The Lamentations of Ieremiah. Chapter 1

(Original 1611 KJV Book of Lamentations)

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Lamentations Chapter 1 Original 1611 Bible Scan

CHAP. I.

1 The miserable estate of Ierusalem by reason of her sinne, 12 Shee complaineth of her griefe, 18 and confesseth Gods iudgement to be righteous.

¹How doeth the citie sit solitarie that was full of people? How is she become as a widow? She that was great among the nations, and princesse among the prouinces, how is she become tributarie?

²Shee weepeth sore in the night, and her teares are on her cheekes: among all her louers she hath none to comfort her, all her friends haue dealt treacherously with her, they are become her enemies.²

³Iudah is gone into captiuitie, because of affliction, and because of great seruitude: she dwelleth among the heathen, she findeth no rest: all her persecutors ouertook her betweene the straits.³

⁴The wayes of Zion do mourne, because none come to the solemne feasts: all her gates are desolate: her priests sigh: her virgins are afflicted, and she is in bitternesse.

⁵Her aduersaries are the chiefe, her enemies prosper: for the Lord hath afflicted her; for the multitude of her transgressions, her children are gone into captiuitie before the enemie.⁵

⁶And from the daughter of Zion all her beautie is departed: her princes are become like Harts that find no pasture, & they are gone without strength before the pursuer.

⁷Ierusalem remembred in the dayes of her affliction, and of her miseries, all her pleasant things that she had in the dayes of old, when her people fell into the hand of the enemie, and none did helpe her, the aduersaries saw her, and did mocke at her Sabbaths.⁷

⁸Ierusalem hath grieuously sinned, therefore she is remoued: all that honoured her, despise her, because they haue seene her nakednesse: yea, shee sigheth and turneth backward.⁸

⁹Her filthines is in her skirts, she remembreth not her last end, therfore she came downe wonderfully: shee had no comforter: O Lord, behold my affliction: for þ^e enemie hath magnified himselfe.

¹⁰The aduersarie hath spread out his hand vpon all her pleasant things: for she hath seene that the heathen entred into her Sanctuarie, whom thou didst command that they should not enter into thy congregation.¹⁰

¹¹All her people sigh, they seek bread, they haue giuen their pleasant things for meate to relieue the soule: see, O Lord, & consider: for I am become vile.¹¹

¹²¶ Is it nothing to you, all ye that passe by? Behold and see, if there be any sorow like vnto my sorowe, which is done vnto me, wherewith the Lord hath afflicted me, in the day of his fierce anger.¹²

¹³From aboue hath he sent fire into my bones, and it preuaileth against them: he hath spread a net for my feete, he hath turned me backe: he hath made me desolate, and faint all the day.

¹⁴The yoke of my transgressions is bound by his hand: they are wreathed, and come vp vpon my necke: he hath made my strength to fall, the Lord hath deliuered me into their hands, from whom I am not able to rise vp.

¹⁵The Lord hath troden vnder foot all my mightie men in the midst of me: he hath called an assembly against mee, to crush my yong men. The Lord hath troden the virgine, the daughter of Iudah, as in a wine presse.¹⁵

¹⁶For these things I weepe, mine eye, mine eye runneth downe with water, because the comforter that should relieue my soule is farre from me: my children are desolate, because the enemy preuailed.¹⁶

¹⁷Zion spreadeth forth her hands, and there is none to comfort her: the Lord hath commanded concerning Iacob, that his aduersaries should bee round about him: Ierusalem is as a menstruous woman among them.

¹⁸¶ The Lord is righteous, for I haue rebelled against his commandement: heare, I pray you, all people, and behold my sorow: my virgins and my yong men are gone into captiuitie.¹⁸

¹⁹I called for my louers, but they deceiued me: my priests and mine elders gaue vp the ghost in the citie, while they sought their meat to relieue their soules

²⁰Behold, O Lord: for I am in distresse: my bowels are troubled: mine heart is turned within mee, for I haue grieuously rebelled: abroad the sword bereaueth, at home there is as death.²⁰

²¹They haue heard that I sigh, there is none to comfort me: all mine enemies haue heard of my trouble, they are glad that thou hast done it: thou wilt bring the day that thou hast called, and they shall be like vnto me.²¹

²²Let all their wickednes come before thee: and doe vnto them, as thou hast done vnto me for all my transgressions: for my sighes are many, and my heart is faint.

Original 1611 KJV Sidenote References for Lamentations Chapter 1

² Ier.13.17. , Iob.7.3.
³ Heb. for the greatnesse of seruitude.
⁵ Deut. 28. 13. , Ier. 52. 28.
⁷ Or, desireable.
⁸ Heb. is become a remouing or wandering.
¹⁰ Or, desireable. , Deu.23.3
¹¹ Or, to make the soule to come againe.
¹² Or, it is nothing. , Heb. passe by the way.
¹⁵ Or, the winepresse of the virgine, &c.
¹⁶ Ier.13.17 and 14.17. chap. 2.18. , Heb. bring backe.
¹⁸ Dan.9.7. , Heb. mouth.
²⁰ Isa.16.11. iere.48.36.
²¹ Or, proclaimed.

* Some content courtesy of Rare Book and Manuscript Library, University of Pennsylvania

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King James Bible Online

Lamentations

1611 King James Version (KJV)

The Lamentations of Ieremiah. Chapter 1

(Original 1611 KJV Book of Lamentations)