Olam 2

Her gates are sunk into the ground; he hath destroyed and broken her bars: her king and her princes <i>are</i> among the Gentiles: the law <i>is</i> no <i>more</i>; her prophets also find no vision from the LORD.

The elders of the daughter of Zion sit upon the ground, <i>and</i> keep silence: they have cast up dust upon their heads; they have girded themselves with sackcloth: the virgins of Jerusalem hang down their heads to the ground.

Mine eyes do fail with tears, my bowels are troubled, my liver is poured upon the earth, for the destruction of the daughter of my people; because the children and the sucklings swoon in the streets of the city.

They say to their mothers, Where <i>is</i> corn and wine? when they swooned as the wounded in the streets of the city, when their soul was poured out into their mothers' bosom.

What thing shall I take to witness for thee? what thing shall I liken to thee, O daughter of Jerusalem? what shall I equal to thee, that I may comfort thee, O virgin daughter of Zion? for thy breach <i>is</i> great like the sea: who can heal thee?

Thy prophets have seen vain and foolish things for thee: and they have not discovered thine iniquity, to turn away thy captivity; but have seen for thee false burdens and causes of banishment.

All that pass by clap <i>their</i> hands at thee; they hiss and wag their head at the daughter of Jerusalem, <i>saying, Is</i> this the city that <i>men</i> call The perfection of beauty, The joy of the whole earth?

All thine enemies have opened their mouth against thee: they hiss and gnash the teeth: they say, We have swallowed <i>her</i> up: certainly this <i>is</i> the day that we looked for; we have found, we have seen <i>it</i>.

The LORD hath done <i>that</i> which he had devised; he hath fulfilled his word that he had commanded in the days of old: he hath thrown down, and hath not pitied: and he hath caused <i>thine</i> enemy to rejoice over thee, he hath set up the horn of thine adversaries.

Their heart cried unto the Lord, O wall of the daughter of Zion, let tears run down like a river day and night: give thyself no rest; let not the apple of thine eye cease.