The Lord Has Destroyed Without Pity
1
How the Lord in his anger has set the daughter of Zion 1under a cloud! 2He has cast down from heaven to earth the splendor of Israel; he has not remembered 3his footstool in the day of his anger.
2
The Lord 4has swallowed up 5without mercy all the habitations of Jacob; in his wrath 6he has broken down the strongholds of the daughter of Judah; he has brought 7down to the ground 8in dishonor the kingdom 9and its rulers.
3
He has cut down in 10fierce anger all 11the might of Israel; 12he has withdrawn from them his right hand in the face of the enemy; 13he has burned like a flaming fire in Jacob, consuming all around.
4
14He has bent his bow like an enemy, with his right hand set 15like a foe; and he has killed all who were delightful in our eyes in the tent of the daughter of Zion; he has poured out his fury like fire.
5
16The Lord has become like an enemy; 17he has swallowed up Israel; 18he has swallowed up all its palaces; he has laid in ruins its strongholds, and he has multiplied in the daughter of Judah 19mourning and lamentation.
6
He has laid waste his booth like a garden, laid in ruins 20his meeting place; 21the LORD has made Zion forget festival and 22Sabbath, and in his fierce indignation has spurned king and priest.
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23The Lord has scorned his altar, 24disowned his sanctuary; 25he has delivered into the hand of the enemy the walls of her palaces; 26they raised a clamor in the house of the LORD as on the day of festival.
8
27The LORD determined to lay in ruins 28the wall of the daughter of Zion; 29he stretched out the measuring line; he did not restrain his hand from destroying; 30he caused rampart and wall to lament; 31they languished together.
9
Her gates have sunk into the ground; 32he has ruined 33and broken her bars; 34her king and princes are among the nations; the law is no more, and 35her prophets find no vision from the LORD.
10
The elders of the daughter of Zion 36sit on the ground 37in silence; 38they have thrown dust on their heads and 39put on sackcloth; the young women of Jerusalem have bowed their heads to the ground.
11
40My eyes are spent with weeping; 41my stomach churns; 42my bile is poured out to the ground 43because of the destruction of the daughter of my people, 44because infants and babies 45faint in the streets of the city.
12
They cry to their mothers, 46"Where is bread and wine?" 47as they faint like a wounded man in the streets of the city, as their life is poured out on their mothers' bosom.
13
What can I say for you, 48to what compare you, O daughter of Jerusalem? 49What can I liken to you, that I may comfort you, O virgin daughter of Zion? 50For your ruin is vast as the sea; who can heal you?
14
51Your prophets have seen for you false and deceptive visions; 52they have not exposed your iniquity to 53restore your fortunes, 54but have seen for you 55oracles that are false and misleading.
15
All who pass along the way clap their hands at you; 56they hiss and wag their heads at the daughter of Jerusalem: "Is this the city that was called 57the perfection of beauty, 58the joy of all the earth?"
16
59All your enemies rail against you; they hiss, they gnash their teeth, they cry: "We 60have swallowed her! Ah, this is the day we longed for; now we have it; 61we see it!"
17
The LORD has done what he purposed; he has carried out 62his word, which he commanded 63long ago; 64he has thrown down 65without pity; 66he has made the enemy rejoice over you and exalted the 67might of your foes.
18
Their heart cried to the Lord. O 68wall of the daughter of Zion, 69let tears stream down like a torrent 70day and night! 71Give yourself no rest, 72your eyes no respite!
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"Arise, 73cry out in the night, at the beginning of the night watches! 74Pour out your heart like water before the presence of the Lord! 75Lift your hands to him for the lives of your children, 76who faint for hunger at the head of every street."
20
Look, O LORD, and see! 77With whom have you dealt thus? 78Should women eat the fruit of their womb, the children of 79their tender care? Should 80priest and prophet be killed in the sanctuary of the Lord?
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.
(English Standard Version - The Holy Bible Online)