1 See how the city sits by itself, once crowded with people! She has become like a widow {almanah: bereft and vulnerable}—she who was great among the nations; the princess among the provinces is now made a tributary {lamas: forced labor}.
2 In the night she weeps and keeps weeping, her tears resting on her cheek; among all her lovers she has no comforter {menachem: one who gives solace}. All her friends {reʿeha: close companions} have acted treacherously against her; they have turned into enemies.
3 Judah has been carried away into exile because of affliction {me'oni: oppressive suffering} and because of heavy servitude; she lives among the nations but finds no rest; all who chase her have caught her in the narrow places {hametsarim: places of extreme distress}.
4 Zion’s roads lament that no one comes to her appointed festival {moed: sacred gathering}; all her gates lie deserted, her priests sigh, her virgins are afflicted, and she herself is bitter {marlah: crushing bitterness}.
5 Her adversaries now rule; her enemies live secure, for the LORD {YHWH, Righteous Judge} has brought her low because of her many transgressions {pesha-eha: acts of rebellion}. Her children have gone off as captives before the adversary.
6 All her splendor {hadarah: majesty and beauty} has left the daughter of Zion; her princes {sareha: leader and noble} are like deer that cannot find pasture, and they go on without strength before the pursuer.
7 Jerusalem remembered in the days of her affliction {onyah: deep distress} and her wanderings, and all her precious things that were hers from days of old. When her people fell into the hand of the enemy and there was no one to help her, her adversaries saw her and mocked her sabbaths {mishbatteha: sacred rest days}.
8 Jerusalem has surely sinned {chet: moral failure}; therefore she has become an outcast {nidah: ritually impure}. All who once honored her now despise her, because they have seen her nakedness. She herself groans and turns back.
9 Her uncleanness is on her skirts; she did not remember her end. She went down astonishingly; there is no comforter for her. See, O LORD {YHWH, Compassionate Beholder}, my affliction {onyi: bitter misery}, because the enemy has made himself great.
10 The adversary extended his hand over all her precious things, for she saw nations enter her sanctuary—those whom You {YHWH, Covenant Judge} had commanded not to enter Your assembly {qahal: formal community gathering}.
11 All her people groan as they look for bread; they trade their treasures for food to restore the soul {nefesh: life-giving essence}. Look, O LORD {YHWH, Compassionate Advocate}, and see, for I have become despised.
12 Does it mean nothing to you, all who pass along the road? Look and see whether any pain is like my pain, which was dealt to me, which the LORD {YHWH, Righteous Judge} brought on the day of His fierce anger {appo: burning wrath}.
13 From on high He {YHWH, Sovereign Judge} sent fire into my bones, and it overcame them; He spread a net for my feet; He made me turn back; He left me desolate {shomemah: utterly abandoned} and faint all the day.
14 The yoke of my transgressions {pesha’ai: willful rebellion} is fastened by His hand; they are twisted together and laid upon my neck; He has caused my strength to collapse; the Lord {Adonai, Sovereign Judge} has handed me over to those I cannot stand against.
15 The Lord {Adonai, Supreme Ruler} has cast aside all my mighty ones {abbir: strongest defenders} within me; He has called a gathering against me to break my young men; the Lord has trampled the virgin—the daughter of Judah—like grapes in a winepress.
16 Over these things I weep; my eye—my eye—pours out water, for a comforter {menakhem: comforting one} who restores my soul {nafshi: life essence} is far from me. My children have become desolate, because the enemy has prevailed.
17 Zion has spread out her hands, yet no comforter comes to her. The LORD {YHWH, Righteous Judge} has commanded concerning Jacob that his adversaries surround him; Jerusalem has become as an unclean woman {niddah: ritually impure} among them.
18 Righteous is the LORD {YHWH, Just Faithful Judge}, for I have rebelled against His spoken command {pîhû: spoken command}. Listen, please, all peoples, and see my pain: my virgins and my young men have gone into captivity.
19 I called to my lovers {meahavai: deceitful companions}, but they deceived me; my priests and my elders perished in the city as they searched for food to restore the soul {nefesh: life-essence}.
20 See, O LORD {YHWH, Witness to Suffering}, for I am in distress; my inward parts {me’ai: seat of emotion} are in turmoil; my heart is overturned within me, for I have grievously rebelled. Outside, the sword bereaves; inside the house, it is like death.
21 They have heard that I groan, and there is no comforter {menakhem: one who consoles} for me. All my enemies have heard of my distress; they rejoice because You {YHWH, Just Judge} have done it. You have brought the day You proclaimed, and they shall be like me.
22 Let all their evil come before You {YHWH, Divine Judge}, and deal with them as You have dealt with me for all my transgressions; for my sighs are many and my heart is faint {davāy: overwhelmed by distress}.