The Bible Lamentations Chapter 1
Lamentations 1
Θρῆνοι
1 Πῶς ἐκάθισε μόνη ἡ πόλις ἡ πεπληθυμμένη λαῶν; ἐγενήθη ὡς χήρα πεπληθυμμένη ἐν ἔθνεσιν, ἄρχουσα ἐν χώραις ἐγενήθη εἰς φόρον.
And it came to pass, after Israel was taken captive, and Jerusalem made desolate, [that] Jeremias sat weeping, and lamented [with] this lamentation over Jerusalem, and said, ALEPH. How does the city that was filled with people sit solitary! she is become as a widow: she that was magnified amongst the nations, [and] princess amongst the provinces, has become tributary.
2 Κλαίουσα ἔκλαυσεν ἐν νυκτί, καὶ τὰ δάκρυα αὐτῆς ἐπὶ τῶν σιαγόνων αὐτῆς, καὶ οὐχ ὑπάρχει ὁ παρακαλῶν αὐτὴν ἀπὸ πάντων τῶν ἀγαπώντων αὐτήν· πάντες οἱ φιλοῦντες αὐτὴν ἠθέτησαν ἐν αὐτῇ, ἐγένοντο αὐτῇ εἰς ἐχθρούς.
BETH. She weeps sore in the night, and her tears are on her cheeks; and there is none of all her lovers to comfort her: all that were her friends have dealt deceitfully with her, they are become her enemies.
3 Μετῳκίσθη Ἰουδαία ἀπὸ ταπεινώσεως αὐτῆς καὶ ἀπὸ πλήθους δουλείας αὐτῆς· ἐκάθισεν ἐν ἔθνεσιν, οὐχ εὗρεν ἀνάπαυσιν· πάντες οἱ καταδιώκοντες αὐτὴν κατέλαβον αὐτὴν ἀναμέσον τῶν θλιβόντων.
GIMEL. Judea is gone into captivity by reason of her affliction, and by reason of the abundance of her servitude: she dwells amongst the nations, she has not found rest: all her pursuers have overtaken her between her oppressors.
4 Ὁδοὶ Σιὼν πενθοῦσι παρὰ τὸ μὴ εἶναι ἐρχομένους ἐν ἑορτῇ· πᾶσαι αἱ πύλαι αὐτῆς ἠφανισμέναι, οἱ ἱερεῖς αὐτῆς ἀναστενάζουσιν, αἱ παρθένοι αὐτῆς ἀγόμεναι, καὶ αὐτὴ πικραινομένη ἐν ἑαυτῇ.
DALETH. The ways of Sion mourn, because there are none that come to the feast: all her gates are ruined: her priests groan, her virgins are led captive, and she is in bitterness in herself.
5 Ἐγένοντο οἱ θλίβοντες αὐτὴν εἰς κεφαλήν, καὶ οἱ ἐχθροὶ αὐτῆς εὐθηνοῦσαν, ὅτι Κύριος ἐταπείνωσεν αὐτὴν ἐπὶ τὸ πλῆθος τῶν ἀσεβειῶν αὐτῆς· τὰ νήπια αὐτῆς ἐπορεύθησαν ἐν αἰχμαλωσίᾳ κατὰ πρόσωπον θλίβοντος.
HE. Her oppressors are become the head, and her enemies have prospered; for the Lord has afflicted her because of the multitude of her sins: her young children are gone into captivity before the face of the oppressor.
6 Καὶ ἐξῃ£ρθη ἐκ θυγατρὸς Σιὼν πᾶσα ἡ εὐπρέπεια αὐτῆς· ἐγένοντο οἱ ἄρχοντες αὐτῆς ὡς κριοὶ οὐχ εὑρίσκοντες νομὴν καὶ ἐπορεύοντο ἐν οὐκ ἰσχύϊ κατὰ πρόσωπον διώκοντος.
VAU. And all her beauty has been taken away from the daughter of Sion: her princes were as rams finding no pasture, and are gone [away] in weakness before the face of the pursuer.
7 Ἐμνήσθη Ἱερουσαλὴμ ἡμερῶν ταπεινώσεως αὐτῆς καὶ ἀπωσμῶν αὐτῆς· πάντα τὰ ἐπιθυμήματα αὐτῆς, ὅσα ἦν ἐξ ἡμερῶν ἀρχαίων, ἐν τῷ πεσεῖν τὸν λαὸν αὐτῆς εἰς χεῖρας θλίβοντος καὶ οὐκ ἦν ὁ βοηθῶν αὐτῇ, ἰδόντες οἱ ἐχθροὶ αὐτῆς ἐγέλασαν ἐπὶ μετοικεσίᾳ αὐτῆς.
