1 Alef. Ag, hoe verlate sit die stad wat vol mense was! Sy het soos 'n weduwee geword, sy wat magtig was onder die nasies; die vorstin onder die provinsies het dienspligtig geword.

2 Bet. Bitterlik ween sy snags -- haar trane oor haar wange! Sy het geen trooster onder al haar liefhebbers nie; al haar vriende het troueloos teen haar gehandel, haar vyande geword.

3 Gimel. Juda is ontvolk deur ellende en deur sware diensbaarheid; hy sit onder die nasies, sonder om 'n rusplek te vind; al sy vervolgers het hom ingehaal tussen die engtes in.

4 Dalet. Die weë na Sion treur, omdat daar geen feesgangers is nie; al haar poorte lê woes, haar priesters sug, haar jonkvroue is bedroef, en sy self het dit bitter.

5 He. Haar teëstanders het die oorhand gekry, haar vyande lewe rustig; want die HERE het haar droefheid aangedoen vanweë die menigte van haar oortredinge; haar kinders het in gevangenskap gegaan voor die teëstander uit.

6 Wau. En van die dogter van Sion het gewyk al haar heerlikheid; haar vorste het geword soos takbokke wat geen weiveld vind nie en kragteloos heengegaan het voor die vervolger uit.

7 Sajin. Jerusalem dink, in die dae van haar ellende en haar omswerwinge, aan al haar kosbaarhede wat gewees het van die dae van die voortyd af. Toe haar volk deur die hand van die teëstander geval het en daar vir haar geen helper was nie, het die teëstanders haar aanskou, hulle het gelag oor haar ongelukkige uiteinde.

8 Get. Jerusalem het swaar gesondig, daarom het sy 'n voorwerp van afsku geword; almal wat haar geëer het, verag haar, omdat hulle haar naaktheid gesien het; sy self sug en het haar weggedraai.

9 Tet. Haar onreinheid kleef aan haar some, sy het aan haar einde nie gedink nie, en sy het wonderbaarlik gesink, sonder dat sy 'n trooster het. Sien my ellende aan, HERE, want die vyand hou hom groot.

10 Jod. Die teëstander het sy hand uitgesteek na al haar kosbaarhede; ja, sy het gesien hoedat heidene in haar heiligdom kom, van wie U bevel gegee het dat hulle in u vergadering nie mag kom nie.

11 Kaf. Haar hele bevolking sug, hulle soek brood, hulle het hul kosbaarhede vir voedsel gegee, om hulleself te verkwik. Aanskou, HERE, en merk op dat ek 'n veragte geword het.

12 Lamed. Raak dit julle nie, julle almal wat met die pad verbygaan? Aanskou en kyk of daar 'n smart is soos my smart wat my aangedoen is, waarmee die HERE my bedroef het op die dag van sy toorngloed.

13 Mem. Uit die hoogte het Hy vuur gestuur in my gebeente en dit oorweldig, Hy het 'n net voor my voet uitgesprei, Hy het my agteruit laat wyk, Hy het my woes gemaak, die hele dag ellendig.

14 Noen. Die juk van my oortredinge is vasgebind deur sy hand, hulle is saamgevleg, hulle het op my nek gekom, dit het my krag laat struikel. Die Here het my oorgegee in die hande van een teen wie ek geen teëstand kon bied nie.

15 Samek. Die Here het al my magtiges binne-in my verwerp, Hy het teen my 'n feestyd uitgeroep om my jongmanne te verbreek; die Here het die parskuip getrap vir die jonkvrou, die dogter van Juda.

16 Ajin. Daarom ween ek, my oog, my oog loop af in water, want ver van my is die trooster wat my verkwik; my kinders is verbyster, omdat die vyand die oorhand het.

17 Pe. Sion brei haar hande uit, sy het geen trooster nie; die HERE het die wat rondom hom was, teen Jakob ontbied as sy teëstanders; Jerusalem het in hul midde 'n voorwerp van afsku geword.

18 Sade. Regverdig is Hy, die HERE, want ek was teen sy mond wederstrewig. Hoor tog, alle volke, en aanskou my smart; my jonkvroue en my jongmanne het in gevangenskap gegaan.

19 Kof. Ek het geroep na my liefhebbers -- hulle het my in die steek gelaat; my priesters en my oudstes het in die stad beswyk toe hulle voedsel vir hulle gesoek het om hulleself te verkwik.

