LAMENTATIONS
§ First lamentation°1 How forlorn the city lies, once
teeming with people! How
like a widow is she, once
mistress of the nations! A
princess among the cities, she
has now become a slave. °2 She spends her nights weeping, drenching
her cheeks with tears. Who
is there to comfort her among
all her lovers? All
her friends have betrayed her and
have become her enemies. °3 Humiliated, exhausted, Judah
has gone into exile but
she finds no rest among the nations where
she sojourns; her
pursuers have overtaken her where
there is no way of escape. °4 All roads to Zion are in mourning; no
one comes to her feasts. Her
gates are deserted, her
priests groan, her
virgins grieve. What
bitter anguish she suffers! °5 She is at the mercy of her foes who
enjoy prosperity and power. Yahweh
himself has made her suffer for
all her iniquity. Her
children, driven into captivity, take
the lonely road to exile. °6 Gone from the daughter of Zion is
all her majestic splendor. Her
rulers, like harts that
find no pasture, have
fled helplessly before
the oppressors. °7 Jerusalem recalls her days of
wandering and affliction, her
people fell into the hands of her foes and
there was no help. Haters
gloated over her downfall and
laughed at her destruction. °8 Greatly has Jerusalem sinned; she has become as a thing unclean. Honored before, but now despised by those who have seen her naked, she herself groans in dismay and turns her face away. °9 Her filth clings to her skirt. She gave no thought to her doom, and so her fall came suddenly, with no one to offer comfort. “Look, O Yahweh, upon my misery, for my enemy has overcome me.” °10 She has seen how the enemy has laid hands on her treasures. She has seen how the nations have defiled her sanctuary – those peoples you have not allowed to come into your assembly. °11 All her people groan as they search for bread; just to keep themselves alive, they give their jewels for food. Look, Yahweh, and mark how I have been despised. °12 All you who pass by, look and see. Is there any calamity like this, inflicted on me by Yahweh on the day of his burning anger. °13 From above he sent a fire down into my very bones, he ensnared my feet and threw me down, and left me in pain the whole day long. °14 He bound my sins into a yoke and fastened them together, then set them upon my neck and caused my strength to fail. Yahweh gave me into the hands of those I cannot withstand. °15 Yahweh has spurned the bravest of my fighters; he has summoned an army to crush my young warriors. Yahweh has trodden in his winepress Judah’s virgin daughter. °16 This is what I weep about, what makes my tears well up. No one is near to restore my spirit, no one at hand to console me. My children are desolate, for the enemy has triumphed. °17 Zion stretches out her hands, but there is no one to give comfort. Yahweh has decreed for Jacob that his neighbors become his foes. As an unclean thing among them has Jerusalem become. °18 Yahweh acts justly, for I have defied his order. Listen, all you peoples, and see how I suffer. My young men and maidens have all gone into exile. °19 I cried for help to my lovers, but they betrayed me. My priests and my elders perished in the city they sought anything to eat, but finally they had to die. °20 Look, Yahweh, upon my distress: all within me is in anguish. My heart recoils within me: I know that I have been rebellious. See, outside the sword that kills, and within, death that stalks. °21 People have heard my moaning but no one comes to comfort me. My foes have known of my suffering, they rejoice at what you have done. Hasten the day you have proclaimed, that they may be even as I am. °22 Let their evil come before you, and deal with them as you have dealt with me on account of my sins. Great indeed is my groaning. How sick at heart I am! § Second lamentation°1 Oh, how Yahweh in his anger has
despised the daughter of Zion! Israel’s
glory he has flung from
heaven down to earth; unmindful
of his footstool on
the day of his wrath. °2 Without pity Yahweh has shattered in
Jacob every dwelling. He
has torn down in his anger the
ramparts of Judah’s daughter. He
has thrown her rulers and her king to
the ground, dishonored. °3 He has cut down in his anger the
