Lamentations 1

NEW JERUSALEM	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
1 How deserted she sits, the city once thronged with people! Once the greatest of nations, she is nowlike a widow. Once the princess of states, she is now put to forced labour.	1 ALEPH. O how a city once filled with people now sits alone! The Governess of the Gentiles has become like a widow. The Prince of the provinces has been placed under tribute.
2 Al night long she is weeping, tears running down her cheeks. Not one of al her lovers remains tocomfort her. Her friends have al betrayed her and become her enemies.	2 BETH. Weeping, she has wept through the night, and her tears are on her cheeks. There is no one to be a comfort to her and to all her beloved. All her friends have spurned her, and they have become her enemies.
3 Judah has gone into exile after much pain and toil. Living among the nations she finds no respite; herpersecutors al overtake her where there is no way out.	3 GHIMEL. Judah has migrated because of affliction and great servitude. She has lived among the nations and not found rest. All of her persecutors have apprehended her, amid torments.
4 The roads to Zion are in mourning; no one comes to her festivals now. Her gateways are al deserted;her priests groan; her young girls are grief-stricken; she suffers bitterly.	4 DALETH. The pathways of Zion mourn, because there are none who approach for the solemnity. All her gates are destroyed. Her priests groan. Her virgins are filthy. And she is overwhelmed with bitterness.
5 Her foes now have the upper hand, her enemies prosper, for Yahweh has made her suffer for hermany, many crimes; her children have gone away into captivity driven in front of the oppressor.	5 HE. Her enemies have been made her leaders; her adversaries have been enriched. For the Lord has spoken against her, because of the multitude of her iniquities. Her little ones have been led into captivity before the face of the tribulator.
6 And from the daughter of Zion al her splendour has departed. Her princes were like stags which couldfind no pasture, exhausted, as they flee before the hunter.	6 VAU. And all her elegance has departed, from the daughter of Zion. Her leaders have become like rams that cannot find pasture, and they have gone away without strength before the face of the pursuer.
7 Jerusalem remembers her days of misery and distress; when her people fel into the enemy's clutchesthere was no one to help her. Her enemies looked on and laughed at her downfal .	7 ZAIN. Jerusalem has remembered the days of her affliction and the betrayal of all her desirable ones, whom she held from the days of antiquity, when her people fell into the hand of the enemy, and there was no one to be a helper. The enemies have looked upon her and mocked her Sabbaths.
8 Jerusalem has sinned so gravely that she has become a thing unclean. All who used to honour herdespise her, having seen her nakedness; she herself groans aloud and turns her face away.	8 HETH. Jerusalem has sinned a grievous sin. Because of this, she has become unstable. All who glorified her have spurned her, because they have looked upon her disgrace. Then she groaned and turned away again.
9 Her filth befouls her skirts -- she never thought to end like this, and hence her astonishing fal with noone to comfort her. Yahweh, look at my misery, for the enemy is triumphant!	9 TETH. Her filth is on her feet, and her end has not been remembered. She has been vehemently put down, having no consolation. O Lord, look upon my affliction, for the adversary has been lifted up.
10 The enemy stretched out his hand for everything she treasured; she saw the heathen enter hersanctuary, whom you had forbidden to enter your Assembly.	10 JOD. The enemy has sent his hand against all her desirable ones. For she has watched the Gentiles enter her sanctuary, even though you instructed that they should not enter into your church.
11 Al her people are groaning, looking for something to eat; they have bartered their treasures for food,to keep themselves alive. Look, Yahweh, and consider how despised I am!	11 CAPH. All her people are groaning and seeking bread. They have given up whatever was precious in exchange for food, so as to remain alive. See, O Lord, and consider, for I have become vile.
12 Al you who pass this way, look and see: is any sorrow like the sorrow inflicted on me, with whichYahweh struck me on the day of his burning anger?	12 LAMED. O all you who pass by the way, attend, and see if there is any sorrow like my sorrow. For he has made me a vintage, just as the Lord has spoken in the day of his furious anger.
13 He sent fire from on high deep into my bones; he stretched a net for my feet, he pulled me back; heleft me shattered, sick al day long.	13 MEM. From on high, he has sent fire into my bones, and he has educated me. He has spread a net for my feet; he has turned me back. He has placed me in desolation, consumed by grief, all day long.
14 He has watched out for my offences, with his hand he enmeshes me, his yoke is on my neck, he hasdeprived me of strength. The Lord has put me into clutches which I am helpless to resist.	14 NUN. Vigilant is the yoke of my iniquities. They have been folded together in his hand and imposed on my neck. My virtue has been weakened. The Lord has given me into a hand, out of which I am not able to rise.
15 The Lord has rejected all my warriors within my walls, he has summoned a host against me to crushmy young men; in the winepress the Lord trampled the young daughter of Judah.	15 SAMECH. The Lord has taken away all of my great ones from my midst. He has called forth time against me, so as to crush my elect ones. The Lord has trampled the winepress, which was for the virgin daughter of Judah.
16 And that is why I weep; my eyes stream with water, since a comforter who could revive me is faraway. My children are shattered, for the enemy has proved too strong.	16 AIN. For this I weep, and my eyes bring forth water. For the consoler has been far away from me, changing my soul. My sons have become lost, because the enemy has prevailed.
17 Zion stretches out her hands, with no one to comfort her. Yahweh has commanded Jacob's enemiesto surround him; they treat Jerusalem as though she were unclean.	17 PHE. Zion has reached out her hands; there is no one to console her. The Lord has given orders against Jacob; his enemies are all around him. Jerusalem among them is like a woman made unclean by menstruation.
18 Yahweh is in the right, for I rebel ed against his command. Listen, al you peoples, and see my sorrow.My young girls and my young men have gone into captivity. Qophp	18 SADE. The Lord is just, for it is I who has provoked his mouth to wrath. I beg all people to listen and to see my sorrow. My virgins and my youths have gone into captivity.
19 I cal ed to my lovers; they failed me. My priests and my elders expired in the city, as they searched forfood to keep themselves alive.	19 COPH. I called for my friends, but they deceived me. My priests and my elders have been consumed in the city. For they were seeking their food, so as to revive their life.
20 Look, Yahweh. I am in distress! My inmost being is in ferment; my heart turns over inside me -- howrebellious I have been! Outside, the sword bereaves; inside it is like death.	20 RES. See, O Lord, that I am in tribulation. My bowels have been disturbed, my heart has been subverted within me, for I am filled with bitterness. Outside, the sword puts to death, and at home there is a similar death.
21 Listen, for I am groaning, with no one to comfort me. Al my enemies have heard of my disaster, theyare glad about what you have done. Bring the Day you once foretold, so that they may be like me!	21 SIN. They have heard that I groan and that there is no one to console me. All my enemies have heard of my misfortune; they have rejoiced that you caused it. You have brought in a day of consolation, and so they shall become like me.
22 Let al their wickedness come before you, and treat them as you have treated me for al my crimes;numberless are my groans, and I am sick at heart.	22 THAU. Let all their evil enter before you. And make vintage of them, just as you made vintage of me, because of all my iniquities. For my sighs are many, and my heart is grieving.