1   Howe doeth ^note the citie remaine solitarie that was full of people? she is as a widowe: she that was great among the nations, & ^note princesse among the prouinces, is made tributarie.

2   She weepeth continually in the ^note night, and her teares runne downe by her cheekes: among all her ^note louers, she hath none to comfort her: all her friendes haue delt vnfaithfully with her, and are her enemies.

3   Iudah is caried away captiue because ^note of affliction, and because of great seruitude: shee dwelleth among the heathen, and findeth no rest: all her persecuters tooke her in the straites.

4   The wayes of Zion lament, because no man commeth ^note to the solemne feastes: all her gates are desolate: her Priests sigh: her virgins are discomfited, and she is in ^note heauinesse.

5   Her aduersaries ^note are the chiefe, and her enemies prosper: for the Lorde hath afflicted her, for the multitude of her transgressions, and her children are gone into captiuitie before the enemie.

6   And from the daughter of Zion all her beautie is departed: her princes are become

The yoke of sinnes. ^note like harts that finde no pasture, & they are gone without strength before the pursuer.

7   Ierusalem remembred the dayes of her affliction, and of her rebellion, and all her pleasant things, that shee had in times past, when her people ^note fell into the hande of the enemie, and none did helpe her: the aduersarie sawe her, and did mocke at her ^note Sabbaths.

8   Ierusalem hath grieuously sinned, therefore shee is ^note in derision: all that honoured her, despise her, because they haue seene her filthinesse: yea, she sigheth and turneth backeward.

9    ^noteHer filthinesse is in her skirts: she remembred not her last ende, therefore she came downe wonderfully: she had no comforter: O Lorde, behold mine affliction: for the enemie ^note is proud.

10   The enemie hath stretched out his hande vpon al her pleasant things: for she hath seene the heathen enter into her Sanctuarie, whom ^note thou diddest commande, that they shoulde not enter into thy Church.

11   All her people sigh and seeke their bread: they haue giuen their pleasant thinges for meate to refresh the soule: see, O Lorde, and consider: for I am become vile.

12   Haue ye no regarde, all yee that passe by this way? behold, and see, if there be any ^note sorowe like vnto my sorowe, which is done vnto mee, wherewith the Lord hath afflicted me in the day of his fierce wrath.

13   From aboue hath ^note hee sent fire into my bones, which preuaile against them: he hath spred a net for my feete, and turned me backe: hee hath made me desolate, and daily in heauinesse.

14   The ^note yoke of my transgressions is bounde vpon his hand: they are wrapped, and come vp vpon my necke: hee hath made my strength to fall: the Lord hath deliuered me into their hands, neither am I able to rise vp.

15   The Lord hath troden vnder foote all my valiant men in the middes of me: he hath called an assembly against me to destroy my yong men: the Lord hath troden ^note the wine presse vpon the virgine the daughter of Iudah.

16    ^noteFor these things I weepe: mine eye, euen mine eye casteth out water, because the comforter that should refresh my soule, is farre from me: my children are desolate, because the enemie preuailed.

17   Zion stretcheth out her handes, and there is none to comfort her: the Lord hath appoynted the enemies of Iaakob rounde about him: Ierusalem is ^note as a menstruous woman in the middes of them.

18   The Lorde is righteous: for I haue rebelled against his ^note commandement: heare, I pray you, all people, and behold my sorowe: my virgins and my yong men are gone into captiuitie.

19   I called for my louers, but they deceiued me: my Priestes and mine Elders perished in the citie while they ^note sought their meate to refresh their soules.

20   Behold, O Lorde, howe I am troubled: my bowels swell: mine heart is turned within me, for I am ful of heauinesse: the sword spoyleth abroad, as death doeth at home.

21   They haue heard that I mourne, but there is none to comfort mee: all mine enemies haue heard of my trouble, and are glad, that thou hast done it: thou wilt bring the day, that thou hast Gods wrath. pronounced, and they shalbe like vnto me.

22    ^noteLet al their wickednes come before thee: ^note do vnto them, as thou hast done vnto me, for all my transgressions: for my sighes are many, & mine heart is heauy. CHAP. II.

1   Howe hath the Lord ^note darkened the daughter of Zion in his wrath! and hath cast downe from ^note heauen vnto the earth the beautie of Israel, and remembred not his ^note footestoole in the day of his wrath!

2   The Lord hath destroyed al the habitations of Iaakob, & not spared: he hath throwen downe in his wrath þe; strong holds of the daughter of Iudah: he hath cast th&ebar; downe to þe; ground: he hath polluted the kingdome and the princes thereof.

