1 How hath the Lord covered the daughter of Zion with a cloud in his anger, and cast down from heaven unto the earth the beauty of Israel, and remembered not his footstool in the day of his anger!

2 The Lord hath swallowed up all the habitations of Jacob, and hath not pitied: he hath thrown down in his wrath the strong holds of the daughter of Judah; he hath brought them down to the ground: he hath polluted the kingdom and the princes thereof.

3 He hath cut off in his fierce anger all the horn of Israel: he hath drawn back his right hand from before the enemy, and he burned against Jacob like a flaming fire, which devoureth round about.

4 He hath bent his bow like an enemy: he stood with his right hand as an adversary, and slew all that were pleasant to the eye in the tabernacle of the daughter of Zion: he poured out his fury like fire.

5 The Lord was as an enemy: he hath swallowed up Israel, he hath swallowed up all her palaces: he hath destroyed his strong holds, and hath increased in the daughter of Judah mourning and lamentation.

6 And he hath violently taken away his tabernacle, as if it were of a garden: he hath destroyed his places of the assembly: the LORD hath caused the solemn feasts and sabbaths to be forgotten in Zion, and hath despised in the indignation of his anger the king and the priest.

7 The Lord hath cast off his altar, he hath abhorred his sanctuary, he hath given up into the hand of the enemy the walls of her palaces; they have made a noise in the house of the LORD, as in the day of a solemn feast.

8 The LORD hath purposed to destroy the wall of the daughter of Zion: he hath stretched out a line, he hath not withdrawn his hand from destroying: therefore he made the rampart and the wall to lament; they languished together.

9 Her gates are sunk into the ground; he hath destroyed and broken her bars: her king and her princes are among the Gentiles: the law is no more; her prophets also find no vision from the LORD.

10 The elders of the daughter of Zion sit upon the ground, and keep silence: they have cast up dust upon their heads; they have girded themselves with sackcloth: the virgins of Jerusalem hang down their heads to the ground.

11 Mine eyes do fail with tears, my bowels are troubled, my liver is poured upon the earth, for the destruction of the daughter of my people; because the children and the sucklings swoon in the streets of the city.

12 They say to their mothers, Where is corn and wine? when they swooned as the wounded in the streets of the city, when their soul was poured out into their mothers' bosom.

13 What thing shall I take to witness for thee? what thing shall I liken to thee, O daughter of Jerusalem? what shall I equal to thee, that I may comfort thee, O virgin daughter of Zion? for thy breach is great like the sea: who can heal thee?

14 Thy prophets have seen vain and foolish things for thee: and they have not discovered thine iniquity, to turn away thy captivity; but have seen for thee false burdens and causes of banishment.

15 All that pass by clap their hands at thee; they hiss and wag their head at the daughter of Jerusalem, saying, Is this the city that men call The perfection of beauty, The joy of the whole earth?

16 All thine enemies have opened their mouth against thee: they hiss and gnash the teeth: they say, We have swallowed her up: certainly this is the day that we looked for; we have found, we have seen it.

17 The LORD hath done that which he had devised; he hath fulfilled his word that he had commanded in the days of old: he hath thrown down, and hath not pitied: and he hath caused thine enemy to rejoice over thee, he hath set up the horn of thine adversaries.

18 Their heart cried unto the Lord, O wall of the daughter of Zion, let tears run down like a river day and night: give thyself no rest; let not the apple of thine eye cease.

19 Arise, cry out in the night: in the beginning of the watches pour out thine heart like water before the face of the Lord: lift up thy hands toward him for the life of thy young children, that faint for hunger in the top of every street.

20 Behold, O LORD, and consider to whom thou hast done this. Shall the women eat their fruit, and children of a span long? shall the priest and the prophet be slain in the sanctuary of the Lord?

21 The young and the old lie on the ground in the streets: my virgins and my young men are fallen by the sword; thou hast slain them in the day of thine anger; thou hast killed, and not pitied.

22 Thou hast called as in a solemn day my terrors round about, so that in the day of the LORD'S anger none escaped nor remained: those that I have swaddled and brought up hath mine enemy consumed.

1 How hath the Lord couered the daughter of Zion with a cloud, in his anger, and cast downe from heauen vnto the earth the beautie of Israel, and remembred not his footstoole in the day of his anger?

2 The Lord hath swallowed vp all the habitations of Iacob, and hath not pitied: he hath throwen downe in his wrath the strong holds of the daughter of Iudah: he hath brought them down to the ground: hee hath polluted the kingdome and the princes thereof.

3 He hath cut off in his fierce anger all the horne of Israel: he hath drawen backe his right hand from before the enemy, and he burned against Iacob like a flaming fire which deuoureth round about.

4 He hath bent his bow like an enemy: he stood with his right hand as an aduersary, and slew all that were pleasant to the eye, in the tabernacle of the daughter of Zion: he powred out his furie like fire.

5 The Lord was an enemie: he hath swallowed vp Israel, hee hath swallowed vp all her palaces: he hath destroyed his strong holds, and hath increased in the daughter of Iudah mourning and lamentation.

