Lamentations 1
The Sorrows of Captive
Zion |
1 |
How doth the city sit solitary,
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that was full of people! |
How is she become as a widow! |
She that was great among the nations, |
and princess among the provinces, |
how is she become
tributary! |
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2 |
She weepeth sore in the night,
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and her tears are on her cheeks: |
among all her lovers she hath none to comfort her: |
all her friends have dealt treacherously with
her, |
they are become her
enemies. |
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3 |
Judah is gone into captivity
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because of affliction, and because of great
servitude: |
she dwelleth among the heathen, |
she findeth no rest: |
all her persecutors overtook her between the
straits. |
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4 |
The ways of Zion do mourn,
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because none come to the solemn feasts: |
all her gates are desolate: |
her priests sigh, her virgins are afflicted, |
and she is in
bitterness. |
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5 |
Her adversaries are the chief, her
enemies prosper;
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for the LORD hath afflicted her
for the multitude of her transgressions: |
her children are gone into captivity before the
enemy. |
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6 |
And from the daughter of Zion all her
beauty is departed:
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her princes are become like harts that find
no pasture, |
and they are gone without strength before the
pursuer. |
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7 |
Jerusalem remembered in the days of her
affliction and of her miseries
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all her pleasant things that she had in the days of
old, |
when her people fell into the hand of the enemy, and
none did help her: |
the adversaries saw her, and did mock at her
sabbaths. |
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8 |
Jerusalem hath grievously sinned;
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therefore she is removed: |
all that honored her despise her, |
because they have seen her nakedness: |
yea, she sigheth, and turneth
backward. |
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9 |
Her filthiness is in her
skirts;
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she remembereth not her last end; |
therefore she came down wonderfully: she had no
comforter. |
O LORD, behold my
affliction: |
for the enemy hath magnified himself. |
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10 |
The adversary hath spread out his hand
upon all her pleasant things:
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for she hath seen that the heathen entered
into her sanctuary, |
whom thou didst command that they should not
enter into thy
congregation. |
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11 |
All her people sigh, they seek bread;
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they have given their pleasant things for meat to
relieve the soul: |
see, O LORD, and consider; for
I am become
vile. |
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12 |
Is it nothing to you, all ye that
pass by?
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Behold, and see if there be any sorrow like unto my
sorrow, |
which is done unto me, |
wherewith the LORD hath
afflicted me in the day of his fierce
anger. |
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13 |
From above hath he sent fire into my
bones,
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and it prevaileth against them: |
he hath spread a net for my feet, |
he hath turned me back: |
he hath made me desolate and faint all the
day. |
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14 |
The yoke of my transgressions is bound by
his hand:
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they are wreathed, and come up upon my
neck: |
he hath made my strength to fall, |
the Lord hath delivered me into their hands, |
from whom I am not able to rise
up. |
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15 |
The Lord hath trodden under foot all my
mighty men in the midst of me:
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he hath called an assembly against me to crush my
young men: |
the Lord hath trodden the virgin, the daughter of
Judah, as in a
winepress. |
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16 |
For these things I weep;
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mine eye, mine eye runneth down with water, |
because the comforter that should relieve my soul is
far from me: |
my children are desolate, |
because the enemy
prevailed. |
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17 |
Zion spreadeth forth her hands,
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and there is none to comfort her: |
the LORD hath commanded
concerning Jacob, |
that his adversaries should be round
about him: |
Jerusalem is as a menstruous woman among
them. |
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18 |
The LORD is
righteous;
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for I have rebelled against his commandment: |
hear, I pray you, all people, |
and behold my sorrow: |
my virgins and my young men are gone into
captivity. |
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19 |
I called for my lovers, but they
deceived me:
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my priests and mine elders gave up the ghost in the
city, |
while they sought their meat to relieve their
souls. |
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20 |
Behold, O LORD; for
I am in distress:
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my bowels are troubled; |
mine heart is turned within me; |
for I have grievously rebelled: |
abroad the sword bereaveth, |
at home there is as
death. |
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21 |
They have heard that I sigh;
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there is none to comfort me: |
all mine enemies have heard of my trouble; |
they are glad that thou hast done it: |
thou wilt bring the day that thou hast
called, |
and they shall be like unto
me. |
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22 |
Let all their wickedness come before
thee;
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and do unto them, as thou hast done unto me for all
my transgressions: |
for my sighs are many, and my heart is faint. |
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