3   Hee hath cut off in his fierce wrath all the ^note horne of Israel: he hath drawen backe his ^note right hand from before the enemie, & there was kindled in Iaakob like a flame of fire, which deuoured rounde about.

4   He ^note hath bent his bowe like an enemie: his right hand was stretched vp as an aduersarie, and slewe al that was pleasant to the eye in the tabernacle of the daughter of Zion: he powred out his wrath like fire.

5   The Lord was as an enemie: he hath deuoured Israel, and consumed all his palaces: hee hath destroyed his strong holdes, and hath increased in the daughter of Iudah lamentation and mourning.

6   For hee hath destroyed his Tabernacle, as a garden, hee hath destroyed his Congregation: the Lorde hath caused the feastes and Sabbathes to bee forgotten in Zion, and hath despised in the indignation of his wrath the King and the Priest.

7   The Lord hath forsaken his altar: he hath abhorred his Sanctuarie: he hath giu&ebar; into the hand of the enemie the walles of her palaces: they haue made a ^note noyse in the House of the Lorde, as in the day of solemnitie.

8   The Lorde hath determined to destroy the wall of the daughter of Zion: hee stretched out a lyne: hee hath not withdrawen his hande from destroying: therefore hee made the rampart ^note and the wall to lament: they were destroyed together.

9   Her gates are sunke to the grounde: he hath destroyed and broken her barres: her King and her princes are among the Gentiles: the Lawe is no more, neither can her Prophets ^note receiue any vision from the Lord.

10   The Elders of the daughter of Zion sit vpon the grounde, and keepe silence: they haue cast vp dust vpon their heades: they haue girded them selues with sackecloth: the virgines of Ierusalem hang downe their heades to the ground.

11   Mine eyes doe saile with teares: my bowels swell: my liuer is powred vpon the earth, for the destructi&obar; of the daughter of my people, because the children and sucklings ^note swoone in the streetes of the citie.

12   They haue sayd to their mothers, Where is ^note bread and drinke? when they swooned as the wounded in the streetes of the citie, and wh&ebar; they ^note gaue vp the ghost in their mothers bosome.

13    ^noteWhat thing shall I take to witnesse for thee? what thing shall I compare to thee, O

Flattering prophets. daughter Ierusalem? what shal I liken to thee, that I may comfort thee, O virgine daughter Zion? for thy breach is great like þe; sea: who can heale thee?

14   Thy Prophets haue ^note looked out vayne, & foolish things for thee, and they haue not discouered thine iniquitie, to turne away thy captiuitie, but haue looked out for thee false ^note prophesies, & causes of banishment.

15   All that passe by the way, clap their hands at thee: they hisse and wagge their head vpon the daughter Ierusalem, saying, Is this the citie that men call, The perfection of beautie, and the ioye of the whole earth?

16   All thine enemies haue opened their mouth against thee: they hisse and gnashe the teeth, saying, Let vs deuoure it: certainely this is the day that we looked for: we haue founde and seene it.

17    ^noteThe Lorde hath done that which he had purposed: he hath fulfilled his worde that he had determined of old time: he hath throwen downe, and not spared: hee hath caused thine enemie to reioyce ouer thee, and set vp the horne of thine aduersaries.

18   Their heart ^note cryed vnto the Lord, O wall of the daughter Zion, let teares runne downe like a riuer, day and night: take thee no rest, neither let the apple of thine eye cease.

19   Arise, cry in the night: in the beginning of the watches powre out thine heart like water before the face of the Lord: lift vp thine handes towarde him for the life of thy yong children, that faint for hunger in the corners of all the streetes.

20   Beholde, O Lord, and consider to whome thou hast done thus: shall the women eate their fruite, and children of a ^note spanne long? shall the Priest and the Prophet be slaine in the Sanctuarie of the Lord?

21   The yong and the olde lie on the ground in the streetes: my virgins and my yong men are fallen by the sworde: thou hast slaine them in the day of thy wrath: thou hast killed and not spared.

22   Thou hast called as in a solemne daye my ^note terrours rounde about, so that in the day of the Lordes wrath none escaped nor remained: those that I haue nourished and brought vp, hath mine enemie consumed. CHAP. III.

1   I am the man, that hath seene ^note affliction in the rod of his indignation.

2   He hath ledde mee, and brought me into darkenes, but not to light.

3   Surely he is turned against me: he turneth his hand against me all the day.

4   My flesh and my skinne hath he caused to waxe olde, and he hath broken my bones.

5   He hath ^note builded against me, and compassed me with gall, and labour.

6   He hath set me in darke places, as they that be dead for euer.

7   He hath hedged about mee, that I cannot get out: he hath made my chaines heauy.

8   Also when I cry and showte, hee shutteth out my ^note prayer.

9   He hath ^note stopped vp my wayes with hewen stone, and turned away my paths. The Lordes mercies.

10    ^noteHe was vnto me as a beare lying in waite, and as a Lion in secret places.