6 And he hath violently taken away his tabernacle, as if it were of a garden, hee hath destroyed his places of the assembly: the Lord hath caused the solemne feasts and Sabbaths to be forgotten in Zion, and hath despised in the indignation of his anger the King and the Priest.

7 The Lord hath cast off his Altar: hee hath abhorred his Sanctuarie: he hath giuen vp into the hand of the enemie the walles of her palaces: they haue made a noise in the house of the Lord, as in the day of a solemne Feast.

8 The Lord hath purposed to destroy the wall of the daughter of Zion: he hath stretched out a line: he hath not withdrawen his hand from destroying: therefore hee made the rampart and the wall to lament: they languished together.

9 Her gates are sunke into the ground: he hath destroyed and broken her barres: her King and her Princes are among the Gentiles: the Law is no more, her prophets also finde no vision from the Lord.

10 The Elders of the daughter of Zion sit vpon the ground and keepe silence: they haue cast vp dust vpon their heads: they haue girded themselues with sackcloth: the virgins of Ierusalem hang downe their heades to the ground.

11 Mine eyes doe faile with teares: my bowels are troubled: my liuer is powred vpon the earth, for the destruction of the daughter of my people, because the children and the sucklings swoone in the streets of the citie.

12 They say to their mothers, Where is corne and wine? when they swooned as the wounded in the streets of the citie, when their soule was powred out into their mothers bosome.

13 What thing shall I take to witnesse for thee? what thing shall I liken to thee, O daughter of Ierusalem? what shall I equal to thee, that I may comfort thee, O Uirgin daughter of Zion? for thy breach is great like the sea: who can heale thee?

14 Thy Prophets haue seene vaine and foolish things for thee, and they haue not discouered thine iniquitie, to turne away thy captiuitie: but haue seene for thee false burdens, and causes of banishment.

15 All that passe by, clap their hands at thee: they hisse and wagge their head at the daughter of Ierusalem, saying, Is this the citie that men call the perfection of beauty, the ioy of the whole earth?

16 All thine enemies haue opened their mouth against thee: they hisse and gnash the teeth: they say, We haue swallowed her vp: certainly this is the day that we looked for: we haue found, we haue seene it.

17 The Lord hath done that which he had deuised: he hath fulfilled his word that he had commanded in the dayes of old: hee hath throwen downe and hath not pitied: and he hath caused thine enemie to reioyce ouer thee, hee hath set vp the horne of thine aduersaries.

18 Their heart cried vnto the Lord, O wall of the daughter of Zion, let teares runne downe like a riuer, day and night: giue thy selfe no rest, let not the apple of thine eyes cease.

19 Arise, cry out in the night: in the beginning of the watches powre out thine heart like water before the face of the Lord: lift vp thy handes toward him, for the life of thy yong children, that faint for hunger in the top of euery streete.

20 Behold, O Lord, and consider to whom thou hast done this: shal the women eat their fruit, and children of a spanne long? shall the priest and the prophet be slaine in the Sanctuary of the Lord?

21 The yong and the old lye on the ground in the streets: my virgins and my yong men are fallen by the sword: thou hast slaine them in the day of thy anger: thou hast killed, and not pitied.

22 Thou hast called as in a solemne day my terrours round about, so that in the day of the Lords anger, none escaped nor remained: those that I haue swadled and brought vp, hath mine enemy consumed.

II == Ps 89:39 ; Lam 2:17 , 21 ; 3:43

III == Ps 74:11 ; 89:46

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

IV == Isa 63:10 ; Lam 2:5 ; Ezek 24:25

 

 

V == 2nd Kings 25:9 ; Lam 2:4 ; Jer 30:14 ; 52:13

 

 

 

VI == Ps 80:12 ; 89:40 ; Isa 1:8 ; 5:5 ; Lam 1:4 ; Zeph 3:18

 

 

 

VII == Ps 74:4

 

 

 

 

VIII == 2nd Kings 21:13 ; Isa 34:11

 

 

 

IX == Deut 28:36 ; 2nd Kings 24:15 ; 25:7 ; Jer 51:30

 

 

 

X == Isa 3:26 ; 15:3 ; Ezek 7:18 ; 27:31

 

 

XI == Ps 6:7 ; 22:14

 

 

XIII == Lam 1:12 ; Dan 9:12

 

 

 

XIV == Isa 58:1 ; Jer 2:8 ; 5:31 ; 14:14 ; 23:16 ; 27:14 ; 29:8-9 ; Ezek 13:2

 

XV == 1st Kings 9:8 ; 2nd Kings 19:21 ; Ps 44:14 ; 48:2 ; 50:2 ; Jer 18:16 ; Ezek 25:6 ; Nah 3:19

 

XVI == Job 16:9-10 ; Ps 22:13 ; 35:21 ; 56:2 ; Lam 3:46

XVII == Lev 26:16 ; Deut 28:15 ; Ps 38:16 ; 89:42 ; Lam 2:2

 

XVIII == Jer 14:17 ; Lam 1:16 ; 2:8

 

XIX == Ps 62:8 ; 119:147 ; Isa 51:20 ; Lam 2:11 ; 4:1 ; Nah 3:10

 

XX == Lev 26:29 ; Deut 28:52 ; Jer 19:9 ; Lam 4:10 , 13 , 16 ; Ezek 5:10

XXI == 2nd Chr 36:17 ; Lam 3:43

XXII == Job 16:8 ; Ps 31:13

1 How the Lord in his wrath has detested daughter Zion! He has cast down from heaven to earth the glory of Israel, Unmindful of his footstool on the day of his wrath.

