Lamentations 1:1-3

Easy-to-Read Version

1 Jerusalem once was a city full of people,
    but now the city is so empty.
She^[a] was one of the greatest cities in the world,
    but now she is like a poor widow.
She was once a princess among cities,
    but now she has been made a slave.
² She cries bitterly in the night.
    Her tears are on her cheeks.
    She has no one to comfort her.
Many nations were friendly to her,
    but not one of them comforts her now.
All her friends have turned their backs on her
    and have become her enemies.
³ Judah suffered very much,
    and then she was taken into captivity.
She lives among other nations
    but has found no rest.
The people who chased her caught her
    where there was no way out.^[b]