11   He hath stopped my wayes, and pulled me in pieces: he hath made me desolate.

12   He hath bent his bow & made me a marke for the arrow.

13   Hee caused ^note the arrowes of his quiuer to enter into my reines.

14   I was a derision to all my people, and their song all the day.

15   He hath filled me with bitternes, & made me drunken with ^note wormewood.

16   He hath also broken my teeth with stones, and hath couered me with ashes.

17   Thus my soule was farre off from peace: I forgate prosperitie,

18   And I saide, My strength & mine hope ^note is perished from the Lord,

19   Remembring mine affliction, & my mourning, the wormewood and the gall.

20   My soule hath them in remembrance, and is humbled ^note in me.

21   I consider this in mine heart: therefore haue I hope.

22   It is the Lordes ^note mercies that wee are not consumed, because his compassions faile not.

23   They are renued ^note euery morning: great is thy faithfulnesse.

24   The Lorde is my ^note portion, sayth my soule: therefore wil I hope in him.

25   The Lord is good vnto them, that trust in him, and to the soule that seeketh him.

26   It is good both to trust, and to waite for the saluation of the Lord.

27   It is good for a man that he beare the yoke in his ^note youth.

28   He sitteth alone, ^note and keepeth silence, because he hath borne it vpon him.

29   He putteth his ^note mouth in the dust, if there may be hope.

30   Hee giueth his cheeke to him that smiteth him: he is filled full with reproches.

31   For the Lord will not forsake for euer.

32   But though he sende affliction, yet will he haue compassion according to the multitude of his mercies.

33   For he doeth not ^note punish ^note willingly, nor afflict the children of men,

34   In stamping vnder his feete all the prisoners of the earth,

35   In ouerthrowing the right of a man before the face of the most high,

36   In subuerting a man in his cause: the Lord ^note seeth it not.

37   Who is he then that sayth, & it commeth to passe, and the Lord ^note commandeth it not?

38   Out of the mouth of the most high proceedeth not ^note euill and good?

39   Wherefore then is the liuing ^note man sorowfull? man suffreth for his sinne.

40   Let vs search and try our wayes, and turne againe to the Lord.

41   Let vs lift vp ^note our hearts with our handes vnto God in the heauens.

42   We haue sinned, and haue rebelled, therefore thou hast not spared.

43   Thou hast couered vs with wrath, and persecuted vs: thou hast slaine and not spared.

44   Thou hast couered thy selfe with a cloude, that our prayer should not passe through.

Great famine.

45   Thou hast made vs as the ^note ofscouring and refuse in the middes of the people.

46   All our enemies haue opened their mouth against vs.

47   Feare, and a snare is come vpon vs with desolation and destruction.

48   Mine eye casteth out riuers of water, for the destruction of the daughter of my people.

49   Mine eye droppeth without stay and ceaseth not,

50   Till the Lorde looke downe, and beholde from heauen.

51   Mine eye ^note breaketh mine heart because of all the daughters of my citie.

52   Mine enemies chased me sore like a birde, without cause.

53   They haue shut vp my life ^note in the dungeon, and cast a stone vpon me.

54   Waters flowed ouer mine head, then thought I, I am destroyed.

55   I called vpon thy Name, O Lorde, out of the lowe dungeon.

56   Thou hast heard my voyce: stoppe not thine eare from my sigh and from my cry.

57   Thou drewest neere in the day that I called vpon thee: thou saydest, Feare not.

58   O Lord, thou hast maintained the cause of my ^note soule, and hast redeemed my life.

59   O Lorde, thou hast seene my wrong, iudge thou my cause.

60   Thou hast seene all their vengeance, and all their deuises against me.

61   Thou hast heard their reproch, O Lord, and all their imaginations against me:

62   The lippes also of those that rose against me, and their whispering against me continually.

63   Behold, their sitting downe and their rising vp, how I am their song.

64    ^noteGiue them a recompence, O Lord, according to the worke of their handes.

65   Giue them ^note sorow of heart, euen thy curse to them.

66   Persecute with wrath & destroy them from vnder the heauen, O Lord. CHAP. IIII.

1   How is the ^note golde become so ^note dimme? the most fine golde is changed, and the stones of the Sanctuarie are scattered in the corner of euery streete.

2   The noble ^note men of Zion c&obar;parable to fine golde, howe are they esteemed as earthen ^note pitchers, euen the worke of the handes of the potter!

3   Euen the dragons ^note draw out the breastes, and giue sucke to their yong, but the daughter of my people is become cruell like the ^note ostriches in the wildernesse.

