1How does the city sit solitary, 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! 2She weeps sore in the night, and her tears are on her cheeks; she has none to comfort her among all her lovers; all her friends have dealt treacherously with her, they are become her enemies. 3Yehudah is gone into exile because of affliction, and because of great servitude; she dwells among the nations, she finds no rest; all her pursuers overtook her within the straits. 4The ways of Tzion do mourn, because none come to the Mo’ed; all her gates are desolate, her kohanim sigh; her virgins are afflicted, and she herself is in bitterness. 5Her adversaries are become the head, her enemies are at ease; for יהוה has afflicted her for the multitude of her transgressions; her young children are gone into captivity before the adversary. 6And gone from the daughter of Tzion is all her splendor; her princes are become like harts that find no pasture, and they are gone without strength before the pursuer. 7Yerushalayim remembers in the days of her affliction and of her anguish all her treasures that she had from the days of old; now that her people fall by the hand of the adversary, and none does help her, the adversaries have seen her, they have mocked at her desolations. 8Yerushalayim has grievously sinned, therefore she is become as one unclean; all that honored her despise her, because they have seen her nakedness; she herself also sighs, and turns backward. 9Her filthiness was in her skirts, she was not mindful of her end; therefore is she come down wonderfully, she has no comforter. ‘Behold, O יהוה , my affliction, for the enemy has magnified himself.” 10The adversary has spread out his hand upon all her treasures; for she has seen that the heathen are entered into her Mikdash, concerning whom You did command that they should not enter into your congregation. 11All her people sigh, they seek bread; they have given their pleasant things for food to refresh the soul. “See, O יהוה , and behold, how abject I am become.” 12“Let it not come unto you, all you that pass by! Behold, and see if there is any pain like unto my pain, which is done unto me, wherewith יהוה has afflicted me in the day of His fierce anger. 13From on high has He sent fire into my bones, and it prevails against them; He has spread a net for my feet, He has turned me back; He has made me desolate and faint all the day. 14The yoke of my transgressions is impressed by His hand; they are knit together, they are come up upon my neck; He has made my strength to fail; Adonai has delivered me into their hands, against whom I am not able to stand. 15Adonai has set at nought all my mighty men in the midst of me; He has called an appointed time against me to crush my young men; Adonai has trodden as in a winepress the virgin, Bat Yehudah.” 16“For these things I weep; my eye, my eye runs down with water; because the comforter is far from me, even he that should refresh my soul; my children are desolate, because the enemy has prevailed.” 17Tzion spreads forth her hands; there is none to comfort her; יהוה has commanded concerning Ya’akov, that they that are round about him should be his adversaries; Yerushalayim is among them as one unclean. 18” יהוה is a Tzadik; for I have rebelled against His direction; hear, I pray, all you peoples, and behold my pain: my virgins and my young men are gone into captivity. 19I called for my lovers, but they deceived me; my kohanim and my z’kenim perished in the city, while they sought them food to refresh their souls. 20Behold, O יהוה , for I am in distress, my inwards burn; my heart is turned within me, for I have grievously rebelled. Abroad the sword bereaves, at home there is the like of death. 21They have heard that I sigh, there is none to comfort me; all my enemies have heard of my trouble, and are glad, for You have done it; You will bring the day that You have proclaimed, and they shall be like unto me. 22Let all their wickedness come before you; and do unto them as You have done unto me for all my transgressions; for my sighs are many and my heart is faint.”
