LEB LAM chapter 1

The Desolate City

1 How desolate the city sits
- that was full of people!
She has become like a widow,
- once great among the nations!
Like a woman of nobility in the provinces,
- she has become a forced laborer.
2 She weeps bitterly in the night,
- her tears are on her cheeks;
she has no comforter
- among all her lovers.
All her friends have been unfaithful to her;
- they have become her enemies.
3 Judah has gone into exile with misery
- and under hard servitude;
she lives among the nations,
- she has not found a resting place;
all her pursuers have overtaken her
- amidst her distress.
4 The roads of Zion are mourning
- because no one comes to the festival.
All her gates are desolate,
- her priests groan;
her young women are worried,
- and she herself suffers bitterly.
5 Her foes have become her master ,[fn]
- her enemies are at ease;
Yahweh has made her suffer
- because of the greatness of her transgressions.
Her children have gone away,
- captive before the foe.
6 All her majesty has gone away
- from the daughter of Zion;
her princes have become like young stags
- that have not found pasture;
they have gone away without strength,
- before the pursuer.
7 Jerusalem remembers
- the days of her misery and wanderings,
all her treasures
- that were from the days of long ago.
When her people fell into the hand of the enemy,
- there was no one helping her;
the enemies saw her, they mocked
- at her destruction.
8 Jerusalem sinned grievously,
- thus she became an objection of derision;
all those who honored her despise her
- because they have seen her nakedness.
She herself groans
- and turns away.
9 Her uncleanness was in her skirts;
- she did not remember her future,
she has descended beyond understanding,
- there is no comforter for her.
See, O Yahweh, my persecution!
- My enemy has been made great!
10 The enemy has stretched out his hand
- over all her treasures;
for she has seen the nations,
- they entered her sanctuary,
those whom you commanded not to enter
- in your assembly.
11 All her people groan,
- they are searching for bread.
They give their treasures for food,
- to bring back life.
See, O Yahweh, and look,
- how I am despised.
12 Is it nothing to you, all who pass by ?[fn]
- Look and see
if there is sorrow like my sorrow,[fn]
- which was dealt to me,
which Yahweh inflicted
- on the day of his wrath .[fn]
13 From heaven he sent fire,
- into my bones he let it descend.
He spread out a net for my feet;
- he turned me back,
he gave me devastation,
- fainting all day.
14 My rebellion was bound as a yoke,
- with his hand it was fastened together;
it was put on my neck
- and caused my strength to fail.
The Lord gave me into the hands
- of those whom I cannot withstand.
15 The Lord has rejected
- all my mighty ones in my midst.
He called an assembly against me,
- to crush my young men;
like in a wine press,
- the Lord has trodden on
the virgin daughter of Judah.
16 For these things, I am weeping,
- my eyes flow with tears ;[fn]
because a comforter is far from me,
- one to restore my life.
My sons are desolate
- because the enemy has prevailed.
17 Zion stretches out her hands;
- there is no one to comfort her.
Yahweh has commanded against Jacob,
- that those surrounding him[fn] should be his enemies;
Jerusalem has become
- a defilement among them.
18 Yahweh is righteous;
- I have rebelled against his word .[fn]
Please hear, all the nations,
- And see my pain;
My young women[fn] and young men
- went into captivity.
19 I have called to my lovers,
- they themselves deceived me;
my priests and elders perished in the city
- when they sought food for themselves
  - to revive their life.[fn]
20 See, O Yahweh, that I am in distress ;[fn]
- my stomach[fn] is in torment,
my heart has turned inside me
- because I have certainly rebelled.
From outside a sword brings bereavement,
- inside the house it is like death.
21 They hear that I was groaning;
- there is no comforter for me.
All my enemies have heard my misery,
- they are pleased that you have done it.
Bring that day that you have proclaimed,[fn]
- And let them be like me.
22 Let all their evil come before you;
- and deal with them
just as you have dealt with me
- because of all my crimes;
for my groaning is much and my heart is faint.

1:? Literally “head”

1:? Literally “all who cross a road”

1:? Or “pain like my pain”

1:? Literally “on the day of the blaze of his nose”

1:? Literally “my eye my eye is going down with water”

1:? NRSV translates “his neighbors”

1:? Literally “his mouth”

1:? Or “virgins”

1:? Or “their soul”

1:? Literally “there is distress for me”

1:? Literally “inner parts”

1:? Or “you have called”

LEB LAM Chapter 1