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איכה

LAMENTATIONS

א1How doth the city sit solitary,

That was full of people!

How is she become as a widow!

She that was great among the nations,

And princess among the provinces,

How is she become tributary!

ב²She weepeth sore in the night,

And her tears are on her cheeks;

She hath none to comfort her

Among all her lovers;

All her friends have dealt treacherously with her,

They are become her enemies.

ג³Judah is gone into exile because of affliction,

And because of great servitude;

She dwelleth among the nations,

She findeth no rest;

All her pursuers overtook her

Within the straits.

ד⁴The ways of Zion do mourn,

Because none come to the solemn assembly;

All her gates are desolate,

Her priests sigh;

Her virgins are afflicted,

And she herself is in bitterness.

ה⁵Her adversaries are become the head,

Her enemies are at ease;

For the Lord hath afflicted her

For the multitude of her transgressions;

Her young children are gone into captivity

Before the adversary.

ו⁶And gone is from the daughter of Zion

All her splendour;

Her princes are become like harts

That find no pasture,

And they are gone without strength

Before the pursuer.

 

ז⁷Jerusalem remembereth

In the days of her affliction and of her anguish

All her treasures that she had

From the days of old;

Now that her people fall by the hand of the adversary,

And none doth help her,

The adversaries have seen her,

They have mocked at her desolations.

ח⁸Jerusalem hath grievously sinned,

Therefore she is become as one unclean;

All that honoured her despise her,

Because they have seen her nakedness;

She herself also sigheth,

And turneth backward.

ט⁹Her filthiness was in her skirts,

She was not mindful of her end;

Therefore is she come down wonderfully,

She hath no comforter.

'Behold, O Lord, my affliction,

For the enemy hath magnified himself.'

י¹⁰The adversary hath spread out his hand

Upon all her treasures;

For she hath seen that the heathen

Are entered into her sanctuary,

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