Lam 2
1
ALEPH. How has the Lord darkened in his anger the daughter of Sion! he has cast down
the glory of Israel from heaven to earth, and has not remembered his footstool.
2
BETH. In the day of his anger the Lord has overwhelmed her as in the sea, and not
spared: he has brought down in his fury all the beautiful things of Jacob; he has
Lit. glued to brought down to the ground the strong-holds of the daughter of Juda; he has profaned
her kings and her princes.
3
GIMEL. He has broken in his fierce anger all the horn of Israel: he has turned back
his right hand from the face of the enemy, and has kindled a flame in Jacob as a fire,
and it has devoured all things round about.
4
DALETH. He has bent his bow as an opposing enemy: he has strengthened his right hand
as an adversary, and has destroyed all the desirable things of my eyes in the tabernacle
of the daughter of Sion: he has poured forth his anger as fire.
5
HE. The Lord is become as an enemy: he has overwhelmed Israel as in the sea, he has
overwhelmed her palaces: he has destroyed her strong-holds, and has multiplied the
afflicted and humbled ones to the daughter of Juda.
6
VAU. And he has Gr. spread abroad scattered his tabernacle as a vine, he has marred his feast: the Lord has forgotten
the feast and the sabbath which he appointed in Sion, and in the fury of his anger
has vexed the king, and priest, and prince.
7
ZAIN. The Lord has rejected his altar, he has cast off his sanctuary, he has broken
by the hand of the enemy the wall of her palaces; they have uttered their voice in
the house of the Lord as on a feast day.
8
HETH. And he has turned to destroy the wall of the daughter of Sion: he has stretched
out the measuring line, he has not turned back his hand from afflicting her: therefore
the bulwark mourned, and the wall was weakened with it.
9
TETH. Her gates Gr. were fixed into are sunk into the ground: he has destroyed and broken to pieces her bars, and her
king and her prince among the Gentiles: there is no law, nay, her prophets have seen
no vision from the Lord.
10
JOD. The elders of the daughter of Sion have sat upon the ground, they have kept silence:
they have cast up dust upon their heads; they have girded themselves with sackcloths:
they have brought down to the ground the chief virgins in Jerusalem.
11
CHAPH. Mine eyes have failed with tears, my heart is troubled, my glory is Gr. poured out cast down to the ground, for the
destruction of the daughter of my people; while
the infant and suckling swoon in the streets of the city.
12
LAMED. They said to their mothers, Where is corn and wine? while they fainted like
wounded men in the streets of the city, while their souls were poured out into their
mother’s bosom.
13
MEM. What shall I testify to you, or what shall I compare to you, O daughter of Jerusalem?
who shall save and comfort you, O virgin daughter of Sion? for the cup of your destruction
is enlarged: who shall heal you?
14
NUN. Your prophets have seen for you vanities and folly: and they have not discovered
your iniquity, to turn back your captivity; but they have seen for you vain burdens,
and worthless Lit. burdens visions.
15
SAMECH. All that go by the way have clapped their hands at you; they have hissed and
shaken their head at the daughter of Jerusalem. Is this the city, they say, the crown
of joy of all the earth?
16
AIN. All your enemies have opened their mouth against you: they have hissed and gnashed
their teeth, and said, We have swallowed her up: moreover this is the day which we
looked for; we have found it, we have seen it.
17
PHE. The Lord has done that which he purposed; he has accomplished his word, even
the things which he commanded from the ancient days: he has thrown down, and has not
spared: and he has caused the enemy to rejoice over you, he has exalted the horn of
him whom afflicted you.
18
TSADE. Their heart cried to the Lord, You walls of Sion, pour down tears like torrents
day and night: give yourself no rest; let not the Gr. daughter apple of your eyes cease.
19
KOPH. Arise, rejoice in the night at the beginning of your watch: pour out your heart
as water before the face of the Lord lift up your hands to him for the life of your
infants, who faint for hunger at the top of all the Gr. outlets streets.
20
RHECHS. Behold, O Lord, and see for whom you has gathered thus. Shall the women eat
the fruit of their womb? the cook has made a gathering: shall the infants sucking
at the breasts be slain? will you slay the priest and prophet in the sanctuary of
the Lord?
21
CHSEN. The child and old man have lain down in the street: my virgins and my young
men are gone into captivity: you have slain them with the sword and with famine; in
the day of your anger you have mangled them, you has not spared.
22
THAU. He has called my sojourners round about to a solemn day, and there was not in
the day of the anger of the Lord any one that escaped or was left; whereas I have
strengthened and multiplied all mine enemies.