1 ARST Jerusalem was once full of people, but now it is completely deserted. Once it was a powerful nation, but now it is alone, like a widow. Once everyone in the world honored it like a king’ s daughter, but now it is like a slave. BSB BSB: How lonely lies the city, once so full of people! She who was great among the nations has become a widow. The princess of the provinces has become a slave.
2 ARST We in the city weep bitterly all during the nights, with tears flowing down our cheeks. We did not trust Yahweh to help us, and the people groups that we did trust failed to help us; none of those people comfort us now. All the people groups that were friends with us have betrayed us; they are all now our enemies. BSB BSB: She weeps aloud in the night, with tears upon her cheeks. Among all her lovers there is no one to comfort her. All her friends have betrayed her; they have become her enemies.
3 ARST The people of Judah have become poor and have suffered greatly. Almost all of our people were forced to leave our land. We now live in another country and we have no peace. When the people of Judah were unable to defend ourselves, that was when our enemies captured us. BSB BSB: Judah has gone into exile under affliction and harsh slavery; she dwells among the nations but finds no place to rest. All her pursuers have overtaken her in the midst of her distress.
4 ARST The roads to Mount Zion are empty because no one comes here to celebrate the sacred festivals any longer. No elders or leaders sit under the city gates to talk any more, and Jerusalem’ s priests groan in sorrow. The young women left in Jerusalem cry because they are suffering greatly. BSB BSB: The roads to Zion mourn, because no one comes to her appointed feasts. All her gates are deserted; her priests groan, her maidens grieve, and she herself is bitter with anguish.
5 ARST Our enemies are now masters of our city, and they prosper. Yahweh has punished us, the people of Jerusalem, because of all the sins that we have committed. Our enemies have taken all our children and made them go to other countries. BSB BSB: Her foes have become her masters; her enemies are at ease. For the LORD has brought her grief because of her many transgressions. Her children have gone away as captives before the enemy.
6 ARST Jerusalem was a beautiful city, but it is not beautiful now. The leaders of our city are like deer that are starving because they can find no grass to eat. They are very weak and cannot run from our enemies. BSB BSB: All the splendor has departed from the Daughter of Zion. Her princes are like deer that find no pasture; they lack the strength to flee in the face of the hunter.
7 ARST We, the people of Jerusalem, are sad and have no more homes to live in; we think about all the splendid things that once filled our city. But now our enemies have captured the city, and there is no one to help us. Our enemies destroyed our city and laughed while they were doing it. BSB BSB: 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 she received no help. Her enemies looked upon her, laughing at her downfall.
8 ARST We, the people of Jerusalem, have sinned very much; our city has become like a bloody rag between a woman’ s legs. Everyone who previously honored our city now despise it; they are like people who strip a woman bare and then mock her. Now we groan in the city; we are like a woman without clothes who tries to cover herself with her hands. BSB BSB: Jerusalem has sinned greatly; therefore she has become an object of scorn. All who honored her now despise her, for they have seen her nakedness; she herself groans and turns away.
9 ARST It is as if our city has become filthy because we have sinned so greatly; we did not think about how God would punish us. We did not imagine how we would suffer; there is no one to comfort us. We all call out to God,“Yahweh, look at how we are suffering because our enemies have defeated us!” BSB BSB: Her uncleanness stains her skirts; she did not consider her end. Her downfall was astounding; there was no one to comfort her. Look, O LORD, on my affliction, for the enemy has triumphed!
10 ARST Our enemies have taken away all our treasures, all the valuable things that we owned. People who do not worship you, Yahweh, are going into our sacred temple, where you had said no foreigner must go into the place where your people worship you. BSB BSB: The adversary has seized all her treasures. For she has seen the nations enter her sanctuary—those You had forbidden to enter Your assembly.
11 ARST All the people in the city cry out with pain while they search for food. They have given their most valuable things to get food to eat to restore their strength. Yahweh, look at me, no one values my life. BSB BSB: All her people groan as they search for bread. They have traded their treasures for food to keep themselves alive. Look, O LORD, and consider, for I have become despised.
