1How the city sits in isolation, the populous city! She has become like a widow; she who was great among the nations, a princess among the provinces, has become a taskworker.2She weeps bitterly through the night, and her tears are upon her cheeks; she has no comforter from all her lovers; all her neighbors have dealt treacherously with her and become enemies to her.3Judah has gone into exile from affliction and from abundance of service; she dwells among the nations and finds no resting place; all her pursuers have overtaken her between the terrors.4The ways of Zion mourn from lack of those coming to the appointed meeting; all her gates are desolate; her priests sigh; her virgins grieve, and she herself is bitter to her.5Her enemies have become head; her foes prosper, because the LORD has afflicted her for the abundance of her transgressions; her infants have gone into captivity before the enemy.6All her glory has departed from the daughter of Zion; her rulers have become like deer and find no pasture; they have gone without strength before the pursuer.7Jerusalem remembers the days of her affliction and her wanderings, all her desirable things that were hers from days of old, when her people fell into the hand of the enemy and there was none to help her; her enemies saw her and laughed at her annihilation.8Jerusalem has sinned a sin; therefore she has become filth; all who honored her despise her, for they have seen her nakedness; she herself sighs and turns back.9Her uncleanness is in her hems; she did not remember her end; she has come down in wonders; she has no comforter; see, O the LORD, my affliction, for the enemy has magnified himself.10The enemy has spread his hand over all her desirable things; she has seen nations enter her sanctuary, those whom you commanded should not enter your assembly.11All her people sigh, seeking bread; they have given their desirable things for food to restore life; see, O the LORD, and look, for I have become vile.12Is it nothing to you, all you who pass by the way? Look and see whether there is pain like my pain, which was done to me, which the LORD inflicted on the day of the burning anger of his face.13From on high he sent fire into my bones, and it ruled her; he spread a net for my feet and turned me back; he gave me to be devastated, faint all the day.14The yoke of my transgressions was bound by his hand; they intertwine and rise upon my neck; he made my strength stumble; the LORD gave me into hands against which I am not able to arise.15The LORD has rejected all my mighty men in my midst; he has summoned an assembly against me to crush my young men; the LORD has trodden the wine press for the virgin daughter of Judah.16For these things I weep; my eye, my eye, goes down with water, because a comforter is far from me, one restoring my soul; my sons are desolate, for the enemy has prevailed.17Zion spreads out her hands; there is no comforter for her; the LORD commanded concerning Jacob that his enemies should be around him; Jerusalem has become impurity among them.18The LORD is righteous, for I have rebelled against his word; hear, all you peoples, and see my sorrow; my virgins and my young men have gone into captivity.19I called to my lovers, but they deceived me; my priests and my elders perished in the city while they sought food to revive their strength.20See, O the LORD, that I am distressed; my belly churns; my heart is overturned within me, because I have rebelled greatly; outside the sword has bereaved, in the house it is like death.21They have heard that I sigh; there is no comforter for me; all my enemies have heard of my distress; they rejoice because you have done it; you have brought the day you called, and they shall be like me.22Let all their distress come before your face, and deal with them as you have dealt with me because of all my transgressions; for my sighings are many, and my heart is faint.