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Each night, bitter tears
    flood her cheeks.
None of her former lovers
    are there to offer comfort;
her friends[a] have betrayed her
    and are now her enemies.

The people of Judah are slaves,
suffering in a foreign land,
    with no rest from sorrow.
Their enemies captured them
    and were terribly cruel.[b]
The roads to Zion mourn
because no one travels there
    to celebrate the festivals.
The city gates are deserted;
    priests are weeping.
Young women are raped;[c]
    Zion is in sorrow!

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Footnotes

  1. 1.2 lovers … friends: Israel's former allies.
  2. 1.3 Their … cruel: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
  3. 1.4 raped: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.

Bitterly she weeps(A) at night,
    tears are on her cheeks.
Among all her lovers(B)
    there is no one to comfort her.
All her friends have betrayed(C) her;
    they have become her enemies.(D)

After affliction and harsh labor,
    Judah has gone into exile.(E)
She dwells among the nations;
    she finds no resting place.(F)
All who pursue her have overtaken her(G)
    in the midst of her distress.

The roads to Zion mourn,(H)
    for no one comes to her appointed festivals.
All her gateways are desolate,(I)
    her priests groan,
her young women grieve,
    and she is in bitter anguish.(J)

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