How the City of Jerusalem Sits in Solitary |
Lamentations 1:1-22 The Book of Lamentations [in Smaller Chunks] |
How the city that was full of people, [sits] in solitary, [a.k.a. alone!] How she [has] become [like] a widow! She, [who] was great among the nations & [a] princess among the provinces, [a.k.a. regions or countries.] |
[Ezra 4:19-20 And I commanded & [a] search has been made & it's found that this city, [in ancient times,] has [revolted] against kings and rebellion & [riots] have been made [there.] There have also been mighty kings over Jerusalem, [who] have ruled over all countries beyond the river & toll, tribute & custom was paid to them.] |
How she [has] [now] become a tributary! She weeps [severely] in the night & her tears are on her cheeks. She has [no one] to comfort her among all her lovers. |
[Ezekiel 23:5-7 And Aholah, [a.k.a. Samaria,] played the [unfaithful] harlot when she was Mine & she doted, [a.k.a. showered affection] on her lovers, the Assyrians, her neighbors. [Who] were clothed with blue & all of them: captains & rulers, desirable young horsemen, riding upon horses. She committed her [infidelities] with them, [like this] with all [those who] were chosen men of Assyria. And on all whom she [showered her affections,] with all their idols & she defiled herself.] |
All her friends have [behaved] treacherously with her & they [have] become her enemies. [Jeremiah 13:17 But if you won't hear it, My soul shall weep in secret places for your pride & [My] eye shall [severely] weep & run down with tears, because the Lord's flock is carried away captive.] |
Judah [has] gone into captivity & because of: affliction & [severe bondage,] she dwells among the heathen & she finds no rest. All her persecutors overtook her between the straits, [a.k.a. narrow passageways.] The [roads] of Zion mourn, because none come to the solemn feasts. |
All her gates are [abandoned.] Her priests sigh & her virgins are afflicted & she [grieves bitterly.] Her adversaries are the [leaders] & her enemies prosper. For the Lord has afflicted her for the multitude of her transgressions. Her children have gone into captivity before the enemy. |
[Jeremiah 25:4-7 And the Lord has sent to you all His servants, the prophets, rising early [to warn] & sending them, but you haven't [paid attention,] nor have you [leaned] your ear [to hear.] They say, [Return] again, everyone from his evil [ways] & from your evil [actions] & dwell in the land that the Lord has given to you & to your [forefathers] forever & ever. |
And [don't] go after other gods to serve them & worship them. And [don't] provoke Me to anger with the works [made by] your hands & I will do no [harm to] you. [Still,] you haven't [paid attention] to Me, [so] that you might provoke Me to anger with the works [made by] your hands, to your own harm, says the Lord.] |
And all her beauty has departed from the daughter of Zion. Here princes are like [deer,] that [don't] find pasture & they flee without strength before the pursuer. [During] the days of her affliction & her miseries, Jerusalem remembered all her pleasant things that she had in the [past.] |
The [enemies] saw her & mocked her Sabbaths, when her people fell into the hand, [a.k.a. under the control of] the enemy & none [helped] her. Jerusalem has sinned [severely.] [For this reason,] she is removed. |
[Jeremiah 16:10-11 And it shall [happen,] when you shall [declare to] this people all these Words, & they shall say to you, [For what reason] has the Lord [declared] all this great [disaster] against us? |
Then, you shall say to them, The Lord says, Because your [forefathers] have [abandoned] Me & have [followed] after other gods & have served & worshiped them & have forsaken Me & haven't kept My Law.] |
All [who] honored her, [now,] despise her, because they have seen her nakedness. [Yes,] she sighs & turns backward. [Jeremiah 13:22 And if you say in your heart, [Why] [do] these things come upon me? For the [large amount] of your [sins,] your skirts are [uncovered] & your heels are made bare.] |
Her filthiness is in her skirts. Therefore, she came down wonderfully & she [didn't think about] her [final] end & she has no comforter. O Lord, [see] all my affliction: for the enemy has magnified himself. |
[Jeremiah 5:28-29 They have [grown] fat & they [excel.] [Yes,] they [surpass] the deeds of the wicked. They [don't] judge the [cases] & the [case] of the fatherless & [still] they prosper. And the [rights] of the needy, they don't judge. The Lord says, Shouldn't I visit, [a.k.a. punish] you for these things? Shouldn't My soul be avenged [for] a nation such as this?] |
The [enemy] has spread out his hand upon all her pleasant things. For she has seen that the heathen, whom you [commanded] shouldn't enter Your congregation, [has] entered into her sanctuary. |
[Nehemiah 13:1-3 On that day, they read in the Book of Moses, in [front] of the people & it was found [in there,] that the Ammonite & Moabite, shouldn't come into the congregation of God forever; because they [didn't meet] the children [people] of Israel with bread & water, but hired Balaam against them, [so] that he would curse them. |
