א (Alef) 1
1:1 2 Alas! 3 The city once full of people 4
now sits all alone! 5
The prominent 6 lady among the nations
has become a widow! 7
The princess 8 who once ruled the provinces 9
has become 10 a forced laborer! 11
ב (Bet)
1:2 She weeps bitterly at night;
tears stream down her cheeks. 12
She has no one to comfort her
among all her lovers. 13
All her friends have betrayed her;
they have become her enemies.
ג (Gimel)
1:3 Judah 14 has departed into exile
under 15 affliction and harsh oppression. 16
She 17 lives among the nations;
she has found no resting place.
All who pursued her overtook her
in 18 narrow straits. 19
ד (Dalet)
1:4 The roads to Zion 20 mourn 21
because no one 22 travels to the festivals. 23
All her city gates 24 are deserted; 25
her priests groan. 26
Her virgins grieve; 27
she is in bitter anguish! 28
ה (He)
1:5 Her foes subjugated her; 29
her enemies are at ease. 30
For the Lord afflicted her
because of her many acts of rebellion. 31
Her children went away
captive 32 before the enemy.
ו (Vav)
1:6 All of Daughter Zion’s 33 splendor 34
has departed. 35
Her leaders became like deer;
they found no pasture,
so they were too exhausted to escape 36
from the hunter. 37
ז (Zayin)
1:7 Jerusalem 38 remembers, 39
when 40 she became a poor homeless person, 41
all her treasures
that she owned in days of old. 42
When her people fell into an enemy’s grip, 43
none of her allies came to her rescue. 44
Her enemies 45 gloated over 46 her;
they sneered 47 at her downfall. 48
ח (Khet)
1:8 Jerusalem committed terrible sin; 49
therefore she became an object of scorn. 50
All who admired 51 her have despised her 52
because they have seen her nakedness. 53
She groans aloud 54
and turns away in shame. 55