A reading from the book of Lamentations.

How lonely sits the city that was full of people.

How like a widow has she become.

She who was great among the nations.

She who was a princess among the provinces has become a slave.

She weeps bitterly in the night with tears on her cheeks.

Among all her lovers.

She has none to comfort her. All her friends have dealt treacherously with her. They have become her enemies. Judah has gone into exile because of affliction and hard servitude. She dwells now among the nations but finds no resting place. Her pursuers have all overtaken her in the midst of her distress.

The roads to Zion mourn, for none come to the festival. All her gates are desolate, her priests grown, her virgins have been afflicted, and she herself suffers bitterly. Her foes have become the

head. Her enemies prosper because the Lord has afflicted her. For the multitude

of her transgressions, her children have gone away, captives before the foe. From the daughter of Zion

all her majesty has departed. Her princes have become like dear that find no pasture. They fled

without strength before the pursuer. Jerusalem remembers in the days of her affliction and wandering, all the precious things that were herged from days of old. When her people fell into the hand of the foe, and there was none to help her. Her foes gloated over her. They mocked at her downfall. Jerusalem sinned grievously. Therefore she became filthy. All who honored her despise her,

for they have seen her nakedness. She herself groans and turns her face away. Her uncleanness

was in her skirts. She took no thought of her future. Therefore her fall is terrible. She has no

comforter. O Lord, behold my affliction, for the enemy has triumphed.

The enemy has stretched out his hands over all her precious things, for she has seen the nations into her sanctuary, those whom you forbade to enter your congregation, all her people groan as they search for bread, they trade their treasures for food to revive

their strength. Look, O Lord, and see, for I am despised. Is it nothing to you, all you who

pass by? Look and see if there is any sorrow like my sorrow, which was brought upon me,

which the Lord inflicted on the day of his fierce anger. From on high he sent fire into my bones,

he made it descend. He spread a net for my feet. He turned me back. He has left me stunned,

faint all the day long. My transgressions were bound into a yoke. By his hand they were fastened

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