Lamentations

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!

1Look how alone the city sits now. It used to be full of people. She was great among the nations. She was like a princess over many lands. Now she must serve others and pay them.

2She 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.

2She cries hard all night long. Tears run down her cheeks. Not one of the nations she loved comes to comfort her. All her friends have turned against her. Now they are her enemies.

NoteThe KJV word "lovers" here means the other nations Jerusalem made deals with for help. They did not come when she needed them.

3Judah 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.

3The people of Judah have been taken far away. They were hurt and made to work like slaves. They live among other nations and find no rest. Everyone chasing them caught them in a tight place.

4The 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.

4The roads to Zion, the hill city of Jerusalem, are sad. No one walks them to the holy feast days now. All her gates sit empty. Her priests, the men who served God at the temple, groan. Her young women are grieving. The city is full of bitter pain.

5Her 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.

5Her enemies are in charge now. Things go well for them. The LORD sent this sorrow because of her many sins. Her children were marched away by the enemy.

6And 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.

6All the beauty of the city has gone away. Her leaders are like deer that can find no grass. They have no strength left to run from the hunter.

7Jerusalem 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.

7Jerusalem hurts now and has no home. She remembers all the good things she once had. When her people fell to the enemy, no one came to help. Her enemies watched her fall and laughed at her.

8Jerusalem 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.

8Jerusalem has sinned very badly. So now people look down on her. Those who once honored her now hate her. They have seen her stripped bare. She groans and turns her face away.

9Her 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.

9Her dirt clings to the hem of her dress. She never stopped to think how this would end. Her fall was very great. No one came to comfort her. She prays, "LORD, look at my pain. My enemy has won."

10The 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.

10The enemy grabbed everything she loved. She watched other nations walk into her temple. God had said those nations must not come into his gathering.

11All 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.

11All her people groan as they hunt for bread. They trade their treasures for food to stay alive. She prays, "Look, LORD, and see. People treat me like trash."

NoteIn the KJV, "meat" means food of any kind, not just meat from animals. And "vile" here means treated as worthless.

12Is 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.

12"You who walk past, does this mean nothing to you? Stop and look. Is any sorrow like my sorrow? This was done to me on the day the LORD was very angry.

13From 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.

13He sent fire down from above, and it burned deep in my bones. He spread a net to catch my feet. He turned me back. He left me empty and weak all day long.

14The 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.

14My sins are tied together by his hand like a heavy wooden bar. They rest on my neck. He has broken my strength. The Lord handed me to people I cannot fight.

15The 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.

15The Lord pushed aside all my strong men. He called an army to crush my young men. He crushed the young city of Judah like grapes in a winepress.

16For 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.

16I cry because of all this. My eyes pour out tears. No one is near to comfort me or make me feel better. My children have nothing left, because the enemy won.

17Zion 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.

17Zion holds out her hands, but no one comforts her. The LORD gave the order about Jacob's people. He said their neighbors would become their enemies. Now they see Jerusalem as something dirty.

18The 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.

18The LORD is fair. I broke his commands. Listen, all you people. Look at my pain. My young women and young men have been taken away.

19I 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.

19I called out to the nations I loved, but they tricked me. My priests and my leaders died inside the city. They died while looking for food to stay alive.

Note"Gave up the ghost" is old English for died.

20Behold, 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.

20"Look, LORD. I am in great trouble. I am churning inside. My heart is pounding. I turned away from you again and again. Outside, the sword kills. Inside my house, it is like death.

21They 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.

21People have heard me groan. No one comforts me. All my enemies heard about my trouble. They are glad that you did this. Bring the day you promised. Then they will be just like me.

22Let 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.

22Bring all the evil they did in front of you. Do to them what you did to me for my sins. I groan again and again. My heart has no strength left."