Lamentations 2

1 Aleph — How the Lord darkened the daughter of Zion in his anger! He cast the glory of Israel from heaven to earth and did not remember his footstool on the day of his anger.

2 Beth — The Lord sank all the beautiful things of Jacob as in the sea and did not spare them. In his fury he tore down the strongholds of the daughter of Judah and brought them to the ground. He treated her king and rulers as common.

3 Gimel — In his fierce anger he crushed all the strength of Israel. He drew back his right hand before the enemy and kindled a flame in Jacob like a fire that devoured everything around it.

4 Daleth — He bent his bow like an enemy and made his right hand firm like an adversary. In the tent of the daughter of Zion he killed everything precious to my eyes. He poured out his fury like fire.

5 He — The Lord became like an enemy. He sank Israel as in the sea, sank all her palaces, destroyed her strongholds, and multiplied affliction and humiliation for the daughter of Judah.

6 Vau — He spread out his dwelling like a vine and ruined his feast. The Lord forgot the feast and Sabbath he had made in Zion, and in the fury of his anger he provoked king, priest, and ruler.

7 Zain — The Lord rejected his altar and shook off his sanctuary. He shattered the walls of her palaces by the enemy’s hand. They shouted in the Lord’s house as on a feast day.

8 Heth — The Lord resolved to destroy the wall of the daughter of Zion. He stretched out a measuring line and did not draw back his hand from bringing her down. Rampart and wall mourned and grew weak together.

9 Teth — Her gates sank into the ground; he destroyed and shattered her bars. Her king and rulers are among the nations. There is no law, and her prophets receive no vision from the Lord.

10 Jod — The elders of the daughter of Zion sit silently on the ground. They throw dust on their heads and wrap themselves in sackcloth. The leading young women of Jerusalem bow their heads to the ground.

11 Chaph — My eyes fail from tears, my heart is troubled, and my glory is poured onto the ground because the daughter of my people is shattered, while infant and nursing child faint in the city streets.

12 Lamed — They ask their mothers, “Where are grain and wine?” as they faint like wounded men in the city streets and their lives pour out in their mothers’ arms.

13 Mem — What can I testify to you, or what can I compare with you, daughter of Jerusalem? Who can rescue and comfort you, young woman, daughter of Zion? The cup of your destruction is immense. Who can heal you?

14 Nun — Your prophets saw empty and foolish things for you. They did not uncover your wrongdoing and turn back your exile, but saw empty messages and causes of banishment for you.

15 Samech — Everyone passing on the road claps at you. They hiss and shake their heads at the daughter of Jerusalem. “Is this the city they called the crown of glory and the joy of all the earth?”

16 Ain — All your enemies open their mouths against you. They hiss, grind their teeth, and say, “We swallowed her! This is the day we waited for. We found it; we saw it!”

17 Phe — The Lord did what he planned and fulfilled the words he commanded in ancient days. He tore down and did not spare. He made the enemy rejoice over you and raised the strength of the one who afflicted you.

18 Tsade — Their hearts cried to the Lord: “Walls of Zion, pour down tears like torrents day and night. Give yourself no rest, daughter; do not let your eyes fall silent.”

19 Koph — Rise and rejoice in the night at the beginning of your watch. Pour out your heart like water before the Lord. Lift your hands to him for the lives of your infants, who faint from hunger at the entrance of every street.

20 Resh — Look, Lord, and see whom you have gleaned like this. Should women eat the fruit of their womb? Has the cook made such a gleaning? Should nursing infants be killed? Will you kill priest and prophet in the Lord’s sanctuary?

21 Sin — Child and old man lie in the street. My young women and young men have gone into exile. You killed them by sword and famine; on the day of your anger you butchered them and did not spare.

22 Thau — He called the foreigners around me as though to a feast. On the day of the Lord’s anger no one escaped or remained. I had strengthened and multiplied all my enemies.