1. Look how the Lord in his angerhas brought Jerusalem to shame.He has thrown down the greatness of Israelfrom the sky to the earth;he did not remember the Temple, his footstool,on the day of his anger.
2. The Lord swallowed up without mercyall the houses of the people of Jacob;in his anger he pulled downthe strong places of Judah.He threw her kingdom and its rulersdown to the ground in dishonor.
3. In his anger he has removedall the strength of Israel;he took away his power from Israelwhen the enemy came.He burned against the people of Jacob like a flaming firethat burns up everything around it.
4. Like an enemy, he prepared to shoot his bow,and his hand was against us.Like an enemy, he killedall the good-looking people;he poured out his anger like fireon the tents of Jerusalem.
5. The Lord was like an enemy;he swallowed up Israel.He swallowed up all her palacesand destroyed all her strongholds.He has caused more moaning and groaningfor Judah.
6. He cut down his Temple like a garden;he destroyed the meeting place.The Lord has made Jerusalem forgetthe set feasts and Sabbath days.He has rejected the king and the priestin his great anger.
7. The Lord has rejected his altarand abandoned his Temple.He has handed over to the enemythe walls of Jerusalem’s palaces.Their uproar in the Lord’s Templewas like that of a feast day.
8. The Lord planned to destroythe wall around Jerusalem.He measured the walland did not stop himself from destroying it.He made the walls and defenses sad;together they have fallen.
9. Jerusalem’s gates have fallen to the ground;he destroyed and smashed the bars of the gates.Her king and her princes are among the nations.The teaching of the Lord has stopped,and the prophets do not havevisions from the Lord.
10. The elders of Jerusalemsit on the ground in silence.They throw dust on their headsand put on rough cloth to show their sadness.The young women of Jerusalembow their heads to the ground in sorrow.