Lamentations 1
1
Lament over Jerusalem
א Alef
1How # The stanzas in Lm 1–4 form an acrostic. she sits alone, # Lm 3:28
the city # Lm 1:17 once crowded with people!
She who was great among the nations
has become like a widow. # Ex 22:22; Dt 10:18; 24:19-21; Is 1:17; 47:8-9
The princess among the provinces
has been put to forced labor.
ב Bet
2She weeps aloud during the night, # Ps 6:6
with tears on her cheeks.
There is no one to offer her comfort,
not one from all her lovers. # = Jerusalem’s political allies # Jr 3:1; 22:20-22
All her friends have betrayed her;
they have become her enemies.
ג Gimel
3Judah has gone into exile
following # Or because of affliction and harsh slavery;
she lives among the nations
but finds no place to rest. # Dt 28:65; Ps 116:7
All her pursuers have overtaken her
in narrow places.
ד Dalet
4The roads to Zion # 2Sm 5:7; Ps 20:2; Jr 51:35 mourn,
for no one comes to the appointed festivals. # Dt 16:16; 2Ch 8:13; Ps 84:5; Is 1:11-17
All her gates are deserted;
her priests groan,
her young women grieve,
and she herself is bitter.
ה He
5Her adversaries have become her masters; # Dt 28:13,44
her enemies are at ease, # Jb 3:26; 12:6; Jr 12:1
for the Lord has made her suffer
because of her many transgressions.
Her children have gone away
as captives before the adversary.
ו Vav
6All her splendor # Ezk 27:10 has vanished
from Daughter Zion. # Lm 2:1,4,8; 4:22
Her leaders are like stags
that find no pasture;
they walk away exhausted
before the hunter. # Jr 39:4-7
ז Zayin
7During the days of her affliction and homelessness # Is 58:7; Lm 3:19
Jerusalem remembers all her precious belongings
that were hers in days of old.
When her people fell into the adversary’s hand,
she had no one to help.
The adversaries looked at her,
laughing over her downfall.
ח Khet
8Jerusalem has sinned grievously;
therefore, she has become an object of scorn. # Or become impure
All who honored her now despise her,
for they have seen her nakedness.
She herself groans and turns away.
ט Tet
9Her uncleanness stains her skirts. # Jr 13:22,26; Nah 3:5
She never considered her end.
Her downfall was astonishing; # Dt 28:43
there was no one to comfort her.
Lord, look on my affliction,
for the enemy triumphs!
י Yod
10The adversary has seized
all her precious belongings.
She has even seen the nations
enter her sanctuary —
those You had forbidden
to enter Your assembly. # Dt 23:3; Neh 13:1-3; Ezk 44:9
כ Kaf
11All her people groan
while they search for bread. # Jr 38:9; 52:6
They have traded their precious belongings for food
in order to stay alive. # Lm 1:19; 2:20; 4:10
Lord, look and see
how I have become despised.
ל Lamed
12Is this nothing to you, all you who pass by? # Ps 89:41; Jr 22:8
Look and see!
Is there any pain like mine,
which was dealt out to me,
which the Lord made me suffer
on the day of His burning anger? # Am 5:18
מ Mem
13He sent fire from heaven # Gn 19:24; Hs 8:14; Am 1:4–2:5 into my bones;
He made it descend. # DSS, LXX; MT reads bones, and it prevailed against them # 1Kg 18:38; 2Kg 1:10,12; Jb 30:30; Jr 20:9
He spread a net for my feet # Ps 35:7; Is 51:20; Ezk 12:13; Hs 7:12
and turned me back.
He made me desolate,
sick all day long.
נ Nun
14My transgressions have been formed into a yoke, # Some Hb mss, LXX read He kept watch over my transgressions # Or The yoke of my transgressions is bound ; Hb obscure # Gn 27:40; Lv 26:13; Dt 28:48; 2Ch 10:3-11; Is 9:4; Jr 27:2,6-11
fastened together by His hand;
they have been placed on my neck,
and the Lord has broken my strength.
He has handed me over
to those I cannot withstand.
ס Samek
15The Lord has rejected # Ps 119:118
all the mighty men within me.
He has summoned an army # Or has announced an appointed time against me
to crush my young warriors.
The Lord has trampled Virgin Daughter Judah # Lm 2:2,5
like grapes in a winepress. # Is 63:1-6; Jl 3:12-15; Rv 14:17-20; 19:15
ע Ayin
16I weep because of these things;
my eyes flow # Lit my eye, my eye flows with tears. # Jr 9:1,18; Lm 2:11,18; 3:48-49
For there is no one nearby to comfort me, # Is 40:1
no one to keep me alive.
My children are desolate
because the enemy has prevailed.
פ Pe
17Zion stretches out her hands;
there is no one to comfort her.
The Lord has issued a decree against Jacob
that his neighbors should be his adversaries.
