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The Prophet Speaks Out: No One Offers Comfort

[a]“Look how deserted Jerusalem is!
    Once the city was crowded with people.
    Once it was important among the nations.
        Now it is a widow.
    Once it was a princess among the provinces.
        Now it does forced labor.
Jerusalem cries bitterly at night with tears running down its cheeks.
    Out of all those who love the city, no one offers it comfort.
    All of Jerusalem’s friends have betrayed it and become its enemies.

“Judah has been exiled after much suffering and harsh treatment.
    Its people live among the nations; they find no rest.
        Those who chased them caught up with them
            in places where there was no way out.

“The roads to Zion are deserted.[b]
    No one comes to the annual festivals.
    No one passes through any of its gates.[c]
        Its priests are groaning.
        Its young women are made to suffer.
            Zion is bitter.
Its opponents are now in control.
    Its enemies have no worries.
    Yahweh made Zion suffer for its many rebellious acts.
    Its children go ahead of their opponents into captivity.
All splendor has abandoned the people of Zion.
    Its influential people were like deer that couldn’t find any pasture.
        They ran without any strength ahead of the hunters.

“Now, during its suffering and oppression,
    Jerusalem remembers all the treasures it had from ancient times,
        when its people fell into the power of their enemies
            with no one to help them.
    Their opponents looked on, and they laughed at Jerusalem’s downfall.
Jerusalem has sinned so much that it has become a filthy thing.
    Everyone who used to honor it now despises it.
        They’ve seen it naked.
            Jerusalem groans and turns away.
Jerusalem’s own filth covers its clothes.
    It gave no thought to its future.
    Its downfall was shocking.
        No one offers it comfort.
            ‘O Yahweh, look at my suffering,
                because my enemies have triumphed.’
10 The enemies laid their hands on all of the city’s treasures.
    Jerusalem has seen the nations enter the holy place.
        ‘O Lord, they are the same people
            you have forbidden to enter your congregation.’
11 All the people are groaning as they beg for bread.
    They trade their treasures for food to keep themselves alive.
        ‘O Yahweh, look and see how despised I am!’”

Zion Speaks Out: No One Offers Comfort

12 “Doesn’t this affect all of you who pass by?
    Look and see if there’s any pain
    like the pain that Yahweh has caused me,
    like the pain that he has made me suffer on the day of his fierce anger.
13 He sent fire from above.
    He made it go deep into my bones.
        He spread a net for my feet.
        He made me turn back.
        He has left me devastated.
        He has made me sick all day long.
14 My rebellious acts are a heavy burden for me.
    They were tied together by Yahweh’s own hands.
    They were tied around my neck.
        He has weakened me with them.
        Adonay has handed me over to people I cannot oppose.[d]
15 Adonay has treated all the warriors inside my walls with contempt.
    He called an army to defeat my young men.
        Adonay trampled the people of Judah in a winepress.
16 I’m crying because of all these things.
    My eyes—my eyes flow with tears.
        No one can give me the comfort I need to keep me alive.
            Everyone is too far away from me.
                My children are devastated because my enemies have won.”

17 Zion holds out its hands.
    No one offers it comfort.
    Yahweh has given this order about Jacob:
    His own neighbors will become his opponents.
    Jerusalem has become a filthy thing among them.

18 Yahweh is right in what he did,
    because I rebelled against his word.
    Please listen, all you people, and look at my pain.
    My young women and young men have gone into captivity.
19 I called for those who love me, but they betrayed me.
    My priests and leaders breathed their last breath in the city,
        looking for food to keep themselves alive.

20 “O Yahweh, see the distress I’m in!
    My stomach is churning.
    My heart is pounding because I’ve been very bitter.
    In the streets swords kill my children.
    Inside the houses it’s like death.

21 “All my enemies have heard that I am groaning.
    No one offers me comfort.
    All my enemies have heard about my disaster.
    They are happy that you did it.
        You have allowed the day to come, the one that you had announced.
            Let my enemies be like me now.[e]
22 Recall all of their wickedness.
    Then deal with them as you have dealt with me
        because of all my rebellious acts.
            I groan so much and feel so sick at heart.”

Footnotes

  1. Lamentations 1:1 Chapter 1 is a poem in Hebrew alphabetical order.
  2. Lamentations 1:4 Or “are in mourning.”
  3. Lamentations 1:4 Or “All its gates are in despair.”
  4. Lamentations 1:14 Hebrew meaning of this verse uncertain.
  5. Lamentations 1:21 Hebrew meaning of this verse uncertain.

