¹   How lonely sits the city 
          that once was full of people! 
     How like a widow she has become, 
          she that was great among the nations! 
     She that was a princess among the provinces 
          has become a vassal.

²   She weeps bitterly in the night, 
          with tears 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 exile with suffering 
          and hard servitude; 
     she lives now among the nations, 
          and finds no resting place; 
     her pursuers have all overtaken her 
          in the midst of her distress.

⁴   The roads to Zion mourn, 
          for no one comes to the festivals; 
     all her gates are desolate, 
          her priests groan; 
     her young girls grieve, 
          and her lot is bitter. 

⁵   Her foes have become the masters, 
          her enemies prosper, 
     because the Lord has made her suffer 
          for the multitude of her transgressions; 
     her children have gone away, 
          captives before the foe.

⁶   From daughter Zion has departed 
          all her majesty. 
     Her princes have become like stags 
          that find no pasture; 
     they fled without strength 
          before the pursuer.

⁷   Jerusalem remembers, 
          in the days of her affliction and wandering, 
     all the precious things 
          that were hers in days of old. 
     When her people fell into the hand of the foe, 
          and there was no one to help her, 
     the foe looked on mocking 
          over her downfall.

⁸   Jerusalem sinned grievously, 
          so she has become a mockery; 
     all who honored her despise her, 
          for they have seen her nakedness; 
     she herself groans, 
          and turns her face away.

⁹   Her uncleanness was in her skirts; 
          she took no thought of her future; 
     her downfall was appalling, 
          with none to comfort her. 
     “O Lord, look at my affliction, 
          for the enemy has triumphed!”

¹⁰  Enemies have stretched out their hands 
          over all her precious things; 
     she has even seen the nations 
          invade her sanctuary, 
     those whom you forbade 
          to enter your congregation.

¹¹  All her people groan 
          as they search for bread; 
     they trade their treasures for food 
          to revive their strength. 
     Look, O Lord, and see 
          how worthless I have become.

¹²  Is it nothing to you, all you who pass by? 
          Look and see 
     if there is any sorrow like my sorrow, 
          which was brought upon me, 
     which the Lord inflicted 
          on the day of his fierce anger.