Jerusalem has become
something impure # Lv 15:19-20; Ezk 7:19-20; 18:6 among them.
צ Tsade
18The Lord is just,
for I have rebelled against His command. # Neh 9:33
Listen, all you people;
look at my pain.
My young men and women
have gone into captivity. # Dt 28:41; 2Ch 29:9; Ezr 9:7; Jr 48:46
ק Qof
19I called to my lovers, # Lm 1:2
but they betrayed me.
My priests and elders
perished in the city
while searching for food
to keep themselves alive. # Lm 1:11
ר Resh
20Lord, see how I am in distress.
I am churning within; # Jb 30:27
my heart is broken, # Lit is turned within me
for I have been very rebellious.
Outside, the sword takes the children;
inside, there is death. # Dt 32:25; Ezk 7:15
ׁש Shin
21People have heard me groaning, # Lm 1:4,8
but there is no one to comfort me.
All my enemies have heard of my misfortune;
they are glad that You have caused it. # Lm 2:15-17
Bring on the day You have announced,
so that they may become like me. # Is 62:8–63:6; Ezk 38–39; Jl 3:1-3; Mc 7:8-13; Zch 14:1-9
ת Tav
22Let all their wickedness come before You,
and deal with them
as You have dealt with me
because of all my transgressions. # Lm 4:21-22
For my groans are many,
and I am sick at heart.
Currently Selected:
Lamentations 1: HCSB
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
© 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers, Nashville, Tennessee. All rights reserved.
Lamentations 1
1
Song of Jerusalem’s Groaning
1How lonely sits the city, once so full of people! She who was once great among the nations has become like a widow. The princess among the provinces has become a forced laborer.
2Bitterly she weeps in the night, her tears are on her cheeks. Among all her lovers, there is no one to comfort her. All her friends have betrayed her. They have become her enemies!
3Judah is gone into exile under affliction and great servitude. She dwells among the nations. She finds no resting place. All her pursuers have overtaken her in the midst of her distress.
4The roads to Zion mourn for no one comes to her moadim. All her gates are desolate. Her kohanim groan, her maidens grieve— she is in bitter anguish.
5Her foes have become her masters. Her enemies are at ease. For Adonai has afflicted her, because of her many transgressions. Her children have gone away as captives before the adversary.
6All her splendor has departed, from the daughter of Zion. Her princes are like stags that find no pasture. They have fled without strength before the pursuer.
7In the days of her affliction and her wandering, Jerusalem remembers all the treasures that were hers from the days of old. When her people fell into enemy hands, there was no one to help her. Her enemies saw her and mocked at her destruction.
8Jerusalem has greatly sinned— therefore, she has become niddah . All who honored her despise her, for they have seen her nakedness. She herself groans, and turns away.
9Her uncleanness was in her skirts. She did not consider her future. Her demise was astonishing, there was no one to comfort her. “Adonai, see my affliction, for the enemy has triumphed!”
10The enemy has stretched his hand over all her treasures. She even saw nations enter her sanctuary— those You had commanded not to enter Your congregation.
11All her people groan, as they seek bread. They traded their treasures for food to keep themselves alive. “Look, Adonai, and see! For I have become despised!”
12“Is it nothing to you, all you who pass by on the road? Look and see! Is any suffering like my suffering that was brought on me, that Adonai has inflicted in the day of His fierce anger?
13From on high He sent fire into my bones and it overcame them. He spread out a net for my feet; He turned me back. He made me desolate, faint all the day long.
14My transgressions are bound into a yoke, woven together by His hand. They have come upon my neck and He has sapped my strength. The Lord delivered me over to those I cannot withstand.
15The Lord has rejected all the mighty ones in my midst. He has summoned an assembly against me to crush my young men. In a winepress the Lord has trampled the virgin daughter of Judah.
16Over these things I weep. My eyes overflow with water. For far from me is a comforter, who might refresh my soul. My children are desolate, because the enemy has prevailed.”
17Zion spreads out her hands— there is no one to comfort her. Adonai has decreed against Jacob. Those surrounding him have become his foes; Jerusalem has become niddah in their eyes.
18“Adonai is righteous, for I have rebelled against His word. Hear now, all peoples— look at my suffering! My maidens and my young men have gone into captivity.
19I called to my lovers— they deceived me! My kohanim and my elders perished in the city when they sought food to keep themselves alive.
20Look, Adonai, for I am in distress! My stomach churns, my heart pounds within me, for I have been very rebellious. Outside, the sword bereaves, in the house it is like death.
21They have heard me groaning. There is no one to comfort me. All my enemies heard of my distress, They rejoice that You have done it. May You bring about the day that You proclaimed, so they may become like me!
22Let all their evil come before You. Deal with them as you dealt with me, because of all my transgressions. For my groans are many and my heart is faint!”
Currently Selected:
:
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
Copyright © 2014 - Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society