Lamentations 1 - Contemporary English Version (CEV)

Lonely Jerusalem

The Prophet Speaks:

1 (A) Jerusalem, once so crowded,
lies deserted and lonely.
This city that was known
all over the world
is now like a widow.
This queen of the nations
has been made a slave.
2 Each night, bitter tears
flood her cheeks.
None of her former lovers
are there to offer comfort;
her friends[a] have betrayed her
and are now her enemies.

3 The people of Judah are slaves,
suffering in a foreign land,
with no rest from sorrow.
Their enemies captured them
and were terribly cruel.[b]
4 The roads to Zion mourn
because no one travels there
to celebrate the festivals.
The city gates are deserted;
priests are weeping.
Young women are raped;[c]
Zion is in sorrow!
5 Enemies now rule the city
and live as they please.
The Lord has punished Jerusalem
because of her awful sins;
he has let her people
be dragged away.

6 Zion's glory has disappeared.
Her leaders are like deer
that cannot find pasture;
they are hunted down
till their strength is gone.
7 Her people recall the good life
that once was theirs;
now they suffer
and are scattered.
No one was there to protect them
from their enemies who sneered
when their city was taken.

8 Jerusalem's horrible sins
have made the city a joke.
Those who once admired her
now hate her instead—
she has been disgraced;
she groans and turns away.

9 Her sins had made her filthy,
but she wasn't worried
about what could happen.
And when Jerusalem fell,
it was so tragic.
No one gave her comfort
when she cried out,
“Help! I'm in trouble, Lord!
The enemy has won.”

10 Zion's treasures were stolen.
Jerusalem saw foreigners
enter her place of worship,
though the Lord
had forbidden them
to belong to his people.[d]
11 Everyone in the city groans
while searching for food;
they trade their valuables
for barely enough scraps
to stay alive.

Jerusalem Speaks:

Jerusalem shouts to the Lord,
“Please look and see
how miserable I am!”
12 No passerby even cares.[e]
Why doesn't someone notice
my terrible sufferings?
You were fiercely angry, Lord,
and you punished me
worst of all.
13 From heaven you sent a fire
that burned in my bones;
you set a trap for my feet
and made me turn back.
All day long you leave me
in shock from constant pain.
14 You have tied my sins
around my neck,[f]
and they weigh so heavily
that my strength is gone.
You have put me in the power
of enemies too strong for me.

15 You, Lord, have turned back
my warriors and crushed
my young heroes.
Judah was a woman untouched,
but you let her be trampled
like grapes in a wine pit.
16 Because of this, I mourn,
and tears flood my eyes.
No one is here to comfort
or to encourage me;
we have lost the war—
my people are suffering.

The Prophet Speaks:

17 Zion reaches out her hands,
but no one offers comfort.
The Lord has turned
the neighboring nations
against Jacob's descendants.
Jerusalem is merely a filthy rag
to her neighbors.

Jerusalem Speaks:

18 The Lord was right,
but I refused to obey him.
Now I ask all of you to look
at my sufferings—
even my young people
have been dragged away.
19 I called out to my lovers,
but they betrayed me.
My priests and my leaders died
while searching the city
for scraps of food.

20 Won't you look and see
how upset I am, our Lord?
My stomach is in knots,
and my heart is broken
because I betrayed you.
In the streets and at home,
my people are slaughtered.

21 Everyone heard my groaning,
but no one offered comfort.
My enemies know of the trouble
that you have brought on me,
and it makes them glad.
Hurry and punish them,
as you have promised.
22 Don't let their evil deeds
escape your sight.
Punish them as much
as you have punished me
because of my sins.
I never stop groaning—
I've lost all hope!

Footnotes

  1. 1.2 lovers … friends: Israel's former allies.
  2. 1.3 Their … cruel: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
  3. 1.4 raped: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
  4. 1.10 to … people: Or “to enter his temple.”
  5. 1.12 No … cares: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
  6. 1.14 You … neck: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.

Cross references

  1. 1.1 : Ba 4.12.

