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
א (Alef) 12
1:1 13 Alas! 14 The city once full of people 15
now sits all alone! 16
The prominent 17 lady among the nations
has become a widow! 18
The princess 19 who once ruled the provinces 20
has become 21 a forced laborer! 22
ב (Bet)
1:2 She weeps bitterly at night;
tears stream down her cheeks. 23
She has no one to comfort her
among all her lovers. 24
All her friends have betrayed her;
they have become her enemies.
ג (Gimel)
1:3 Judah 25 has departed into exile
under 26 affliction and harsh oppression. 27
She 28 lives among the nations;
she has found no resting place.
All who pursued her overtook her
in 29 narrow straits. 30
ד (Dalet)
1:4 The roads to Zion 31 mourn 32
because no one 33 travels to the festivals. 34
All her city gates 35 are deserted; 36
her priests groan. 37
Her virgins grieve; 38
she is in bitter anguish! 39
ה (He)
1:5 Her foes subjugated her; 40
her enemies are at ease. 41
For the Lord afflicted her
because of her many acts of rebellion. 42
Her children went away
captive 43 before the enemy.
ו (Vav)
1:6 All of Daughter Zion’s 44 splendor 45
has departed. 46
Her leaders became like deer;
they found no pasture,
so they were too exhausted to escape 47
from the hunter. 48
ז (Zayin)
1:7 Jerusalem 49 remembers, 50
when 51 she became a poor homeless person, 52
all her treasures
that she owned in days of old. 53
When her people fell into an enemy’s grip, 54
none of her allies came to her rescue. 55
Her enemies 56 gloated over 57 her;
they sneered 58 at her downfall. 59
ח (Khet)
1:8 Jerusalem committed terrible sin; 60
therefore she became an object of scorn. 61
All who admired 62 her have despised her 63
because they have seen her nakedness. 64
She groans aloud 65
and turns away in shame. 66
ט (Tet)
1:9 Her menstrual flow 67 has soiled 68 her clothing; 69
she did not consider 70 the consequences of her sin. 71
Her demise 72 was astonishing, 73
and there was no one to comfort her.
She cried, “Look, 74 O Lord, on my 75 affliction
because my 76 enemy boasts!”
י (Yod)
1:10 An enemy grabbed 77
all her valuables. 78
Indeed she watched in horror 79 as Gentiles 80
invaded her holy temple 81 –
those whom you 82 had commanded:
“They must not enter 83 your assembly place.” 84
כ (Kaf)
1:11 All her people groaned
as they searched for a morsel of bread. 85
They exchanged 86 their valuables 87
for 88 just enough food
to stay alive. 89
“Look, O Lord! Consider 90
that I have become worthless!”
ל (Lamed)
1:12 Is it nothing to you, 91 all you who pass by on the road? 92
Look and see!
Is there any pain like mine?
The Lord 93 has afflicted me, 94
he 95 has inflicted it on me
when 96 he burned with anger. 97
מ (Mem)
1:13 He sent down fire 98
into my bones, and it overcame 99 them.
He spread out a trapper’s net 100 for my feet;
he made me turn back.
He has made me desolate;
I am faint all day long.
נ (Nun)
1:14 My sins are bound around my neck like a yoke; 101
they are fastened together by his hand.
He has placed his yoke 102 on my neck; 103
he has sapped my strength. 104
The Lord 105 has handed me over 106
to those whom I cannot resist.
ס (Samek)
1:15 He rounded up 107 all my mighty ones; 108
The Lord 109 did this 110 in 111 my midst.
He summoned an assembly 112 against me
to shatter my young men.
The Lord has stomped like grapes 113
the virgin daughter, Judah. 114
ע (Ayin)
1:16 I weep because of these things;
my eyes 115 flow with tears. 116
For there is no one in sight who can comfort me 117
or encourage me. 118
My children 119 are desolated 120
because an enemy has prevailed.
פ (Pe)
1:17 Zion spread out her hands,
but there is no one to comfort her.
The Lord has issued a decree against Jacob;
his neighbors 121 have become his enemies.
Jerusalem has become
like filthy garbage 122 in their midst. 123
צ (Tsade)
1:18 The Lord is right to judge me! 124
Yes, I rebelled against his commands. 125
Please listen, all you nations, 126
and look at my suffering!
My young women and men
have gone into exile.
ק (Qof)
1:19 I called for my lovers, 127
but they had deceived me.
My priests and my elders
perished in the city.
Truly they had 128 searched for food
to 129 keep themselves 130 alive. 131
ר (Resh)
1:20 Look, O Lord! I am distressed; 132
my stomach is in knots! 133
My heart is pounding 134 inside me.
Yes, I was terribly rebellious! 135
Out in the street the sword bereaves a mother of her children; 136
Inside the house death is present. 137
ש (Sin/Shin)
1:21 They have heard 138 that I groan,
yet there is no one to comfort me.
All my enemies have heard of my trouble;
they are glad that you 139 have brought it about. 140
Bring about 141 the day of judgment 142 that you promised 143
so that 144 they may end up 145 like me!
ת (Tav)
1:22 Let all their wickedness come before you;
afflict 146 them
just as you have afflicted 147 me 148
because of all my acts of rebellion. 149
For my groans are many,
and my heart is sick with sorrow. 150