1 Hvor ensom hun sitter, den folkerike stad! Hun er blitt som en enke; den store blandt folkene, fyrstinnen i landene er blitt til træl!

2 Sårt gråter hun om natten, og hennes tårer rinner på hennes kinn; hun har ingen trøster blandt alle sine elskere; alle hennes venner har vært troløse mot henne, de er blitt hennes fiender.

3 I landflyktighet er Juda vandret, efter trengsel og megen møie; det bor iblandt folkene, har ikke funnet hvile; alle dets forfølgere har innhentet det på trange steder.

4 Veiene til Sion sørger fordi ingen kommer til festene; alle dets porter er øde, dets prester sukker, dets jomfruer er sorgfulle, og det selv er bitterlig bedrøvet.

5 Dets motstandere er blitt dets herrer, dets fiender er trygge, for Herren har lagt sorg på det for dets mange overtredelsers skyld; dets små barn har fienden ført i fangenskap.

6 Fra Sions datter svant all hennes prakt; hennes fyrster blev lik hjorter som ikke finner beite, og de gikk der uten kraft for forfølgerens åsyn.

7 I sin elendighets og landflyktighets tid kommer Jerusalem i hu alle de herligheter som hun hadde fra fordums dager; da hennes folk falt for fiendens hånd, og hun ingen hjelper hadde, da så fiendene henne, de spottet over det hun hadde tapt.

8 Storlig har Jerusalem syndet, derfor er hun blitt til en vederstyggelighet; alle de som æret henne, forakter henne, for de så hennes blusel; hun selv sukket og vendte sig bort.

9 Hennes urenhet hang ved hennes kjortelfliker; hun tenkte ikke på hvad ende det vilde ta med henne; da sank hun på underlig vis, ingen trøstet henne. Herre, se min elendighet! Fienden gjør sig stor.

10 Fienden rakte sin hånd ut efter alle hennes kostelige ting; for hun så hedninger komme inn i hennes helligdom, de som du bød ikke skulde komme inn i din menighet.

11 Alt hennes folk sukker og søker efter brød; de gir sine kostelige ting bort for mat, for å opholde livet. Se, Herre, se hvor foraktet jeg er blitt!

12 Går det eder ikke til hjerte, alle I som går forbi på veien? Sku og se om det finnes en smerte lik den smerte som er voldt mig, den som Herren har bedrøvet mig med på sin brennende vredes dag!

13 Fra det høie sendte han ild i mine ben og lot den råde; han spente ut garn for mine føtter, han støtte mig tilbake, han gjorde mig elendig, syk hele dagen.

14 Mine overtredelser er knyttet sammen ved hans hånd til et åk; sammenslynget er de lagt på min nakke; han har brutt min kraft. Herren har gitt mig i hendene på dem som jeg ikke kan stå imot.

15 Herren forkastet alle de kjemper som fantes hos mig, han kalte sammen en folkeskare mot mig for å knuse mine unge menn; Herren trådte vinpersen for jomfruen, Judas datter.

16 Over dette gråter jeg, mitt øie, mitt øie flyter bort i vann; for langt fra mig er trøsteren som kunde husvale min sjel; mine barn er ødelagt, for fienden fikk overhånd.

17 Sion rekker ut sine hender, det har ingen trøster; Herren har kalt sammen mot Jakob hans fiender rundt omkring; Jerusalem er blitt til en vederstyggelighet blandt dem.

18 Herren er rettferdig, for jeg var gjenstridig mot hans bud. Hør, alle folk, og se min smerte! Mine jomfruer og mine unge menn er gått i fangenskap.

19 Jeg ropte på mine elskere; de svek mig. Mine prester og mine eldste opgav ånden i byen da de søkte efter mat for å opholde livet.

20 Se, Herre, jeg er i trengsel! Det gjærer i mitt indre, mitt hjerte vender sig i mitt bryst; for jeg har vært gjenstridig; utenfor har sverdet gjort mig barnløs, innenfor er det som døden.

