THE
LAMENTATIONS
OF
JEREMIAH
Lamentations 1 ©
The prophet relates with sighing the excellence and also the miserable condition of the city of Jerusalem, v. 1, etc. And likewise of the land of Judah, 3. He confesses that they by their sins justly deserved such punishment, 8. Repeating every time again the relation of their misery, 9, 10, etc. The prophet prays unto God that He would be pleased to behold the people’s great misery, and to have compassion on them, 20. For they could not find comfort anywhere else, 21.
HOW1 doth 2the city sit 3solitary, that was 4full of people! how is she become 5as a widow! she that was great among the nations, and 6princess among the provinces, how is she become 7tributary!8
9Shea10weepeth 11sore 12in the night, and her tears are on her cheeks: 13among all her lovers she hath none to comfort her: all her 14friends have dealt treacherously 15with her, 16they are become her enemies.
17Judah 18is gone into captivity because of affliction, and because of 19great servitude: 20she 21dwelleth among the heathen, she findeth no rest: all her persecutors 22overtook her 23between the straits.
24The ways of Zion do 25mourn, because none come 26to the solemn feasts: all 27her 28gates are desolate: her priests 29sigh, her virgins are afflicted, and 30she is in bitterness.
Her adversaries are the 31chief, her enemies 32prosper; 33for the LORD hath afflicted her for 34the multitude of her transgressions: her 35children are 36gone into captivity before the enemy.
And 37from the daughter of Zion 38all her beauty is departed: her princes 39are become like harts that find 40no pasture, and 41they are gone without strength before the pursuer.
Jerusalem remembered 42in the days of her affliction and of 43her miseries 44all her pleasant things that she had 45in the days of old, when her people fell into the hand of the enemy, and none did help her: the adversaries 46saw her, and did mock 47at her sabbaths.
Jerusalem 48hath grievously sinned; therefore she is 49removed: 50all that honoured her despise her, because they have seen 51herb nakedness: yea, 52she sigheth, and 53turneth backward.
54Her filthiness 55is in her skirts; she remembereth not 56her last end;c therefore she came down 57wonderfully: 58she had no comforter. 59O LORD, 60behold my affliction: for the enemy hath 61magnified himself.
62The adversary hath spread out his hand upon all 63her pleasant things: for 64she hath seen that 65the heathen entered 66into her sanctuary, 67whom thou didst command 68that they should not enter into thy congregation.
69All her people sigh, they seek 70bread;d they have given their pleasant things for meat 71to relieve the soul: 72see, O LORD, and consider; for 73I am become 74vile.
¶ 75Is it nothing to you, all ye that pass by? behold, and see 76if 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.
77From above hath 78he sent 79fire 80into my bones, 81and it prevaileth against them: 82he hath spread a net for my feet, 83he hath turned me back: he hath 84made me desolate and faint all the day.
85The yoke of my transgressions is bound by his hand: 86they are wreathed, 87and 88come up upon my neck: he hath made my strength 89to fall, the Lord hath delivered me 90into their hands, from whom 91I am not able to rise up.
The Lord hath trodden under foot all 92my mighty men 93in the midst of me: 94he hath called an assembly 95against me to crush my 96young men: 97the Lord hath trodden the virgin, the daughter of Judah, as in a winepress.
98For these things I weep; minee eye, mine eye 99runneth down with water, because 100the comforter that should 101relieve my soul is far from me: 102my children 103are desolate, 104because the enemy prevailed.
Zion 105spreadeth forth her hands, and there is none to comfort her: the 106LORD hath 107commanded concerning Jacob, that his adversaries should be round about him: Jerusalem 108is as a menstruous woman among them.
¶ 109The LORD is righteous; for I have rebelled against 110his commandment: 111hear, I pray you, all people, and behold my sorrow: 112my virgins and 113my young men are gone into captivity.
I called for 114my lovers, but 115theyf deceived me: 116my priests and mine elders gave up the ghost in the city, while they sought their meat to relieve 117their souls.
118Behold, O LORD; for I am in distress: myg bowels are 119troubled; mine heart 120is turned within me; for 121I have grievously rebelled: abroad 122the sword bereaveth, 123at home there is as death.
They have heard that I sigh: there is none to comfort me: all mine enemies have heard of 124my trouble; they are glad 125that thou hast done it: thou wilt bring 126the day 127that thou hast called, 128and they shall be like unto me.
129Let all their wickedness come before thee; and 130do unto them, as thou hast done unto me for all my transgressions: for my sighs are many, and my heart is 131faint.