אאֵיכָה יָשְׁבָה בָדָד הָעִיר רַבָּתִי עָם הָיְתָה כְּאַלְמָנָה; רַבָּתִי בַגּוֹיִם שָׂרָתִי בַּמְּדִינוֹת הָיְתָה לָמַס. בבָּכוֹ תִבְכֶּה בַּלַּיְלָה וְדִמְעָתָהּ עַל לֶחֱיָהּ אֵין לָהּ מְנַחֵם מִכָּל אֹהֲבֶיהָ: כָּל רֵעֶיהָ בָּגְדוּ בָהּ הָיוּ לָהּ לְאֹיְבִים. גגָּלְתָה יְהוּדָה מֵעֹנִי וּמֵרֹב עֲבֹדָה הִיא יָשְׁבָה בַגּוֹיִם לֹא מָצְאָה מָנוֹחַ; כָּל רֹדְפֶיהָ הִשִּׂיגוּהָ בֵּין הַמְּצָרִים. דדַּרְכֵי צִיּוֹן אֲבֵלוֹת מִבְּלִי בָּאֵי מוֹעֵד כָּל שְׁעָרֶיהָ שׁוֹמֵמִין כֹּהֲנֶיהָ נֶאֱנָחִים; בְּתוּלֹתֶיהָ נּוּגוֹת וְהִיא מַר לָהּ. ההָיוּ צָרֶיהָ לְרֹאשׁ אֹיְבֶיהָ שָׁלוּ כִּי יהוה הוֹגָהּ עַל רֹב פְּשָׁעֶיהָ; עוֹלָלֶיהָ הָלְכוּ שְׁבִי לִפְנֵי צָר. ווַיֵּצֵא מן בת (מִבַּת) צִיּוֹן כָּל הֲדָרָהּ; הָיוּ שָׂרֶיהָ כְּאַיָּלִים לֹא מָצְאוּ מִרְעֶה וַיֵּלְכוּ בְלֹא כֹחַ לִפְנֵי רוֹדֵף. זזָכְרָה יְרוּשָׁלִַם יְמֵי עָנְיָהּ וּמְרוּדֶיהָ כֹּל מַחֲמֻדֶיהָ אֲשֶׁר הָיוּ מִימֵי קֶדֶם; בִּנְפֹל עַמָּהּ בְּיַד צָר וְאֵין עוֹזֵר לָהּ רָאוּהָ צָרִים שָׂחֲקוּ עַל מִשְׁבַּתֶּהָ. חחֵטְא חָטְאָה יְרוּשָׁלִַם עַל כֵּן לְנִידָה הָיָתָה; כָּל מְכַבְּדֶיהָ הִזִּילוּהָ כִּי רָאוּ עֶרְוָתָהּ גַּם הִיא נֶאֶנְחָה וַתָּשָׁב אָחוֹר. טטֻמְאָתָהּ בְּשׁוּלֶיהָ לֹא זָכְרָה אַחֲרִיתָהּ וַתֵּרֶד פְּלָאִים אֵין מְנַחֵם לָהּ; רְאֵה יהוה אֶת עָנְיִי כִּי הִגְדִּיל אוֹיֵב. ייָדוֹ פָּרַשׂ צָר עַל כָּל מַחֲמַדֶּיהָ: כִּי רָאֲתָה גוֹיִם בָּאוּ מִקְדָּשָׁהּ אֲשֶׁר צִוִּיתָה לֹא יָבֹאוּ בַקָּהָל לָךְ. יאכָּל עַמָּהּ נֶאֱנָחִים מְבַקְשִׁים לֶחֶם נָתְנוּ מחמודיהם (מַחֲמַדֵּיהֶם) בְּאֹכֶל לְהָשִׁיב נָפֶשׁ; רְאֵה יהוה וְהַבִּיטָה כִּי הָיִיתִי זוֹלֵלָה. יבלוֹא אֲלֵיכֶם כָּל עֹבְרֵי דֶרֶךְ הַבִּיטוּ וּרְאוּ אִם יֵשׁ מַכְאוֹב כְּמַכְאֹבִי אֲשֶׁר עוֹלַל לִי: אֲשֶׁר הוֹגָה יהוה בְּיוֹם חֲרוֹן אַפּוֹ. יגמִמָּרוֹם שָׁלַח אֵשׁ בְּעַצְמֹתַי וַיִּרְדֶּנָּה; פָּרַשׂ רֶשֶׁת לְרַגְלַי הֱשִׁיבַנִי אָחוֹר נְתָנַנִי שֹׁמֵמָה כָּל הַיּוֹם דָּוָה. ידנִשְׂקַד עֹל פְּשָׁעַי בְּיָדוֹ יִשְׂתָּרְגוּ עָלוּ עַל צַוָּארִי הִכְשִׁיל כֹּחִי; נְתָנַנִי אֲדֹנָי בִּידֵי לֹא אוּכַל קוּם. טוסִלָּה כָל אַבִּירַי אֲדֹנָי בְּקִרְבִּי קָרָא עָלַי מוֹעֵד לִשְׁבֹּר בַּחוּרָי; גַּת דָּרַךְ אֲדֹנָי לִבְתוּלַת בַּת יְהוּדָה. טזעַל אֵלֶּה אֲנִי בוֹכִיָּה עֵינִי עֵינִי יֹרְדָה מַּיִם כִּי רָחַק מִמֶּנִּי מְנַחֵם מֵשִׁיב נַפְשִׁי; הָיוּ בָנַי שׁוֹמֵמִים כִּי גָבַר אוֹיֵב. יזפֵּרְשָׂה צִיּוֹן בְּיָדֶיהָ אֵין מְנַחֵם לָהּ צִוָּה יהוה לְיַעֲקֹב סְבִיבָיו צָרָיו; הָיְתָה יְרוּשָׁלִַם לְנִדָּה בֵּינֵיהֶם. יחצַדִּיק הוּא יהוה כִּי פִיהוּ מָרִיתִי; שִׁמְעוּ נָא כָל עמים (הָעַמִּים) וּרְאוּ מַכְאֹבִי בְּתוּלֹתַי וּבַחוּרַי הָלְכוּ בַשֶּׁבִי. יטקָרָאתִי לַמְאַהֲבַי הֵמָּה רִמּוּנִי כֹּהֲנַי וּזְקֵנַי בָּעִיר גָּוָעוּ: כִּי בִקְשׁוּ אֹכֶל לָמוֹ וְיָשִׁיבוּ אֶת נַפְשָׁם. כרְאֵה יהוה כִּי צַר לִי מֵעַי חֳמַרְמָרוּ נֶהְפַּךְ לִבִּי בְּקִרְבִּי כִּי מָרוֹ מָרִיתִי; מִחוּץ שִׁכְּלָה חֶרֶב בַּבַּיִת כַּמָּוֶת. כאשָׁמְעוּ כִּי נֶאֱנָחָה אָנִי אֵין מְנַחֵם לִי כָּל אֹיְבַי שָׁמְעוּ רָעָתִי שָׂשׂוּ כִּי אַתָּה עָשִׂיתָ; הֵבֵאתָ יוֹם קָרָאתָ וְיִהְיוּ כָמֹנִי. כבתָּבֹא כָל רָעָתָם לְפָנֶיךָ וְעוֹלֵל לָמוֹ כַּאֲשֶׁר עוֹלַלְתָּ לִי עַל כָּל פְּשָׁעָי: כִּי רַבּוֹת אַנְחֹתַי וְלִבִּי דַוָּי.
D'var יהוה , The Word of יהוה 