[However] our God turned the curse into a blessing. Now, it [happened,] when they had heard the Law, that they separated all the mixed multitude from Israel.] |
All her people seek bread & sigh. They have given their pleasant things for meat, [a.k.a. food] to relieve the soul. O Lord, see & consider [this;] for I [have] become [disgusting.] Is it nothing to all you, [who] pass by? |
[Look] & see if there's any sorrow, [similar] to my sorrow & [what has been] done to me, [in which] the Lord has afflicted me, [on] the day of His fierce anger. From above, He has sent fire into my bones & it prevails against them. He has spread a net for my feet & He has [returned] me back. He has made me desolate & faint all day. |
[Ezekiel 17:19-20 Therefore, the Lord God says [this;] As I live, surely he has despised [My] oath & My covenant that he has broken, I will even [repay] [this] upon his own head. And I will spread My net upon him & he shall be [captured] in My snare. And I will bring him to Babylon & will plead with him there for his [sins] that he has trespassed against Me.] |
The yoke for my [sins] is [tied] by His hand. They are [woven] & come up upon my neck & He has made my strength [fail.] The Lord has delivered me into their hands, from whom I'm not able to rise up [against.] |
[Jeremiah 28:12-14 Then, the Word of the Lord came to Jeremiah, the prophet, after Hananiah, the prophet had broken the yoke off from the neck of the prophet, Jeremiah, saying, Go & tell Hananiah, saying, The Lord says [this;] You have broken the yokes of wood, but you shall make yokes of iron for them. |
For the Lord of Hosts, the God of Israel says [this;] I have put a yoke of iron upon the [necks] of all these nations, [so] that they may serve Nebuchadnezzar, [Babylon's] king, & they shall serve him. And I have also given him the [animals] of the field.] |
The Lord has [trampled] all my mighty men underfoot in the midst of me. He has called a [crowd] against me to crush my young men. The Lord has [trampled] the virgin, the daughter of Judah, [like] in a [wine vat.] [Isaiah 63:6 And I will [trample] down the people in [My] anger & make them drunk in My fury. And I will bring down their strength to the [ground.] |
I weep for these things. [My eyes, my eyes] run down with water, because the Comforter, [Who] should relieve my soul is far from me. [John 14:16-17 And I will pray [for] the Father & He shall give you another Comforter, [so] that He may [remain] with you forever. Even the Spirit of Truth; Whom the world can't receive, because it [doesn't] see Him. But you know Him, because He dwells within you.] |
My children are desolate, because the enemy [succeeded.] Zion spreads [out] her hands & there is [no one] to comfort her. The Lord has commanded [this about] Jacob, [a.k.a. Israel,] That his [enemies] should [surround] him. Jerusalem, among them, is [like] a woman [during her monthly cycle.] |
The Lord is righteous; for I have rebelled against His commandments. I pray all you people hear & [see] all my sorrow. My virgins & my young men [have] gone into captivity. |
[1 Samuel 12:14-15 If we will fear [respect] the Lord & serve Him & obey His voice & [don't] rebel against the [Lord's commandments,] then both you & the king, [who rules] over you shall continue following the Lord your God. |
But if you won't obey the voice of the Lord, & rebel against the [Lord's commandments,] then, the hand of the Lord shall be against you, [like] it was against your [forefathers.] |
I called for my lovers, but they deceived me. [Ezekiel 16:36 The Lord God says [this;] [It's] because your filthiness was poured out & your nakedness [uncovered] through your [unfaithful harlotry] with your lovers & with all the idols of your abominations & the [bloodshed] of your children, [that] you gave to [the idols.] |
My priests & my elders gave up the ghost, [a.k.a. died,] in the city, while they sought their [food] to relieve their souls. O Lord, [look,] for I'm in distress & my [stomach] is troubled. [My] heart [flutters within] me; for I have [seriously] rebelled [far & wide.] |
The sword [deprives them of their loved ones.] At home, [it's] [like] death there. They have heard that I sigh: [but] there [are] none to comfort me. All [my] enemies have heard of my trouble & they are glad that You have done it. You will bring the day that You have [proclaimed] & they shall be [similar] to me. |
[Psalm 35:15 But they rejoiced in my adversity & gathered themselves together. [Yes,] the [despicable] gathered themselves together against me & I [didn't know] it. They tore [at] me & [didn't stop.] |
Let all their wickedness come before You & do to them, [like] You have done to me for all my [sins.] For my sighs are many & my heart is faint. [Jeremiah 30:16 Therefore, all [those who] devour you shall be devoured. And all your [enemies,] everyone of them, shall go into captivity & [those who plundered] you shall be [plunder.] And I will give for [prey,] all [those who [preyed] upon you.] |