horn of Israel’s might. He
has withdrawn his right hand at
the approach of the enemy. In
Jacob, he has blazed like a fire, he
has devoured all around. °4 Like an enemy he has bent his bow, his
right hand steadying the arrow. All
our pride of manhood he slew as
he took his stand as a foe, pouring
out fury like fire upon
the tent of Zion’s daughter. °5 The Lord has become an enemy who
has laid Israel in ruins. He
has destroyed all her palaces and
laid waste her fortresses. He
has multiplied the tears of
the daughter of Judah. °6 Yahweh has wrecked her dwelling, laid
waste her place of meeting. He
has made Zion forget her
appointed feasts and sabbaths; he
has spurned in his fierce wrath king
and prophet and priest. °7 The Lord has rejected his altar, has
forsaken his sanctuary. He
has handed over the walls of her tower to the enemy, whose
triumphant shouts are heard in
the temple of Yahweh. °8 Yahweh resolved to tear down the
ramparts of Zion’s daughter. He
stretched out the measuring line, and
did not relent from bringing ruin. He
made both wall and rampart mourn, till
together they crumbled down. °9 Her gates have sunk into the ground; broken
and removed are their bars. Her
king and rulers live
in exile among the nations. No
more message for their prophets, no
more visions from Yahweh. °10 The elders of the daughter of Zion sit
in silence upon the ground, their
heads sprinkled with dust, their
bodies wrapped in sackcloth, while
Jerusalem’s young women bow
their heads to the ground. °11 With weeping my eyes are spent; my
soul is in torment because
of the downfall of
the daughter of my people, because
children and infants faint in
the open spaces of the town. °12 To their mothers they say, “Where
is the bread and wine?” as
they faint like wounded men in
the streets and public squares, as
their lives ebb away in
their mothers’ arms. °13 To what can I compare you, O
daughter of Jerusalem? Who
can save or comfort you, O
virgin daughter of Zion? Deep
as the sea is your affliction, and
who can possibly heal you? °14 Your prophets’ visions were
worthless and false. Had
they warned of your sins, your
fate might have been averted. But
what they gave you instead were
false, misleading signs. °15 Passersby shudder; some
clap their hands at the sight; others
wag their heads at the fate of
the daughter of Jerusalem. “Is
this the city that was called the
loveliest, the joy of the world?” °16 All your enemies open wide their
mouths against you; they
gnash their teeth, they hiss, they
crow: “We have destroyed her! This
is the day we have waited for; we
have lived to see it happen.” °17 Yahweh has accomplished his purpose; he
has fulfilled his word which
he decreed in the days of old; he
overthrew you merciless. He
made your enemies joyful and
gave them power to crush you. °18 Cry out to the Lord, O wall of
the daughter of Zion! Oh,
let your tears flow day
and night, like a river. Give
yourself no relief; grant
your eyes no respite. °19 Get up, cry out in the night, as
the evening watches start; pour
out your heart like water in
the presence of the Lord. Lift
up your hands to him for
the lives of your children, who
faint with hunger at
the corner of every street. °20 Look, Yahweh, and answer: Why
have you treated us like this? Why
must women eat their little ones, whom
they have nursed in their arms? Why
must priest and prophet be slaughtered in
the sanctuary of the Lord? °21 In the dust of the streets lie
the young and the old, both
virgins and young men – all
fallen by the sword. You
have killed on the day of your fury; you
have slaughtered without mercy. °22 As for a feast day, you bade terrors
to come from every side. There
was, on the day of your anger, neither
fugitive nor survivor. My
enemy has murdered all