4   The tongue of the sucking childe cleaueth to the roofe of his mouth for thirst: the yong children aske bread, but no man breaketh it vnto them.

5   They that did feede delicately, perish in the streetes: they that were brought vp in skarlet, embrace the dongue.

6   For the iniquitie of the daughter of my people is become greater then the sinne of Sodom, that was ^note destroyed as in a moment, & ^note none pitched campes against her.

7   Her ^note Nazarites were purer then the snowe, & whiter then þe; milke: they were more ruddie in bodie, then the redde precious stones; they were Sinnes of the Priests. like polished saphir.

8   Nowe their ^note visage is blacker then a cole: they can not knowe them in the streetes: their skinne cleaueth to their bones: it is withered like a stocke.

9   They that be slaine with the sword are better, then they that are killed with hunger: for they fade away as they were striken through for the ^note fruites of the fielde.

10   The hands of the pitifull women haue sodden their owne children, which were their meate in the destruction of the daughter of my people.

11   The Lord hath accomplished his indignation: he hath powred out his fierce wrath, he hath kindled a fire in Zion, which hath deuoured the foundations thereof.

12   The Kings of the earth, and all the inhabitants of the world would not haue beleeued that the aduersarie and the enemie should haue entred into the gates of Ierusalem:

13   For the sinnes of her Prophets, and the iniquities of her Priests, that haue shed the blood of the iust in the middes of ^note her.

14   They haue wandred as blinde men ^note in the streetes, and they were polluted with blood, so that ^note they would not touch their garments.

15   But they cried vnto them, Depart, ye polluted, depart, depart, touch not: therefore they fled away, and wandered: they haue sayd among the heathen, They shal no more dwell there.

16   The ^note anger of the Lorde hath scattered them, he will no more regard them: ^note they reuerenced not the face of the Priestes, nor had compassion of the Elders.

17   Whiles we waited for our vaine helpe, our eyes failed: for in our waiting we looked for ^note a nation that could not saue vs.

18   They hunt our steppes that we cannot goe in our streetes: our ende is neere, our dayes are fulfilled, for our ende is come.

19   Our persecuters are swifter then the egles of the heauen: they pursued vs vpon the mountaines, and layed waite for vs in the wildernes.

20   The ^note breath of our nostrels, the Anoynted of the Lord was taken in their nets, of whome we sayde, Vnder his shadowe we shalbe preserued aliue among the heathen.

21   Reioyce and be glad, ^note O daughter Edom, that dwellest in the lande of Vz, the cuppe also shal passe through vnto thee: thou shalt be drunken ^note and vomit.

22   Thy punishment is accomplished, O daughter Zion: he ^note will no more carie thee away into captiuitie, but he will visite thine iniquitie, O daughter Edom, he wil discouer thy sinnes. CHAP. V. The prayer of Ieremiah.

1   Remember, O Lorde, what is come vpon vs: ^note consider, and behold our reproche.

2   Our inheritance is turned to the strangers, our houses to the aliants.

3   We are fatherles, euen without father, and our mothers are as widowes.

4   Wee haue drunke our ^note water for money, and our wood is solde vnto vs.

5   Our neckes are vnder persecution: we are wearie, and haue no rest.

6   We haue giuen our ^note handes to the Egyptians,

The peoples miserie. and to Asshur, to be satisfied with bread.

7   Our fathers haue sinned, and are not, and we haue borne their ^note iniquities.

8   Seruants haue ruled ouer vs, none would deliuer vs out of their hands.

9   Wee gate our bread with the perill of our liues, because of the sword ^note of the wildernesse.

10   Our skinne was blacke like as an ouen because of the terrible famine.

11   They defiled the women in Zion, and the maydes in the cities of Iudah.

12   The princes are hanged vp by ^note their hande: the faces of the elders were not had in honour.

13   They tooke the yong men to grinde, and the children fell vnder ^note the wood.

14   The Elders haue ceased from the ^note gate and the yong men from their songs.

15   The ioy of our heart is gone, our daunce is turned into mourning.

16   The crowne of our head is fallen: wo nowe vnto vs, that we haue sinned.

17   Therefore our heart is heauy for these things, our ^note eyes are dimme,

18   Because of the mountaine of Zion which is desolate: the foxes runne vpon it.

19   But thou, O Lord, remainest for ^note euer: thy throne is from generation to generation.

20   Wherefore doest thou forget vs for euer, and forsake vs so long time?

21    ^noteTurne thou vs vnto thee, O Lord, and we shalbe turned: renue our dayes as of olde.

22   But thou hast vtterly reiected vs: thou art exceedingly angry against vs.

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