<p class="poetry">Even if Babylon climbs high into the sky<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">and fortifies her elevated stronghold,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">I will send destroyers against her,&#8221;<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">says the <sc>Lordsc>.<n id="4" />p>

<p class="poetry">&#8220;I will make her officials and wise men drunk,p> <p class="poetry">along with her governors, leaders,<n id="1" /> and warriors.p> <p class="poetry">They will fall asleep forever and never wake up,&#8221;<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">says the King whose name is the <sc>Lordsc> who rules over all.<n id="3" />p>

Then say, &#8216;In the same way Babylon will sink and never rise again because of the judgments<n id="1" /> I am ready to bring upon her; they will grow faint.&#8217;&#8221;p> <p class="bodytext">The prophecies of Jeremiah end here.<n id="2" />p>

<t /><p class="lamhebrew"><b>&#1488;b> (<i>Alefi>)<n id="1" />p><n id="2" /><p class="poetry">Alas!<n id="3" /> The city once full of people<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">now sits all alone!<n id="5" />p> <p class="poetry">The prominent<n id="6" /> lady among the nationsp> <p class="poetry">has become a widow!<n id="7" />p> <p class="poetry">The princess<n id="8" /> who once ruled the provinces<n id="9" />p> <p class="poetry">has become<n id="10" /> a forced laborer!<n id="11" />p>

<p class="lamhebrew">&#1489; (<i>Beti>)p> <p class="poetry">She weeps bitterly at night;p> <p class="poetry">tears stream down her cheeks.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">She has no one to comfort herp> <p class="poetry">among all her lovers.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">All her friends have betrayed her;p> <p class="poetry">they have become her enemies.p>

<p class="lamhebrew">&#1490; (<i>Gimeli>)p> <p class="poetry">Judah<n id="1" /> has departed into exilep> <p class="poetry">under<n id="2" /> affliction and harsh oppression.<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">She<n id="4" /> lives among the nations;p> <p class="poetry">she has found no resting place.p> <p class="poetry">All who pursued her overtook herp> <p class="poetry">in<n id="5" /> narrow straits.<n id="6" />p>

<p class="lamhebrew">&#1491; (<i>Daleti>)p> <p class="poetry">The roads to Zion<n id="1" /> mourn<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">because no one<n id="3" /> travels to the festivals.<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">All her city gates<n id="5" /> are deserted;<n id="6" />p> <p class="poetry">her priests groan.<n id="7" />p> <p class="poetry">Her virgins grieve;<n id="8" />p> <p class="poetry">she is in bitter anguish!<n id="9" />p>

<p class="lamhebrew">&#1492; (<i>Hei>)p> <p class="poetry">Her foes subjugated her;<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">her enemies are at ease.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">For the <sc>Lordsc> afflicted herp> <p class="poetry">because of her many acts of rebellion.<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">Her children went awayp> <p class="poetry">captive<n id="4" /> before the enemy.p>

<p class="lamhebrew">&#1493; (<i>Vavi>)p> <p class="poetry">All of Daughter Zion&#8217;s<n id="1" /> splendor<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">has departed.<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">Her leaders became like deer;p> <p class="poetry">they found no pasture,p> <p class="poetry">so they were too exhausted to escape<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">from the hunter.<n id="5" />p>

<p class="lamhebrew">&#1495; (<i>Kheti>)p> <p class="poetry">Jerusalem committed terrible sin;<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">therefore she became an object of scorn.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">All who admired<n id="3" /> her have despised her<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">because they have seen her nakedness.<n id="5" />p> <p class="poetry">She groans aloud<n id="6" />p> <p class="poetry">and turns away in shame.<n id="7" />p>

<p class="lamhebrew">&#1496; (<i>Teti>)p> <p class="poetry">Her menstrual flow<n id="1" /> has soiled<n id="2" /> her clothing;<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">she did not consider<n id="4" /> the consequences of her sin.<n id="5" />p> <p class="poetry">Her demise<n id="6" /> was astonishing,<n id="7" />p> <p class="poetry">and there was no one to comfort her.p> <p class="poetry">She cried, &#8220;Look,<n id="8" /> O <sc>Lordsc>, on my<n id="9" /> afflictionp> <p class="poetry">because my<n id="10" /> enemy boasts!&#8221;p>