ZAIN. Jerusalem remembered the days of her affliction, and her rejection; [she thought on] all her desirable things which were from the days of old, when her people fell into the hands of the oppressor, and there was none to help her: when her enemies saw [it] they laughed at her habitation.
8 Ἁμαρτίαν ἥμαρτεν Ἰερουσαλήμ, διὰ τοῦτο εἰς σάλον ἐγένετο· πάντες οἱ δοξάζοντες αὐτὴν ἐταπείνωσαν αὐτήν, εἶδον γὰρ τὴν ἀσχημοσύνην αὐτῆς, καί γε αὐτὴ στενάζουσα καὶ ἀπεστράφη ὀπίσω.
HETH. Jerusalem has sinned a [great] sin; therefore has she come into tribulation, all that used to honour her have afflicted her, for they have seen her shame: yes, she herself groaned, and turned backward.
9 Ἀκαθαρσία αὐτῆς πρὸς ποδῶν αὐτῆς, οὐκ ἐμνήσθη ἔσχατα αὐτῆς· καὶ κατεβίβασεν ὑπέρογκα, οὐκ ἔστιν ὁ παρακαλῶν αὐτήν· ἰδέ, Κύριε, τὴν ταπείνωσίν μου, ὅτι ἐμεγαλύνθη ὁ ἐχθρός.
TETH. Her uncleanness is before her feet; she remembered not her last end; she has lowered her boasting [tone], there is none to comfort her. Behold, O Lord, my affliction: for the enemy has magnified himself.
10 Χεῖρα αὐτοῦ ἐξεπέτασε θλίβων ἐπὶ πάντα τὰ ἐπιθυμήματα αὐτῆς· εἶδε γὰρ ἔθνη εἰσελθόντα εἰς τὸ ἁγίασμα αὐτῆς, ἃ ἐνετείλω μὴ εἰσελθεῖν αὐτὰ εἰς ἐκκλησίαν σου.
JOD. The oppressor has stretched out his hand on all her desirable things: for she has seen the Gentiles entering into her sanctuary, [concerning] whom you did command that they should not enter into your congregation.
11 Πᾶς ὁ λαὸς αὐτῆς καταστενάζοντες, ζητοῦντες ἄρτον, ἔδωκαν τὰ ἐπιθυμήματα αὐτῆς ἐν βρώσει τοῦ ἐπιτστρέψαι ψυχήν· ἰδέ, Κύριε, καὶ ἐπίβλεψον, ὅτι ἐγενήθη ἠτιμωμένη.
CHAPH. All her people groan, seeking bread: they have given their desirable things for meat, to restore their soul: behold, Lord, and look; for she is become dishonoured.
12 Οἱ πρὸς ὑμᾶς πάντες παραπορευόμενοι ὁδόν, ἐπιστρέψατε καὶ ἴδετε εἰ ἔστιν ἄλγος κατὰ τὸ ἄλγος μου, ὃ ἐγενήθη· φθεγξάμενος ἐν ἐμοὶ ἐταπείνωσέ με Κύριος ἐν ἡμέρᾳ ὀργῆς θυμοῦ αὐτοῦ.
LAMED. All you⌃ that pass by the way, turn, and see if there is sorrow like to my sorrow, which has happened [to me]. The Lord who spoke by me has afflicted me in the day of his fierce anger.
13 Ἐξ ὕψους αὐτοῦ ἀπέστειλε πῦρ, ἐν τοῖς ὀστέοις μου κατήγαγεν αὐτό· διεπέτασε δίκτυον τοῖς ποσί μου, ἀπέστρεψέ με εἰς τὰ ὀπίσω, ἔδωκέ με ἠφανισμένην, ὅλην τὴν ἡμέραν ὠδυνωμένην.
MEM. He has sent fire from his lofty habitation, he has brought it into my bones: he has spread a net for my feet, he has turned me back: he has made me desolate [and] mourning all the day.
14 Ἐγρηγορήθη ἐπὶ τὰ ἀσεβήματά μου· ἐν χερσί μου συνεπλάκησαν, ἀνέβησαν ἐπὶ τὸν τράχηλόν μου· ἠσθένησεν ἡ ἰσχύς μου, ὅτι ἔδωκε Κύριος ἐν χερσί μου ὀδύνας, οὐ δυνήσομαι στῆναι.
NUN. He has watched over my sins, they are twined about my hands, they have come up on my neck: my strength has failed; for the Lord has laid pains on my hands, I shall not be able to stand.
15 Ἐξῆρε πάντας τοὺς ἰσχυρούς μου ὁ Κύριος ἐκ μέσου μου, ἐκάλεσεν ἐπ' ἐμὲ καιρὸν τοῦ συντρίψαι ἐκλεκτούς μου· ληνὸν ἐπάτησε Κύριος παρθένῳ θυγατρὶ Ἰούδα, ἐπὶ τούτοις ἐγὼ κλαίω.