21 De hørte at jeg sukket, det var ingen som trøstet mig; alle mine fiender hørte om min ulykke, de gledet sig over at du har gjort det. Men du lar komme en dag som du har forkynt, og da skal de bli som jeg.

22 La all deres ondskap komme for ditt åsyn, og gjør mot dem som du har gjort mot mig for alle mine overtredelsers skyld! For mine sukk er mange, og mitt hjerte er sykt.

1 How the city sits solitary,

that was full of people!

She has become as a widow,

who was great among the nations!

She who was a princess among the provinces

has become a slave!

2 She weeps bitterly in the night.

Her tears are on her cheeks.

Among all her lovers

she has no one to comfort her.

All her friends have dealt treacherously with her.

They have become her enemies.

3 Judah has gone into captivity because of affliction

and because of great servitude.

She dwells among the nations.

She finds no rest.

All her persecutors overtook her in her distress.

4 The roads to Zion mourn,

because no one comes to the solemn assembly.

All her gates are desolate.

Her priests sigh.

Her virgins are afflicted,

and she herself is in bitterness.

5 Her adversaries have become the head.

Her enemies prosper;

for Yahweh has afflicted her for the multitude of her transgressions.

Her young children have gone into captivity before the adversary.

6 All majesty has departed from the daughter of Zion.

Her princes have become like deer that find no pasture.

They have gone without strength before the pursuer.

7 Jerusalem remembers 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 no one helped her.

The adversaries saw her.

They mocked at her desolations.

8 Jerusalem has grievously sinned.

Therefore she has become unclean.

All who honored her despise her,

because they have seen her nakedness.

Yes, she sighs and turns backward.

9 Her filthiness was in her skirts.

She didn’t remember her latter end.

Therefore she has come down astoundingly.

She has no comforter.

"See, Yahweh, my affliction;

for the enemy has magnified himself."

10 The adversary has spread out his hand on all her pleasant things;

for she has seen that the nations have entered into her sanctuary,

concerning whom you commanded that they should not enter into your assembly.

11 All her people sigh.

They seek bread.

They have given their pleasant things for food to refresh their soul.

"Look, Yahweh, and see,

for I have become despised."

12 "Is it nothing to you, all you who pass by?

Look, and see if there is any sorrow like my sorrow,

which is brought on me,

with which Yahweh has afflicted me in the day of his fierce anger.

13 "From on high has he sent fire into my bones,

and it prevails against them.

He has spread a net for my feet.

He has turned me back.

He has made me desolate and I faint all day long.

14 "The yoke of my transgressions is bound by his hand.

They are knit together.

They have come up on my neck.

He made my strength fail.

The Lord has delivered me into their hands,

against whom I am not able to stand.

15 "The Lord has set at nothing all my mighty men within me.

He has called a solemn assembly against me to crush my young men.

The Lord has trodden the virgin daughter of Judah as in a wine press.

16 "For these things I weep.

My eye, my eye runs down with water,

because the comforter who should refresh my soul is far from me.

My children are desolate,

because the enemy has prevailed."

17 Zion spreads out her hands.

There is no one to comfort her.

Yahweh has commanded concerning Jacob,

that those who are around him should be his adversaries.

Jerusalem is among them as an unclean thing.

18 "Yahweh is righteous,

for I have rebelled against his commandment.

Please hear all you peoples,

and see my sorrow.

My virgins and my young men have gone into captivity.

19 "I called for my lovers,

but they deceived me.

My priests and my elders gave up the spirit in the city,

while they sought food for themselves to refresh their souls.

20 "Look, Yahweh; for I am in distress.

My heart is troubled.

My heart turns over within me,

for I have grievously rebelled.

Abroad, the sword bereaves.

At home, it is like death.

21 "They have heard that I sigh.

There is no one to comfort me.

All my enemies have heard of my trouble.

They are glad that you have done it.

You will bring the day that you have proclaimed,

and they will be like me.

22 "Let all their wickedness come before you.

Do to them as you have done to me for all my transgressions.

For my sighs are many,

and my heart is faint.