[a]How deserted(A) lies the city,
    once so full of people!(B)
How like a widow(C) is she,
    who once was great(D) among the nations!
She who was queen among the provinces
    has now become a slave.(E)

Bitterly she weeps(F) at night,
    tears are on her cheeks.
Among all her lovers(G)
    there is no one to comfort her.
All her friends have betrayed(H) her;
    they have become her enemies.(I)

After affliction and harsh labor,
    Judah has gone into exile.(J)
She dwells among the nations;
    she finds no resting place.(K)
All who pursue her have overtaken her(L)
    in the midst of her distress.

The roads to Zion mourn,(M)
    for no one comes to her appointed festivals.
All her gateways are desolate,(N)
    her priests groan,
her young women grieve,
    and she is in bitter anguish.(O)

Her foes have become her masters;
    her enemies are at ease.
The Lord has brought her grief(P)
    because of her many sins.(Q)
Her children have gone into exile,(R)
    captive before the foe.(S)

All the splendor has departed
    from Daughter Zion.(T)
Her princes are like deer
    that find no pasture;
in weakness they have fled(U)
    before the pursuer.

In the days of her affliction and wandering
    Jerusalem remembers all the treasures
    that were hers in days of old.
When her people fell into enemy hands,
    there was no one to help her.(V)
Her enemies looked at her
    and laughed(W) at her destruction.

Jerusalem has sinned(X) greatly
    and so has become unclean.(Y)
All who honored her despise her,
    for they have all seen her naked;(Z)
she herself groans(AA)
    and turns away.

Her filthiness clung to her skirts;
    she did not consider her future.(AB)
Her fall(AC) was astounding;
    there was none to comfort(AD) her.
“Look, Lord, on my affliction,(AE)
    for the enemy has triumphed.”

10 The enemy laid hands
    on all her treasures;(AF)
she saw pagan nations
    enter her sanctuary(AG)
those you had forbidden(AH)
    to enter your assembly.

11 All her people groan(AI)
    as they search for bread;(AJ)
they barter their treasures for food
    to keep themselves alive.
“Look, Lord, and consider,
    for I am despised.”

12 “Is it nothing to you, all you who pass by?(AK)
    Look around and see.
Is any suffering like my suffering(AL)
    that was inflicted on me,
that the Lord brought on me
    in the day of his fierce anger?(AM)

13 “From on high he sent fire,
    sent it down into my bones.(AN)
He spread a net(AO) for my feet
    and turned me back.
He made me desolate,(AP)
    faint(AQ) all the day long.

14 “My sins have been bound into a yoke[b];(AR)
    by his hands they were woven together.
They have been hung on my neck,
    and the Lord has sapped my strength.
He has given me into the hands(AS)
    of those I cannot withstand.

15 “The Lord has rejected
    all the warriors in my midst;(AT)
he has summoned an army(AU) against me
    to[c] crush my young men.(AV)
In his winepress(AW) the Lord has trampled(AX)
    Virgin Daughter(AY) Judah.

16 “This is why I weep
    and my eyes overflow with tears.(AZ)
No one is near to comfort(BA) me,
    no one to restore my spirit.
My children are destitute
    because the enemy has prevailed.”(BB)

17 Zion stretches out her hands,(BC)
    but there is no one to comfort her.
The Lord has decreed for Jacob
    that his neighbors become his foes;(BD)
Jerusalem has become
    an unclean(BE) thing(BF) among them.

18 “The Lord is righteous,(BG)
    yet I rebelled(BH) against his command.
Listen, all you peoples;
    look on my suffering.(BI)
My young men and young women
    have gone into exile.(BJ)

19 “I called to my allies(BK)
    but they betrayed me.
My priests and my elders
    perished(BL) in the city
while they searched for food
    to keep themselves alive.

20 “See, Lord, how distressed(BM) I am!
    I am in torment(BN) within,
and in my heart I am disturbed,(BO)
    for I have been most rebellious.(BP)
Outside, the sword bereaves;
    inside, there is only death.(BQ)

21 “People have heard my groaning,(BR)
    but there is no one to comfort me.(BS)
All my enemies have heard of my distress;
    they rejoice(BT) at what you have done.
May you bring the day(BU) you have announced
    so they may become like me.

22 “Let all their wickedness come before you;
    deal with them
as you have dealt with me
    because of all my sins.(BV)
My groans(BW) are many
    and my heart is faint.”

Footnotes

  1. Lamentations 1:1 This chapter is an acrostic poem, the verses of which begin with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet.
  2. Lamentations 1:14 Most Hebrew manuscripts; many Hebrew manuscripts and Septuagint He kept watch over my sins
  3. Lamentations 1:15 Or has set a time for me / when he will