20 Resj. Aanskou, HERE, hoe benoud ek is, my ingewande is in beroering, my hart draai om in my binneste, want ek was baie wederstrewig; buitekant het die swaard berowe, binnekant is dit soos die pes.

21 Sjin. Hulle hoor dat ek sug, ek het geen trooster nie; al my vyande hoor van my onheil, hulle is bly dat U dit gedoen het. U laat die dag kom wat U uitgeroep het, dat hulle kan wees soos ek,

22 Tau. dat al hulle boosheid voor u aangesig kom; en doen aan hulle soos U aan my gedoen het vanweë al my oortredinge, want my versugtinge is baie, en my hart is krank.

1 How doth the city sit solitary, that was full of people!

She is become as a widow, that was great among the nations!

She that was a princess among the provinces is become tributary!

2 She weepeth sore in the night, and her tears are on her cheeks;

Among all her lovers she hath none to comfort her:

All her friends have dealt treacherously with her; they are become her enemies.

3 Judah is gone into captivity because of affliction, and because of great servitude;

She dwelleth among the nations, she findeth no rest:

All her persecutors overtook her within the straits.

4 The ways of Zion do mourn, because none come to the solemn assembly;

All her gates are desolate, her priests do sigh:

Her virgins are afflicted, and she herself is in bitterness.

5 Her adversaries are become the head, her enemies prosper;

For Jehovah hath afflicted her for the multitude of her transgressions:

Her young children are gone into captivity before the adversary.

6 And from the daughter of Zion all her majesty is departed:

Her princes are become like harts that find no pasture,

And they are gone without strength before the pursuer.

7 Jerusalem remembereth in the days of her affliction and of her miseries all her pleasant things that were from the days of old:

When her people fell into the hand of the adversary, and none did help her,

The adversaries saw her, they did mock at her desolations.

8 Jerusalem hath grievously sinned; therefore she is become as an unclean thing;

All that honored her despise her, because they have seen her nakedness:

Yea, she sigheth, and turneth backward.

9 Her filthiness was in her skirts; she remembered not her latter end;

Therefore is she come down wonderfully; she hath no comforter:

Behold, O Jehovah, my affliction; for the enemy hath magnified himself.

10 The adversary hath spread out his hand upon all her pleasant things:

For she hath seen that the nations are entered into her sanctuary,

Concerning whom thou didst command that they should not enter into thine assembly.

11 All her people sigh, they seek bread;

They have given their pleasant things for food to refresh the soul:

See, O Jehovah, and behold; for I am become abject.

12 Is it nothing to you, all ye that pass by?

Behold, and see if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow, which is brought upon me,

Wherewith Jehovah hath afflicted me in the day of his fierce anger.

13 From on high hath he sent fire into my bones, and it prevaileth against them;

He hath spread a net for my feet, he hath turned me back:

He hath made me desolate and faint all the day.

14 The yoke of my transgressions is bound by his hand;

They are knit together, they are come up upon my neck; he hath made my strength to fail:

The Lord hath delivered me into their hands, against whom I am not able to stand.

15 The Lord hath set at nought all my mighty men in the midst of me;

He hath called a solemn assembly against me to crush my young men:

The Lord hath trodden as in a winepress the virgin daughter of Judah.

16 For these things I weep; mine eye, mine eye runneth down with water;

Because the comforter that should refresh my soul is far from me:

My children are desolate, because the enemy hath prevailed.

17 Zion spreadeth forth her hands; there is none to comfort her;

Jehovah hath commanded concerning Jacob, that they that are round about him should be his adversaries:

Jerusalem is among them as an unclean thing.

18 Jehovah is righteous; for I have rebelled against his commandment:

Hear, I pray you, all ye peoples, and behold my sorrow:

My virgins and my young men are gone into captivity.

19 I called for my lovers, but they deceived me:

My priests and mine elders gave up the ghost in the city,

While they sought them food to refresh their souls.

20 Behold, O Jehovah; for I am in distress; my heart is troubled;

My heart is turned within me; for I have grievously rebelled:

Abroad the sword bereaveth, at home there is as death.

21 They have heard that I sigh; there is none to comfort me;

All mine enemies have heard of my trouble; they are glad that thou hast done it:

Thou wilt bring the day that thou hast proclaimed, and they shall be like unto me.

22 Let all their wickedness come before thee;

And do unto them, as thou hast done unto me for all my transgressions:

For my sighs are many, and my heart is faint.