whom I bore and reared. § Third lamentation°1 I am a man who has known calamity from the rod of his wrath; °2 he has driven and brought me into darkness, not into the light. °3 He turns his hand against me alone, all the day long, again and again. °4 He has worn away my flesh and skin; he has broken all my bones. °5 He assails me and surrounds me with tribulation and bitterness. °6 He leaves me to dwell in darkness, like those who have long been dead. °7 He has walled me in without escape; he has weighed me down with chains. °8 I could not even cry for help, for he has stopped my prayer. °9 He bars my way with stones and left me helplessly alone. °10 Like a bear lying in ambush, like a lion waiting for its prey, °11 he lunged at me, tore me to pieces, and left me alone and helpless. °12 Then he drew his bow and aimed his arrow at me. °13 He pierced my sides with arrows from his quiver. °14 I have become a laughingstock, a topic of songs for all the peoples. °15 He has sated me with bitter food; he has made me drunk with wormwood. °16 He has broken my teeth with gravel and thrown me down in the ashes. °17 He has deprived my soul of peace, till I have forgotten happiness. °18 Now I say, “Gone are my hopes and all my confidence in the Lord.” °19 Recalling my affliction and homelessness is wormwood and gall. °20 Thinking it over and over makes my soul downcast. °21 But this, when I ponder, is what gives me hope: °22 Yahweh’s love abides unceasingly. His compassion is never consumed; °23 every morning it is renewed. And his love remains ever faithful. °24 “My portion is Yahweh,” says my soul. “On him shall I rely.” °25 Yahweh is good to those who hope in him, to souls who search for him. °26 It is rewarding to wait in silence for the Lord’s salvation. °27 It is good for man to bear the yoke from his youth. °28 Let him sit alone in silence when Yahweh fastens the yoke on him. °29 Let him put his lips to the dust there may still be hope. °30 Let him offer his cheek to be struck; let him be overwhelmed with insult. °31 For it is not forever that the Lord rejects man. °32 In the abundance of his love he punishes, but has compassion. °33 For he does not willingly abase or afflict the human race. °34 To trample underfoot the prisoners of the land, °35 to deny a man his rights in the presence of the Most High, °36 to deprive people of justice – the Lord does not approve of this. °37 Who can command and execute what the Lord has not willed? °38 From the mouth of the Most High come all things, good or bad. °39 Why should then mortals complain when punished for their sin? °40 Let us search and examine our ways and return to the Lord. °41 Let us lift up our hearts and hands to God in heaven, and say: °42 “We have sinned and rebelled, and you have not forgiven us. °43 Clothed in anger you have pursued us without mercy. °44 You have wrapped yourself in clouds so that no prayer can reach you. °45 You have reduced us to dust and refuse among the nations. °46 Our foes have opened wide their mouths against us. °47 Terror is our lot: pitfall, ruin and desolation. °48 Great is my grief over the downfall of the daughter of my people. °49 No respite, no relief, as my tears flow ceaselessly, °50 till the Lord looks down from heaven and sees. °51 My soul will grieve in torment for
the women of my city. °52 Like a bird I have been hunted by
my foes without cause. °53 They flung me alive into a pit and
cast stones at me. °54 As the waters closed over my head, I
thought I would never again live. °55 Out of the depths I called on
your name, O Yahweh. °56 You heard; you have not been deaf to
my cry for relief. °57 When I called, you even came near and
told me not to fear. °58 O Lord, you took up my case and
redeemed my life. °59 You have seen the wrong they did me, uphold
my cause! °60 You have seen how resentfully they
plotted to destroy my life. °61 O Yahweh, you have heard the insults hurled
at me, their insidious plots; °62 You have been aware of their thoughts, their
muttering against me all day long. °63 Look at them – sitting or standing – mocking
me in their song! °64 Repay them as they deserve, according
to their deeds, O Yahweh. °65 Harden their hearts; hold
them under your curse. °66 Pursue and destroy them in fury from
under the heavens, O Yahweh. § Fourth lamentation°1 How tarnished the gold has become. The
fine gold has lost its luster. Why,
the sacred stones lie strewn at
every street corner! °2 Oh, the precious sons of Zion, once
worth their weight in gold – but
now reckoned no more than
earthen jars from a potter’s mold! °3 Even jackals bare their breasts to
suckle their young, but
