א (Alef) 1
1:1 2 Alas! 3 The city once full of people 4
now sits all alone! 5
The prominent 6 lady among the nations
has become a widow! 7
The princess 8 who once ruled the provinces 9
has become 10 a forced laborer! 11
ב (Bet)
1:2 She weeps bitterly at night;
tears stream down her cheeks. 12
She has no one to comfort her
among all her lovers. 13
All her friends have betrayed her;
they have become her enemies.
ג (Gimel)
1:3 Judah 14 has departed into exile
under 15 affliction and harsh oppression. 16
She 17 lives among the nations;
she has found no resting place.
All who pursued her overtook her
in 18 narrow straits. 19
ד (Dalet)
1:4 The roads to Zion 20 mourn 21
because no one 22 travels to the festivals. 23
All her city gates 24 are deserted; 25
her priests groan. 26
Her virgins grieve; 27
she is in bitter anguish! 28
ה (He)
1:5 Her foes subjugated her; 29
her enemies are at ease. 30
For the Lord afflicted her
because of her many acts of rebellion. 31
Her children went away
captive 32 before the enemy.
ו (Vav)
1:6 All of Daughter Zion’s 33 splendor 34
has departed. 35
Her leaders became like deer;
they found no pasture,
so they were too exhausted to escape 36
from the hunter. 37
ז (Zayin)
1:7 Jerusalem 38 remembers, 39
when 40 she became a poor homeless person, 41
all her treasures
that she owned in days of old. 42
When her people fell into an enemy’s grip, 43
none of her allies came to her rescue. 44
Her enemies 45 gloated over 46 her;
they sneered 47 at her downfall. 48
ח (Khet)
1:8 Jerusalem committed terrible sin; 49
therefore she became an object of scorn. 50
All who admired 51 her have despised her 52
because they have seen her nakedness. 53
She groans aloud 54
and turns away in shame. 55
ט (Tet)
1:9 Her menstrual flow 56 has soiled 57 her clothing; 58
she did not consider 59 the consequences of her sin. 60
Her demise 61 was astonishing, 62
and there was no one to comfort her.
She cried, “Look, 63 O Lord, on my 64 affliction
because my 65 enemy boasts!”
י (Yod)
1:10 An enemy grabbed 66
all her valuables. 67
Indeed she watched in horror 68 as Gentiles 69
invaded her holy temple 70 –
those whom you 71 had commanded:
“They must not enter 72 your assembly place.” 73
כ (Kaf)
1:11 All her people groaned
as they searched for a morsel of bread. 74
They exchanged 75 their valuables 76
for 77 just enough food
to stay alive. 78
“Look, O Lord! Consider 79
that I have become worthless!”