12 ARST You people who pass by, you do not seem to care at all about what has happened to me. Look around and see that there are no other people who are suffering as I do. Yahweh has caused me to suffer because he has punished me on the day he was angry with us, his people. BSB BSB: Is this nothing to you, all you who pass by? Look around and see! Is there any sorrow like mine, which was inflicted on me, which the LORD made me suffer on the day of His fierce anger?
13 ARST It is as though he sent a fire from heaven that burned in my bones; it is as though he has placed a trap to entangle my feet, and made me turn back. He has abandoned me; I am weak and alone every day, all during the day. BSB BSB: He sent fire from on high, and it overpowered my bones. He spread a net for my feet and turned me back. He made me desolate, faint all the day long.
14 ARST He turned the sins that I have committed into a heavy load for me to carry; it is as though he tied them around my neck. Previously we were strong, but he has caused me to become weak. He has allowed my enemies to capture me, and I was not able to do anything to resist them. BSB BSB: My transgressions are bound into a yoke, knit together by His hand; they are draped over my neck, and the Lord has broken my strength. He has delivered me into the hands of those I cannot withstand.
15 ARST The Lord looked at my mighty soldiers, who kept me safe. He summoned a great army to come and crush me to defeat my strong young soldiers. The Lord has trampled on the people of Judah as people trample on grapes in a pit to make juice. BSB BSB: The Lord has rejected all the mighty men in my midst; He has summoned an army against me to crush my young warriors. Like grapes in a winepress, the Lord has trampled the Virgin Daughter of Judah.
16 ARST I weep because of all these things. My eyes are filled with tears. There is no one to comfort me. The one who comforts me is far away from me. My children have no hope because the enemy has taken us all captive. BSB BSB: For these things I weep; my eyes flow with tears. For there is no one nearby to comfort me, no one to revive my soul. My children are destitute because the enemy has prevailed.
17 ARST The people who lived in Zion(the city of Jerusalem) have no one to give them comfort. Yahweh has given the order that the people in nearby nations will become the enemies of the descendants of our father Jacob(who are also called the Israelites). Jerusalem has become disgusting to them. BSB BSB: Zion stretches out her hands, but there is no one to comfort her. The LORD has decreed against Jacob that his neighbors become his foes. Jerusalem has become an unclean thing among them.
18 ARST But what Yahweh has done to me is fair, for I had refused to obey what he told me to do. You people everywhere, listen to me! Look and see that I am suffering greatly. My young daughters and brave sons have been taken away to far off lands. BSB BSB: The LORD is righteous, yet I rebelled against His command. Listen, all you people; look upon my suffering. My young men and maidens have gone into captivity.
19 ARST I pleaded with our allies, in whom we trusted, to help, but they all refused, they told lies and did not keep their promises. My priests and my leaders died within the walls of the city while they searched for food to eat. BSB BSB: I called out to my lovers, but they have betrayed me. My priests and elders perished in the city while they searched for food to keep themselves alive.
20 ARST Yahweh, see that I am suffering very much! Inside of my body I am in great distress. I am sad in the center of my being, because I have rebelled against you and have caused you great sadness! Our enemies kill people in the streets with their swords; and that makes our homes the places where the dead are kept. BSB BSB: See, O LORD, how distressed I am! I am churning within; my heart is pounding within me, for I have been most rebellious. Outside, the sword bereaves; inside, there is death.
21 ARST Hear my groaning! but no one came to comfort me. All our enemies know what happened to me; they were all happy to hear about what Yahweh has done to his people. Please do soon what you have promised, when our enemies will suffer like we have suffered! BSB BSB: People have heard my groaning, but there is no one to comfort me. All my enemies have heard of my trouble; they are glad that You have caused it. May You bring the day You have announced, so that they may become like me.
22 ARST Yahweh, let those evil deeds come near to you so you may see them all! Punish them as you have punished me for all my sins! I suffer and groan very much, and I faint within my inner self. BSB BSB: Let all their wickedness come before You, and deal with them as You have dealt with me because of all my transgressions. For my groans are many, and my heart is faint.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.