2 The Lord has consumed without pity all the dwellings of Jacob; He has torn down in his anger the fortresses of daughter Judah; He has brought to the ground in dishonor her king and her princes.

3 He broke off, in fiery wrath, the horn that was Israel's whole strength; He withheld the support of his right hand when the enemy approached; He blazed up in Jacob like a flaming fire devouring all about it.

4 Like an enemy he made taut his bow; with his arrows in his right hand He took his stand as a foe, and slew all on whom the eye doted; Over the tent of daughter Zion he poured out his wrath like fire.

5 The Lord has become an enemy, he has consumed Israel: Consumed all her castles and destroyed her fortresses; For daughter Judah he has multiplied moaning and groaning.

6 He has demolished his shelter like a garden booth, he has destroyed his dwelling; In Zion the LORD has made feast and sabbath to be forgotten; He has scorned in fierce wrath both king and priest.

7 The Lord has disowned his altar, rejected his sanctuary; The walls of her towers he has handed over to the enemy, Who shout in the house of the LORD as on a feast day.

8 The LORD marked for destruction the wall of daughter Zion: He stretched out the measuring line; his hand brought ruin, yet he did not relent -  He brought grief on wall and rampart till both succumbed.

9 Sunk into the ground are her gates; he has removed and broken her bars. Her king and her princes are among the pagans; priestly instruction is wanting, And her prophets have not received any vision from the LORD.

10 On the ground in silence sit the old men of daughter Zion; They strew dust on their heads and gird themselves with sackcloth; The maidens of Jerusalem bow their heads to the ground.

11 Worn out from weeping are my eyes, within me all is in ferment; My gall is poured out on the ground because of the downfall of the daughter of my people, As child and infant faint away in the open spaces of the town.

12 They ask their mothers, "Where is the cereal?" - in vain, As they faint away like the wounded in the streets of the city, And breathe their last in their mothers' arms.

13 To what can I liken or compare you, O daughter Jerusalem? What example can I show you for your comfort, virgin daughter Zion? For great as the sea is your downfall; who can heal you?

14 Your prophets had for you false and specious visions; They did not lay bare your guilt, to avert your fate; They beheld for you in vision false and misleading portents.

15 All who pass by clap their hands at you; They hiss and wag their heads over daughter Jerusalem: "Is this the all-beautiful city, the joy of the whole earth?"

16 All your enemies open their mouths against you; They hiss and gnash their teeth. They say, "We have devoured her. This at last is the day we hoped for; we have lived to see it!"

17 The LORD has done as he decreed: he has fulfilled the threat He set forth from days of old; he has destroyed and had no pity, Letting the enemy gloat over you and exalting the horn of your foes.

18 Cry out to the Lord; moan, O daughter Zion! Let your tears flow like a torrent day and night; Let there be no respite for you, no repose for your eyes.

19 Rise up, shrill in the night, at the beginning of every watch; Pour out your heart like water in the presence of the Lord; Lift up your hands to him for the lives of your little ones (Who faint from hunger at the corner of every street).

20 "Look, O LORD, and consider: whom have you ever treated thus? Must women eat their offspring, their well-formed children? Are priest and prophet to be slain in the sanctuary of the LORD?

21 "Dead in the dust of the streets lie young and old; My maidens and young men have fallen by the sword; You have slain on the day of your wrath, slaughtered without pity.

22 "You summoned as for a feast day terrors against me from all sides; There was not, on the day of your wrath, either fugitive or survivor; Those whom I bore and reared my enemy has utterly destroyed."

v 1-10. Babylonians had wreaked destruction, but it was really the Lord  Who had systematically destroyed Jerusalem for sins. Even other prophets had become so corrupt that there was no message to them from the Lord.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

v 11,12. Jeremiah weeps that children & infants starve to death in mother’s arms.

 

 

 

v 13,14. There was no comforter, and false prophets had hastened destruction.

 

 

 

v 15-17. Enemies were taunting Jerusalem, but God had fulfilled His word.

 

 

 

 

 

 

v 18,19. The people, like Jeremiah, wept at the plight of the children.

 

 

 

 

v 20-22. The horror of the people resorting to cannibalism, Lev. 26;29 and other calamities in Deut. 28. The Babylonians were so angry at the resistance, they killed thousands, regardless of age or sex, and bloated bodies lay in the streets. This terror was God fulfilling his promises to Moses, v 17