread; they trade their treasures for food to stay alive. "Look, LORD, and consider, for I am despised."

All her people sigh, they seek bread; they have given their pleasant things for meat to relieve the soul: see, O LORD, and consider; for I am become vile.

12 "Is it nothing to you, all you who pass by? Look and see if there is any sorrow like my sorrow, which was brought upon me, which the LORD inflicted on the day of his fierce anger.

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, wherewith the LORD hath afflicted me in the day of his fierce anger.

13 From on high he sent fire; it burns in my bones. He spread a net for my feet and turned me back. He made me desolate, faint all the day long.

From above hath he sent fire into my bones, and it prevaileth against them: he hath spread a net for my feet, he hath turned me back: he hath made me desolate and faint all the day.

14 My transgressions were bound into a yoke; by his hands they were fastened together. They were laid on my neck; he has made my strength fail. The Lord has given me into the hands of those I cannot withstand.

The yoke of my transgressions is bound by his hand: they are wreathed, and come up upon my neck: he hath made my strength to fall, the Lord hath delivered me into their hands, from whom I am not able to rise up.

15 The Lord has rejected all my mighty men in my midst; he summoned an assembly against me to crush my young men. Like in a winepress, the Lord has trodden the virgin daughter of Judah.

The Lord hath trodden under foot all my mighty men in the midst of me: he hath called an assembly against me to crush my young men: the Lord hath trodden the virgin, the daughter of Judah, as in a winepress.

16 "Because of these things I weep; my eyes, my eyes flow with tears. No one is near to comfort me, no one to restore my spirit. My children are desolate because the enemy has prevailed."

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

17 Zion stretches out her hands, but there is no one to comfort her. The LORD has decreed for Jacob that his neighbors become his foes; Jerusalem has become an unclean thing among them.

Zion spreadeth forth her hands, and there is none to comfort her: the LORD hath commanded concerning Jacob, that his adversaries should be round about him: Jerusalem is as a menstruous woman among them.

18 The LORD is righteous, for I have rebelled against his word. Listen, all you peoples; look at my suffering. My young women and my young men have gone into captivity.

The LORD is righteous; for I have rebelled against his commandment: hear, I pray you, all people, and behold my sorrow: my virgins and my young men are gone into captivity.

19 I called to my lovers, but they deceived me. My priests and my elders perished in the city while searching for food to revive their strength.

I called for my lovers, but they deceived me: my priests and mine elders gave up the ghost in the city, while they sought their meat to relieve their souls.

20 See, LORD, how distressed I am! I am in anguish within, my heart is overturned because I have been very rebellious. Outside, the sword bereaves; inside, there is only death.

Behold, O LORD; for I am in distress: my bowels are troubled; mine heart is turned within me; for I have grievously rebelled: abroad the sword bereaveth, at home there is as death.

21 People have heard my groaning, but there is no one to comfort me. All my enemies have heard of my trouble; they are glad that you have done it. Bring the day you have announced, so they may become like me.

They have heard that I sigh: there is none to comfort me: all mine enemies have heard of my trouble; they are glad that thou hast done it: thou wilt bring the day that thou hast called, and they shall be like unto me.

22 Let all their wickedness come before you; deal with them as you have dealt with me because of all my sins. My groans are many, and my heart is faint.

Let all their wickedness come before thee; and do unto them, as thou hast done unto me for all my transgressions: for my sighs are many, and my heart is faint.