Lamentations (Eikha)

48 cloud beyond the reach of prayers. You have made us filth and loathing among 46 nations. They gaped snarling mouths at us, all our enemies. Terror and snare 48 were with us; devastation, breaking. Rivers of water ran from my eyes, over my #8 maiden nation’s breaking. My eye pours out and will not stop, no respite, until s1_ the Lorp shall look down, and see us from His Heaven. My eye torments my 52 - soul over all the daughters of my city. He hunted me down like a bird, my enemy, 53 forno cause. They closed off my life in a pit, and then brandished a stone above 54% me. The waters came up over my head; I said, “I am condemned.’ $8 Lorp, I called Your name from the very lowest of pits. You have heard my s7 voice — do not close off Your ears, to my need, to my pleading. You once were 58 close when I called You, You would tell me, “Do not fear.’ You would fight my s9 fight, my Lorp - redeem my life. You see, Lor», this twisted justice: judge 60 my case. Witness all their vengefulness, all that they think to do to me. Hear 62 their insults, Lorn, and all their thoughts of me, my attackers’ mouths, all 63 they mutter against me, all the day. Watch their sitting and rising, see - 1 am 64 their mocking song. Lorp, return them payment, for all that they have done. - Bring them the heart’s dirge, Your curse upon them. Pursue them with rage and annihilate them from under the skies of the Lorn. 41 How dull gold has become; how that finest gilt has changed. The sacred stones 2 poured out at the end of every street. Precious children of Zion, worth their very weight of gold — how they are considered now as cheap clay jugs — the work of Potter’s hands. 3 Even jackals bring out udders, give their cubs to suck. The daughter of my 4 people is cruel, like desert ostriches. The tongues of little ones have clung to their mouths’ rooves with thirst. Infants ask for bread - none break it for s them. Those who once ate the finest foods, stand desolate in the streets. Those brought up in clothes of scarlet now embrace the trash heaps. 6 The sin of my people is greater even than that of Sedom, which was turned over 7 allina moment: no hand touched it. Jerusalem's nazirites were cleaner than snow, once; brighter than milk, glowing warm from within more than rubies, 8 hewn finely as sapphires. Now they are darker than pitch, not recognized on 9 the streets, with skin shriveled against bones, dry as wood. Better to be killed by the sword than killed by hunger. The slain at least seep at their wounds; do 10 not starve for the yield of meadows. The hands of loving women have cooked their own children. These have become their nourishment: the breaking, of my maiden nation’s fast. 11 The Lorp burned all His anger; poured out all his flaming rage. He set fire blaz- 12 ingin Zion; and it consumed all her foundations. The kings of the world did not believe it — not anyone living on earth - that a foe and enemy would come and