Lamentations 2:1 - Prayer Tents

The Lord’s Punishment of Jerusalem

2The Lord in his anger has covered Zion with darkness. Its heavenly splendor he has turned into ruins. On the day of his anger he abandoned even his Temple.H136H5743H1323H6726H5743H639H7993H8064H776H8597H3478H2142H1916H7272H3117H639

2The Lord destroyed without mercy every village in Judah And tore down the forts that defended the land. He brought disgrace on the kingdom and its rulers.H136H1104H4999H3290H2550H2040H5678H4013H1323H3063H5060H776H2490H4467H8269

3In his fury he shattered the strength of Israel; He refused to help us when the enemy came. He raged against us like fire, destroying everything.H1438H2750H639H7161H3478H7725H268H3225H6440H341H1197H3290H3852H784H398H5439

4He aimed his arrows at us like an enemy; He killed all those who were our joy and delight. Here in Jerusalem we felt his burning anger.H1869H7198H341H5324H3225H6862H2026H4261H5869H168H1323H6726H8210H2534H784

5Like an enemy, the Lord has destroyed Israel; He has left her forts and palaces in ruins. He has brought on the people of Judah unending sorrow.H136H341H1104H3478H1104H759H7843H4013H7235H1323H3063H8386H592

6He smashed to pieces the Temple where we worshiped him; He has put an end to holy days and Sabbaths. King and priest alike have felt the force of his anger.H2554H7900H1588H7843H4150H3068H4150H7676H7911H6726H5006H2195H639H4428H3548

7The Lord rejected his altar and deserted his holy Temple; He allowed the enemy to tear down its walls. They shouted in victory where once we had worshiped in joy.H136H2186H4196H5010H4720H5462H3027H341H2346H759H5414H6963H1004H3068H3117H4150

8The LORD was determined that the walls of Zion should fall; He measured them off to make sure of total destruction. The towers and walls now lie in ruins together.H3068H2803H7843H2346H1323H6726H5186H6957H7725H3027H1104H2426H2346H56H535H3162

9The gates lie buried in rubble, their bars smashed to pieces. The king and the noblemen now are in exile. The Law is no longer taught, and the prophets have no visions from the LORD.H8179H2883H776H6H7665H1280H4428H8269H1471H8451H5030H4672H2377H3068

10Jerusalem's old men sit on the ground in silence, With dust on their heads and sackcloth on their bodies. Young women bow their heads to the ground.H2205H1323H6726H3427H776H1826H5927H6083H7218H2296H8242H1330H3389H3381H7218H776

11My eyes are worn out with weeping; my soul is in anguish. I am exhausted with grief at the destruction of my people. Children and babies are fainting in the streets of the city.H5869H3615H1832H4578H2560H3516H8210H776H7667H1323H5971H5768H3243H5848H7339H7151

12Hungry and thirsty, they cry to their mothers; They fall in the streets as though they were wounded, And slowly die in their mothers' arms.H559H517H1715H3196H5848H2491H7339H5892H5315H8210H517H2436

13O Jerusalem, beloved Jerusalem, what can I say? How can I comfort you? No one has ever suffered like this. Your disaster is boundless as the ocean; there is no possible hope.H5749H5749H4100H1819H1323H3389H7737H5162H1330H1323H6726H7667H1419H3220H7495

14Your prophets had nothing to tell you but lies; Their preaching deceived you by never exposing your sin. They made you think you did not need to repent.H5030H2372H7723H8602H1540H5771H7725H7622H7622H2372H7723H4864H4065

15People passing by the city look at you in scorn. They shake their heads and laugh at Jerusalem's ruins: "Is this that lovely city? Is this the pride of the world?"H5674H5606H3709H1870H8319H5128H7218H1323H3389H5892H559H3632H3308H4885H776

16All your enemies mock you and glare at you with hate. They curl their lips and sneer, "We have destroyed it! This is the day we have waited for!"H341H6475H6310H8319H2786H8127H559H1104H389H3117H6960H4672H7200

17The LORD has finally done what he threatened to do: He has destroyed us without mercy, as he warned us long ago. He gave our enemies victory, gave them joy at our downfall.H3068H6213H2161H1214H565H6680H3117H6924H2040H2550H341H8055H7311H7161H6862

18O Jerusalem, let your very walls cry out to the Lord! Let your tears flow like rivers night and day; Wear yourself out with weeping and grief !H3820H6817H136H2346H1323H6726H1832H3381H5158H3119H3915H5414H6314H1323H5869H1826

19All through the night get up again and again to cry out to the Lord; Pour out your heart and beg him for mercy on your children - Children starving to death on every street corner!H6965H7442H3915H7218H821H8210H3820H4325H5227H6440H136H5375H3709H5315H5768H5848H7458H7218H2351

20Look, O LORD! Why are you punishing us like this? Women are eating the bodies of the children they loved! Priests and prophets are being killed in the Temple itself !H7200H3068H5027H5953H3541H802H398H6529H5768H2949H3548H5030H2026H4720H136

21Young and old alike lie dead in the streets, Young men and women, killed by enemy swords. You slaughtered them without mercy on the day of your anger.H5288H2205H7901H776H2351H1330H970H5307H2719H2026H3117H639H2873H2550

22You invited my enemies to hold a carnival of terror all around me, And no one could escape on that day of your anger. They murdered my children, whom I had raised and loved.H7121H4150H3117H4032H5439H3117H3068H639H6412H8300H2946H7235H341H3615