You Might Also Like:

Lamentations 1 - Young's Literal Translation (YLT)

1 How hath she sat alone, The city abounding with people! She hath been as a widow, The mighty among nations! Princes among provinces, She hath become tributary! 2 She weepeth sore in the night, And her tear [is] on her cheeks, There is no comforter for her out of all her lovers, All her friends dea...
Read More

Lamentations 1 - Wycliffe Bible (WYC)

1 How sitteth alone the city (that once was so) full of people? the lady of folks is made as a widow; the princess of provinces is made under tribute. (How the city now sitteth alone, or empty, that once was so full of people! the lady of nations is made like a widow; the princess of provinces is pu...
Read More

Lamentations 1 - World English Bible (WEB)

1 How the city sits solitary, that was full of people!She has become as a widow, who was great among the nations!She who was a princess among the provinces has become a slave! 2 She weeps bitterly in the night. Her tears are on her cheeks.Among all her lovers she has no one to comfort her.All her fr...
Read More

Lamentations 1 - The Voice (VOICE)

1 [a] Aaghh! Lonely is this city that once bustled with life;Cheer is empty; like a widow, she is abandoned and oh, so lonely.She who was a princess, great among the nations, has lost everything and been forced to serve as a slave. 2 Bawling, she weeps without constraint every night, cries herself t...
Read More

Lamentations 1 - Tree of Life Version (TLV)

Song of Jerusalem’s Groaning1 How lonely sits the city, once so full of people! She who was once great among the nations has become like a widow. The princess among the provinces has become a forced laborer.2 Bitterly she weeps in the night, her tears are on her cheeks. Among all her lovers, there i...
Read More

Lamentations 1 - Revised Standard Version (RSV)

The Deserted City1 How lonely sits the citythat was full of people!How like a widow has she become, she that was great among the nations!She that was a princess among the cities has become a vassal. 2 She weeps bitterly in the night, tears on her cheeks;among all her lovers she has none to comfort h...
Read More

Lamentations 1 - New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised (NRSVA)

The Deserted City1 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 ...
Read More

Lamentations 1 - New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

The Deserted City1 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 subject to forced labor.(A)2 She weeps bitterly in the night, with tears on her cheeks;among all her l...
Read More

Lamentations 1 - New Living Translation (NLT)

Sorrow in Jerusalem1 Jerusalem, once so full of people, is now deserted.She who was once great among the nations now sits alone like a widow.Once the queen of all the earth, she is now a slave. 2 She sobs through the night; tears stream down her cheeks.Among all her lovers, there is no one left to c...
Read More

Lamentations 1 - New Life Version (NLV)

Jerusalem’s Sorrows1 How empty is the city that was once full of people! She was once great among the nations. But now she has become like a woman whose husband has died. She who was once a queen among the cities has become a servant made to work. 2 She cries hard in the night, with tears on her fa...
Read More

Lamentations 1 - New King James Version (NKJV)

Jerusalem in Affliction1 How lonely sits the cityThat was full of people!(A)How like a widow is she,Who was great among the nations!The (B)princess among the provincesHas become a [a]slave! 2 She (C)weeps bitterly in the (D)night,Her tears are on her cheeks;Among all her loversShe has none to comfor...
Read More

Lamentations 1 - New International Version - UK (NIVUK)

1 [a]How deserted lies the city, once so full of people!How like a widow is she, who once was great among the nations!She who was queen among the provinces has now become a slave. 2 Bitterly she weeps at night, tears are on her cheeks.Among all her lovers there is no one to comfort her.All her frien...
Read More

Lamentations 1 - New International Version (NIV)

1 [a]How deserted(A) lies the city, once so full of people!(B)How like a widow(C) is she, who once was great(D) among the nations!She who was queen among the provinces has now become a slave.(E) 2 Bitterly she weeps(F) at night, tears are on her cheeks.Among all her lovers(G) there is no one to comf...
Read More

Lamentations 1 - New International Reader's Version (NIRV)

1 The city of Jerusalem is so empty! She used to be full of people.But now she’s like a woman whose husband has died. She used to be great among the nations.She was like a queen among the kingdoms. But now she is a slave. 2 Jerusalem weeps bitterly at night. Tears run down her cheeks. None of her fr...
Read More

Lamentations 1 - New Century Version (NCV)

Jerusalem Cries over Her Loss1 Jerusalem once was full of people, but now the city is empty.Jerusalem once was a great city among the nations, but now she[a] is like a widow.She was like a queen of all the other cities, but now she is a slave. 2 She cries loudly at night, and tears are on her cheeks...
Read More