The Prophet Speaks:
א (Alef)
1Alas! The city once full of peoplenow sits all alone!The prominent lady among the nationshas become a widow!The princess who once ruled the provinceshas become a forced laborer!
ב (Bet)
2She weeps bitterly at night;tears stream down her cheeks.She has no one to comfort heramong all her lovers.All her friends have betrayed her;they have become her enemies.
ג (Gimel)
3Judah has departed into exileunder affliction and harsh oppression.She lives among the nations;she has found no resting place.All who pursued her overtook herin narrow straits.
ד (Dalet)
4The roads to Zion mournbecause no one travels to the festivals.All her city gates are deserted;her priests groan.Her virgins grieve;she is in bitter anguish!
ה (He)
5Her foes subjugated her;her enemies are at ease.For the Lord afflicted herbecause of her many acts of rebellion.Her children went awaycaptive before the enemy.
ו (Vav)
6All of Daughter Zion’s splendorhas departed.Her leaders became like deer;they found no pasture,so they were too exhausted to escapefrom the hunter.
ז (Zayin)
7Jerusalem remembers,when she became a poor homeless person,all her treasuresthat she owned in days of old.When her people fell into an enemy’s grip,none of her allies came to her rescue.Her enemies gloated over her;they sneered at her downfall.
ח (Khet)
8Jerusalem committed terrible sin;therefore she became an object of scorn.All who admired her have despised herbecause they have seen her nakedness.She groans aloudand turns away in shame.
ט (Tet)
9Her menstrual flow has soiled her clothing;she did not consider the consequences of her sin.Her demise was astonishing,and there was no one to comfort her.She cried, “Look, O Lord, on my afflictionbecause my enemy boasts!”
י (Yod)
10An enemy grabbedall her valuables.Indeed she watched in horror as Gentilesinvaded her holy temple –those whom you had commanded:“They must not enter your assembly place.”
כ (Kaf)
11All her people groanedas they searched for a morsel of bread.They exchanged their valuablesfor just enough foodto stay alive.Jerusalem Speaks:“Look, O Lord! Considerthat I have become worthless!”
ל (Lamed)
12Is it nothing to you, all you who pass by on the road?Look and see!Is there any pain like mine?The Lord has afflicted me,he has inflicted it on mewhen he burned with anger.
מ (Mem)
13He sent down fireinto my bones, and it overcame them.He spread out a trapper’s net for my feet;he made me turn back.He has made me desolate;I am faint all day long.
נ (Nun)
14My sins are bound around my neck like a yoke;they are fastened together by his hand.He has placed his yoke on my neck;he has sapped my strength.The Lord has handed me overto those whom I cannot resist.
ס (Samek)
15He rounded up all my mighty ones;The Lord did this in my midst.He summoned an assembly against meto shatter my young men.The Lord has stomped like grapesthe virgin daughter, Judah.
ע (Ayin)
16I weep because of these things;my eyes flow with tears.For there is no one in sight who can comfort meor encourage me.My children are desolatedbecause an enemy has prevailed.
The Prophet Speaks:
פ (Pe)
17Zion spread out her hands,but there is no one to comfort her.The Lord has issued a decree against Jacob;his neighbors have become his enemies.Jerusalem has becomelike filthy garbage in their midst.
Jerusalem Speaks:
צ (Tsade)
18The Lord is right to judge me!Yes, I rebelled against his commands.Please listen, all you nations,and look at my suffering!My young women and menhave gone into exile.
ק (Qof)
19I called for my lovers,but they had deceived me.My priests and my eldersperished in the city.Truly they had searched for foodto keep themselves alive.
ר (Resh)
20Look, O Lord! I am distressed;my stomach is in knots!My heart is pounding inside me.Yes, I was terribly rebellious!Out in the street the sword bereaves a mother of her children;Inside the house death is present.
ש (Sin/Shin)
21They have heard that I groan,yet there is no one to comfort me.All my enemies have heard of my trouble;they are glad that you have brought it about.Bring about the day of judgment that you promisedso that they may end up like me!
ת (Tav)
22Let all their wickedness come before you;afflict themjust as you have afflicted mebecause of all my acts of rebellion.For my groans are many,and my heart is sick with sorrow.