Lam 2 | EngLXX | STEP | ALEPH. How has the Lord darkened in his wrath the daughter of Sion! he has cast down theglory of Israel from heaven to earth, and has not remembered his footstool.

‏ Lamentations 2

1 ALEPH. How has the Lord darkened in his wrath the daughter of Sion! he has cast down theglory of Israel from heaven to earth, and has not remembered his footstool. 2 BETH. In the day of his wrath the Lord has overwhelmedher as in the sea,and not spared: he has brought down in his fury all the beautiful things of Jacob; he has broughtdown to the ground the strongholds 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 hisright hand from the face of the enemy, and has kindled a flame in Jacob as a fire, and it has devouredall things round about. 4 DALETH. He has bent his bow as an opposing enemy: he has strengthened his right hand asan adversary, and has destroyed all the desirable things of my eyes in the tabernacle of the daughterof 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 overwhelmedher palaces: he has destroyed her strongholds, and has multiplied the afflicted and humbled ones to thedaughter of Juda. 6 VAU. And he has scattered his tabernacle as a vine, he has marred his feast: the Lordhas forgotten the feast and the sabbath which he appointed in Sion, and in the fury of his wrath has vexedthe king, and priest, and prince. 7 ZAIN. The Lord has rejected his altar, he has cast off his sanctuary, he has broken bythe hand of the enemy the wall of her palaces; they have uttered their voice in the house of the Lordas on a feast day. 8 HETH. And he has turned to destroy the wall of the daughter of Sion: he has stretchedout the measuring line, he has not turned back his hand from afflictingher: therefore the bulwark mourned, and the wall was weakened with it. 9 TETH. Her gates 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 seenno 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 broughtdown to the ground the chief virgins in Jerusalem. 11 CHAPH. Mine eyes have failed with tears, my heart is troubled, my glory is cast downto the ground, for the destruction of the daughter of my people; while the infant and suckling swoon inthe streets of the city. 12 LAMED. They said to their mothers, Where is corn and wine? while they fainted like woundedmen 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 discoveredyour iniquity, to turn back your captivity; but they have seen for you vain burdens, and worthless visions. 15 SAMECH. All that go by the way have clapped their hands at you; they have hissed andshaken their head at the daughter of Jerusalem. Is this the city, they say, the crown of joy of all theearth? 16 AIN. All your enemies have opened their mouth against you: they have hissed and gnashedtheir teeth, and said, We have swallowed her up: moreover this is the day which we looked for; we havefound 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 that afflicted you. 18 TSADE. Their heart cried to the Lord, You⌃ walls of Sion, pour down tears like torrentsday and night: give yourself no rest; let not the apple of your eyes cease. 19 KOPH. Arise, rejoice in the night at the beginning of your watch: pour out your heartas water before the face of the Lord; lift up your hands to him for the life of your infants, who faintfor hunger at the top of all the streets. 20 RHECHS. Behold, O Lord, and see for whom you has gathered thus. Shall the women eat thefruit of their womb? the cook has made a gathering: shall the infants sucking at the breasts be slain?will you kill 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 menare gone into captivity: you have slainthem with the sword and with famine; in the day of your wrath you have mangledthem, you has not spared. 22 THAU. He has called my sojourners round about to a solemn day, and there was not in theday of the wrath of the Lord any one that escaped or was left; whereas I have strengthened and multipliedall mine enemies.