my people have become heartless, like
ostriches in the desert land. °4 In thirst the infant’s tongue cleaves
to the roof of its mouth. Children
are begging for alms, but
there is no one to help them. °5 Those accustomed to fine food now
lie dying in the streets. Those
accustomed to wear purple now
lie destitute upon the ash heaps. °6 The punishment of my people is
greater than that of Sodom, which
was overthrown in an instant, without
a helping hand. °7 Brighter than snow were their rulers, even
whiter than milk; their
bodies rosier than coral, their
beauty as radiant as sapphires. °8 Now they look blacker than soot, unrecognized
in the streets. Their
emaciated form shows lack of food, their
skin shriveled and dry as wood. °9 Better to have died by the sword than
to have perished in hunger. The
famine-stricken people perish, and
slowly, wretchedly, pass away. °10 Once loving mothers, our women have
cooked their own children and
made them their food: such
has been the crash of my people! °11 Yahweh has given full vent to his wrath; pouring
out his fierce anger. He
has kindled a fire in Zion, which
has consumed her foundation. °12 Never had kings believed nor
the world thought possible that
the enemy could break through
the gates of Jerusalem. °13 But this happened because of the priests,
who sinned, because
of the prophets who transgressed, shedding
in her midst the blood of the just. °14 They wandered like blind men, groping
through the streets, so
defiled with blood that
none could touch their garments. °15 “Go away!” people cried at them. “Do
not touch us! You are unclean!” They
became fugitives wandering about, but
even the nations would drive them out. °16 Yahweh himself has dispersed them; no
longer does he watch over them. The
priests are shown no honor; the
elders are given no favor. °17 Our watchmen strained their eyes, looking
for help in vain. We
anxiously waited for an ally, who
failed to save us. °18 Like dogs our enemies hounded us and
kept us off the streets. As
our end drew near, we
knew our days were numbered. °19 Swifter were our pursuers, than
the eagles in the sky. Over
the hills they chased us, they
waylaid us in the wilderness. °20 Our life’s breath, Yahweh’s anointed, was
taken captive in their pit – he
of whom we said, “In his protection we
shall live among the nations.” °21 Rejoice and be glad, O daughter of Edom, you
who dwell in the land of Uz. But
you shall be drunk and stripped bare, for
to you also the cup will pass. °22 Your ordeal, daughter of Zion, will end; for
your exile will not be prolonged. But
Edom’s daughter will be chastised, and
her wickedness will be exposed. § Fifth lamentation°1 Remember, Yahweh, what has befallen us. Look, and see our disgrace, °2 our home handed over to strangers, our inheritance to foreigners. °3 We are as orphans, fatherless, and early widowed are our mothers. °4 Our drinking water we must buy; for our own wood we have to pay. °5 With the yoke stifling our breath, without rest we work to death. °6 We have bowed down to Egypt, and to Assyria, just to subsist. °7 Our ancestors who sinned are no more but we bear their guilt. °8 Slaves rule us, and there is no one to rescue us from their hands. °9 We brave the desert heat and the sword just to get our hard-earned food. °10 Our skin is hot like a furnace, dried up and shriveled by hunger. °11 Ravished are the wives in Zion, the virgins in the towns of Judah. °12 Princes are hung up by their hands; elders shown no respect. °13 Young men toil at the millstones, boys stagger under heavy loads. °14 The old have shunned the city gate, the young, their music. °15 From our hearts joy is gone; we danced then, but now we lament. °16 The garlands have fallen from our heads. Woe upon us, for we have sinned! °17 Over all this our hearts are sick; and our eyes have grown weak: °18 for we see Mount Zion desolate; the jackals prowl within. °19 You, O Yahweh, forever reign; your throne endures from age to age. °20 Why, then, should you abandon us, why forget us for so long a time? °21 Lead us to you again, O Lord, that we may be restored; renew our days as of old. °22 Have you utterly rejected us? Is there no end to your wrath against us? The End. |