<p class="lamhebrew">&#1497; (<i>Yodi>)p> <p class="poetry">An enemy grabbed<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">all her valuables.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">Indeed she watched in horror<n id="3" /> as Gentiles<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">invaded her holy temple<n id="5" /> &#8211;p> <p class="poetry">those whom you<n id="6" /> had commanded:p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;They must not enter<n id="7" /> your assembly place.&#8221;<n id="8" />p>

<p class="lamhebrew">&#1499; (<i>Kafi>)p> <p class="poetry">All her people groanedp> <p class="poetry">as they searched for a morsel of bread.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">They exchanged<n id="2" /> their valuables<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">for<n id="4" /> just enough foodp> <p class="poetry">to stay alive.<n id="5" />p><t /><p class="poetry">&#8220;Look, O <sc>Lordsc>! Consider<n id="6" />p> <p class="poetry">that I have become worthless!&#8221;p>

<p class="lamhebrew">&#1502; (<i>Memi>)p> <p class="poetry">He sent down fire<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">into my bones, and it overcame<n id="2" /> them.p> <p class="poetry">He spread out a trapper&#8217;s net<n id="3" /> for my feet;p> <p class="poetry">he made me turn back.p> <p class="poetry">He has made me desolate;p> <p class="poetry">I am faint all day long.p>

<p class="lamhebrew">&#1504; (<i>Nuni>)p> <p class="poetry">My sins are bound around my neck like a yoke;<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">they are fastened together by his hand.p> <p class="poetry">He has placed his yoke<n id="2" /> on my neck;<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">he has sapped my strength.<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">The Lord<n id="5" /> has handed me over<n id="6" />p> <p class="poetry">to those whom I cannot resist.p>

<p class="lamhebrew">&#1505; (<i>Sameki>)p> <p class="poetry">He rounded up<n id="1" /> all my mighty ones;<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">The Lord<n id="3" /> did this<n id="4" /> in<n id="5" /> my midst.p> <p class="poetry">He summoned an assembly<n id="6" /> against mep> <p class="poetry">to shatter my young men.p> <p class="poetry">The Lord has stomped like grapes<n id="7" />p> <p class="poetry">the virgin daughter, Judah.<n id="8" />p>

<t /><p class="lamhebrew">&#1508; (<i>Pei>)p> <p class="poetry">Zion spread out her hands,p> <p class="poetry">but there is no one to comfort her.p> <p class="poetry">The <sc>Lordsc> has issued a decree against Jacob;p> <p class="poetry">his neighbors<n id="1" /> have become his enemies.p> <p class="poetry">Jerusalem has becomep> <p class="poetry">like filthy garbage<n id="2" /> in their midst.<n id="3" />p>

<t /><p class="lamhebrew">&#1510; (<i>Tsadei>)p> <p class="poetry">The <sc>Lordsc> is right to judge me!<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">Yes, I rebelled against his commands.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">Please listen, all you nations,<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">and look at my suffering!p> <p class="poetry">My young women and menp> <p class="poetry">have gone into exile.p>

<p class="lamhebrew">&#1511; (<i>Qofi>)p> <p class="poetry">I called for my lovers,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">but they had deceived me.p> <p class="poetry">My priests and my eldersp> <p class="poetry">perished in the city.p> <p class="poetry">Truly they had<n id="2" /> searched for foodp> <p class="poetry">to<n id="3" /> keep themselves<n id="4" /> alive.<n id="5" />p>

<p class="lamhebrew">&#1512; (<i>Reshi>)p> <p class="poetry">Look, O <sc>Lordsc>! I am distressed;<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">my stomach is in knots!<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">My heart is pounding<n id="3" /> inside me.p> <p class="poetry">Yes, I was terribly rebellious!<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">Out in the street the sword bereaves a mother of her children;<n id="5" />p> <p class="poetry">Inside the house death is present.<n id="6" />p>