1 How lonely lies Jerusalem, once so full of people!

Once honored by the world, she is now like a widow;

The noblest of cities has fallen into slavery.

2 All night long she cries; tears run down her cheeks.

Of all her former friends, not one is left to comfort her.

Her allies have betrayed her and are all against her now.

3 Judah's people are helpless slaves, forced away from home.

They live in other lands, with no place to call their own—

Surrounded by enemies, with no way to escape.

4 No one comes to the Temple now to worship on the holy days.

The young women who sang there suffer, and the priests can only groan.

The city gates stand empty, and Zion is in agony.

5 Her enemies succeeded; they hold her in their power.

The Lord has made her suffer for all her many sins;

Her children have been captured and taken away.

6 The splendor of Jerusalem is a thing of the past.

Her leaders are like deer that are weak from hunger,

Whose strength is almost gone as they flee from the hunters.