VAU.
Ver. Her splendid beauty bright that shone,
6 To her renown before,
Is all from Zion's daughter gone,
And to be seen no nore.
Her peers, like hunted harts on flight,
For want of pasture frail,
Before the hot pursuer's might
Do pow'rless faint and fail.
Zain.
7 Jerus'lem in her days now lin'd
With forrows manifold,
Call’d all her pleasant things to mind,
Which she possess'd of old.
Her people fell before her foes,
Who
now upon her gaze
When helpless to deride her woes,
And mock her Sabbath-days.
Cheti
8 Salem hath greatly finn'd, and hence
She's now remov'd afar ;
All who did once her reverence
Now her despisers are :
Because her nakedness of life
Is now expos’d to them;
With deep regret lhe sighs fir grief,
And backward turns for Thame.
Teth.
9
Filth in her skirts and lewdness tend
To ruin her renown;
She, thoughtless of her latter end,
Came wonderfully down.
No comforter in her behalf
Appear'd for her relief:
The foe hath magnify'd himself;
O Lord, behold my grief.
Jop.
Ver. Profanely hath the wicked foe,
10 Spread out his hands unclean,
On all her pleasant things : for, lo!
Her weeping eyes have seen,
How that the heathen vile invade
Her fanctuary fair,
Thy sacred court, of which thou'st said,
They shall not enter there.
CAPh.
11 Her people figh, and bread implore;
Her pleasant things are sold,
Their fainting spirits to restore,
Their bodies to uphold.
Consider thou, O Lord, my state,
See my extremity ;
For despicable, defolate,
And vile, become am I.
LAMED.
12 Ah! is it nought to you that pass
The way? Behold and see,
If ever any forrow was
Like this befallen me.
But 'tis Jehovah, to display
His justice in my lot,
Who me afflicted in the day
Of his displeasure hot.
Mem.
13 Into my bones he hath sent down
From heaven a burning fire,
Which o'er their strength prevailing soon
Consum'd them in his ire.
He for my feet hath spread a net,
And backward turn'd my way;
'Tis he hath made me desolate,
And faintilh all the day.
NUN.
14 The yoke of my collected fins,
He with his hand did tie ;
Them fast he wreaths, and up he twines,
And on my neck they lie.
Ver. My strength he dash'd with overthrows,
My valour prostrate lies :
He put me in the hand of those
From whom I cannot rise.
SAMECH.
15 Amidst me, he my champions all
Down under foot did push ;
Then 'gainst me an assembly call,
My choicest youths to crush.
'th' wine press of the wrath of God,
Where not the fair escapes,
The Lord hath Judah's daughter trode,
As people trade the grapes.
ΑΙΝ.
16 On these accounts weep and bray;
Mine eye, mine eye runs down
With briny floods, because away
The Comforter is gone ;
Who should my grief of foul abate
He's far from me remote :
My children too are defolate,
Since fues the pow'r have got.
Pe.
17 Though Zion wailing spread her hands,
None's to comfort her found :
Concerning Jacob, God commands
His foes should him furround.
'Mong whom fair Salem, now in tears,
When none do fuccour bring,
A separated drab appears,
And like a loathsome thing.
TZADE.
18 But just and righteous is the Lord ;
For by my wickedness,
I have rebell'd against his word,
And wrought my own distress.
All people, hear with pity then,
And lee my grief, I pray;
My virgins, and my choice young men,
Are captives led away.
Koph.
Ver. I call'd for friends, and near allies,
19
That courted once my love,
Who now, regardless of my cries,
To me deceitful prove.
My priests and elders who for me
With Heav'n will intercede,
In city fainting fought supply,
But dy'd for want of bread.
REST.
20 See, Lord, for I'm oppress’d and cross'd
Unto the last degree ;
My bowels troubled are and toss'd,
My heart is turn'd in me.
For grievously rebell'd I have,
Provoking thee to wrath :
Abroad the bloody sword doth 'reave,
At home a direful death.
Sun.
21 My foes all heard of my distress,
My sighs and troubles fad;
They heard I am left comfortless,
And at my woes were glad :
Thy doing is their mirth ; but, lo!
Thoul't make the day to shine,
Proclaim'd by thee, in which their wa
And grief shall equal mine.
Tau.
22 Let all the wickedness they frame,
Before thy presence be;
And likewife do thou unto them,
As thou hast done to me.
For all my fins, which do my moans
And miseries augment :
Great is the number of my groans !
My heart within me faint,
JEREMIAH lamenteth tbe Misery of JERUSALEM ;
taking notice of the Anger of the Lord as ibe Cause of ber Calamities, and ibe jorrow ibat took place as the effect of these. He maketh bis Complaint unto God, referring the Matter 10 bis most compasionate Confideration.
ALEPH.
Ver.
How
Ow doth the Lord a cloud of wrath
O'er Zion's daughter spread,
And down from heav'n to earth beneath,
Fair Isra’l's pomp degrade!
Regardless of his temple gay,
How has he quite forgot
His facred footsiool, in his day
Of indignation hot.
ВЕтн.
2 The Lord hath Jacob's dwellings all
Devour'd and pity'd none;
He Judah's bulwarks, great and small,
Down in his wraih hath thrown:
He level with the ground them laid,
Their princes too were preys;
Them and the kingdom both he made
Polluted cast-aways.
GIMEL.
3 All Isra’l's horn, in wrath, he cut
Quite off till pow'r was lost;
And back his right-hand vigour put,
Before the adverse hoft.
On ev'ry side he fet his ire
A-burning to the ground,
'Gainst Jacob like a flaming fire,
Devouring all around.
DALETH.
4
Like to an adversary grand,
He bent his mighty bow;
Stood wrathful-like, with his right-hand
Stretch'd for the fatal blow:
|