SAMECH. The Lord has cut off all my strong men from the midst of me: he has summoned against me a time for crushing my choice men: the Lord has trodden a wine-press for the virgin daughter of Juda: for these things I weep.
16 Ὁ ὀφθαλμός μου κατήγαγεν ὕδωρ, ὅτι ἐμακρύνθη ἀπ' ἐμοῦ ὁ παρακαλῶν με, ὁ ἐπιστρέφων ψυχήν μου· ἐγένοντο οἱ υἱοί μου ἠφανισμένοι, ὅτι ἐκραταιώθη ὁ ἐχθρός.
AIN. My eye has poured out water, because he that should comfort me, that should restore my soul, has been removed far from me: my sons have been destroyed, because the enemy has prevailed.
17 Διεπέτασε Σιὼν χεῖρας αὐτῆς, οὐκ ἔστιν ὁ παρακαλῶν αὐτήν· ἐνετείλατο Κύριος τῷ Ἰακώβ, κύκλῳ αὐτοῦ οἱ θλίβοντες αὐτόν, ἐγενήθη Ἱερουσαλὴμ εἰς ἀποκαθημένην ἀναμέσον αὐτῶν.
PHE. Sion has spread out her hand, [and] there is none to comfort her: the Lord has commanded [concerning] Jacob, his oppressors are round about him: Jerusalem has become amongst them as a removed woman.
18 Δίκαιός ἐστι Κύριος, ὅτι τὸ στόμα αὐτοῦ παρεπίκραναν· ἀκούσατε δή, πάντες οἱ λαοί, καὶ ἴδετε τὸ ἄλγος μου· παρθένοι μου καὶ νεανίσκοι μου ἐπορεύθησαν ἐν αἰχμαλωσίᾳ.
TSADE. The Lord is righteous; for I have provoked his mouth: hear, I pray you, all people, and behold my grief: my virgins and my young men are gone into captivity.
19 Ἐκάλεσα τοὺς ἐραστάς μου, αὐτοὶ δὲ παρελογίσαντό με· οἱ ἱερεῖς μου καὶ οἱ πρεσβύτεροί μου ἐν τῇ πόλει ἐξέλιπον, ὅτι ἐζήτησαν βρῶσιν αὐτοῖς, ἵνα ἐπιστρέψωσι ψυχὰς αὐτῶν, καὶ οὐχ εὗρον.
KOPH. I called my lovers, but they deceived me: my priests and my elders failed in the city; for they sought meat that they might restore their souls, and found [it] not.
20 Ἰδέ, Κύριε, ὅτι θλίβομαι· ἡ κοιλία μου ἐταράχθη, καὶ ἡ καρδία μου ἐστράφη ἐν ἐμοί, ὅτι παραπικραίνουσα παρεπικράνθην· ἔξωθεν ἠτέκνωσέ με μάχαιρα ὥσπερ θάνατος ἐν οἴκῳ.
RHECHS. Behold, O Lord; for I am afflicted: my belly is troubled, and my heart is turned within me; for I have been grievously rebellious: abroad the sword has bereaved me, even as death at home.
21 Ἀκούσατε δή, ὅτι στενάζω ἐγώ, οὐκ ἔστιν ὁ παρακαλῶν με· πάντες οἱ ἐχθροί μου ἤκουσαν τὰ κακά μου καὶ ἐχάρησαν, ὅτι σὺ ἐποίησας· ἐπήγαγες ἡμέραν, ἐκάλεσας καιρόν, ἐγένοντο ὅμοιοι ἐμοί.
CHSEN. Hear, I pray you, for I groan: there is none to comfort me: all my enemies have heard [of] my afflictions, and rejoice because you have done [it]: you have brought on the day, you have called the time: they are become like to me.
22 Εἰσέλθοι πᾶσα ἡ κακία αὐτῶν κατὰ πρόσωπόν σου, καὶ ἐπιφύλλισον αὐτοῖς, ὃν τρόπον ἐποίησαν ἐπιφυλλίδα περὶ πάντων τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων μου, ὅτι πολλοὶ οἱ στεναγμοί μου, καὶ καρδία μου λυπεῖται.
THAU. Let all their wickedness come before your face; and strip them, as they have made a gleaning for all my sins: for my groans are many, and my heart is grieved.
Greek: the Septuagint as the Orthodox Media Network published it (Mount Athos); 2 Maccabees and the Prayer of Manasseh from Brenton's edition (1851). English: Brenton's translation (1851), its spelling updated by Michael Paul Johnson; public domain. About these texts.