The Sorrows of Zion
How alonely sits the cityThat once had bmany people!She has become like a cwidowWho was once dgreat among the nations!She who was a princess among the 1provincesHas become a eforced laborer!Or districtsIs 3:26Is 22:2Is 54:41 Kin 4:21; Ezra 4:20; Jer 31:72 Kin 23:35; Jer 40:92 She aweeps bitterly in the night,And her tears are on her cheeks;She has no one to comfort herAmong all her blovers.All her friends have cdealt treacherously with her;They have become her enemies.Ps 6:6; 77:2-6; Lam 1:16Jer 2:25; 3:1; 22:20-22Job 19:13, 14; Ps 31:11; Mic 7:53 aJudah has gone into exile out of afflictionAnd 1harsh servitude;She lives bamong the nations,But she has not found a resting place;All those who cpursued her have overtaken herIn the midst of 2distress.Lit greatOr narrow placesJer 13:19Lev 26:39; Deut 28:64-672 Kin 25:4, 54 The roads 1of Zion are in mourningBecause ano one comes to an appointed feast.All her gates are bdeserted;Her priests groan,Her cvirgins are worried,And as for Zion herself, it is dbitter for her.Or toIs 24:4-6; Lam 2:6, 7Jer 9:11; 10:22Lam 2:10, 21Joel 1:8-135 Her adversaries have become 1her masters,Her enemies are 2secure;For the LORD has 3acaused her griefBecause of the multitude of her wrongdoings;Her little ones have gone awayAs captives 4led by the enemy.Lit headOr at easeOr tormented herLit beforePs 90:7, 8; Ezek 8:17, 18; 9:9, 106 All of her asplendorIs gone from the daughter of Zion;Her leaders have become like deerThat have found no pasture,And they have 1bfled without strength2From the pursuer.Lit goneLit BeforeJer 13:182 Kin 25:4, 57 In the days of her affliction and homelessnessaJerusalem remembers all her treasuresThat were hers since the days of old,When her people fell into the hand of the adversaryAnd bno one helped her.The adversaries saw her,They claughed at her 1ruin.Lit cessationPs 42:4; 77:5-9Jer 37:7; Lam 4:17Ps 79:4; Jer 48:278 Jerusalem sinned agreatly,Therefore bshe has become an 1object of ridicule.All who honored her despise herBecause they have seen her nakedness;Even cshe herself groans and turns away.Or abominationIs 59:2-13; Lam 1:5, 20Lam 1:17Lam 1:11, 21, 229 Her auncleanness was in her garment’s seams;She did not 1think of her bfuture.So she has 2cfallen in an astonishing way;dShe has no comforter.“eSee, LORD, my affliction,For the enemy has 3fhonored himself!”Or remember her final endLit gone downOr boastedJer 2:34; Ezek 24:13Deut 32:29; Is 47:7Is 3:8; Jer 13:17, 18Eccl 4:1; Jer 16:7Ps 25:18; 119:153Ps 74:23; Zeph 2:1010 The adversary has stretched out his handOver all her precious things,For she has seen the anations enter her sanctuary,The ones whom You commandedThat they were bnot to enter Your congregation.Ps 74:4-8; Is 64:10, 11; Jer 51:51Deut 23:311 All her people groan, aseeking bread;They have given their treasures for foodTo brestore their 1lives.“See, LORD, and look,For I am cdespised.”Lit soulJer 38:9; 52:61 Sam 30:12Jer 15:1912 “Is it anothing to all you who pass this way?Look and see if there is any pain like my painWhich was inflicted on me,With which the bLORD tormented me on the day of His cfierce anger.Jer 18:16; 48:27Jer 30:23, 24Is 13:13; Jer 4:813 “From 1the height He sent fire into my abones,And it dominated them.He has spread a bnet for my feet;He has turned me back;He has made me cdesolate,2Faint all day long.I.e., heavenOr SickJob 30:30; Ps 22:14; Hab 3:16Job 19:6; Ps 66:11Jer 44:614 “The ayoke of my wrongdoings is bound;By His hand they are woven together.They have bcome upon my neck;He has made my strength 1fail.The Lord chas handed me overTo those against whom I am not able to stand.Lit falterProv 5:22; Is 47:6Jer 28:13, 14Jer 32:3, 5; Ezek 25:4, 715 “The aLord has thrown away all my strong menIn my midst;He has called an appointed 1time against meTo crush my byoung men;The Lord has ctrodden as in a wine pressThe virgin daughter of Judah.Another reading is feastIs 41:2; Jer 13:24; 37:10Jer 6:11; 18:21Mal 4:316 “For these things I aweep;1My eyes run down with water;Because far from me is a bcomforter,One to restore my soul.My children are desolateBecause the enemy has prevailed.”Lit My eye, my eyeJer 14:17; Lam 2:11, 18; 3:48, 49Ps 69:20; Eccl 4:1; Lam 1:217 Zion astretches out with her hands;There is no one to comfort her;The LORD has bcommanded regarding JacobThat those around him become his adversaries;cJerusalem has become a filthy thing among them.Is 1:15; Jer 4:312 Kin 24:2-4; Jer 12:9Lam 1:818 “The LORD is arighteous,For I have brebelled against His 1command;Hear now, all peoples,And csee my pain;dMy virgins and my young menHave gone into captivity.Lit mouthPs 119:75; Jer 12:11 Sam 12:14, 15; Jer 4:17Lam 1:12Deut 28:32, 4119 “I acalled to my lovers, but they deserted me;My bpriests and my elders perished in the cityWhile they sought food to crestore their 1strength themselves.Lit soulJob 19:13-19; Lam 1:2Jer 14:15; Lam 2:20Lam 1:1120 “See, LORD, for I am in distress;My 1aspirit is greatly troubled;My heart is overturned within me,For I have been very brebellious.In the street the sword has made women childless;In the house it is like death.Lit inward parts are in fermentIs 16:11; Lam 2:11Jer 14:2021 “They have heard that I agroan;There is no one to comfort me,All my enemies have heard of my disaster;They are bjoyful that You have done it.Oh, that You would bring the day which You have proclaimed,So that they will become clike me.Lam 1:4, 8, 22Ps 35:15; Jer 50:11; Lam 2:15Is 14:5, 6; 47:6, 11; Jer 30:1622 “May all their wickedness come before You;And adeal with them just as You have dealt with meFor all my wrongdoings.For my groans are many and my heart is faint.”Neh 4:4, 5; Ps 137:7, 8