1-22 The Deserted City (Jerusalem)
Note: In the original Hebrew, each of these 22 verses begins with successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet: Aleph, Beth, Gimel, Daleth, etc. The same structure is followed in chapters 2 and 4 as well. Chapter 3 has 66 verses, where each 3 successive verses begin with the same letter, i.e. verses 1-3 begin with Aleph, 4-6 with Beth, etc. Although it also has 22 verses, chapter 5 is not an acrostic.
1-2 Lonely as a widow, or as a princess that has become a slave, she weeps bitterly in the night with no friends or lover to comfort her, for they are now her enemies.
3-4 Judah, now in exile, finds no rest. No one comes to her parties, her priests groan, her young girls grieve
5-6 As punishment from God for her sins, she serves her foes, her children have been taken captive, she has been stripped of her royalty, her princes have run away
7-8 She remembers how it used to be, before her enemies looked down on her, mocking her in her nakedness.
9-10 When she prostituted herself, she wasn't thinking of the future – now enemies have invaded the holy sanctuary.
11-12 Her people starve, ashamed of what they've become, receiving no pity from passersby.
13-15 The LORD has sent fire, captured me in a net, gathered all my sins and makes me carry them on my back, given me to my enemies, crushed my young men, trodden me as in a wine press. From verses 12-16, and again in verses 17-22, Jeremiah switches to the first person. He takes on Judah's suffering as his own.
16-18 For all this I weep, but there is no one to comfort. But I acknowledge God's righteousness in this. Others must learn from my suffering.
19 My former lovers deceived me; my priests and elders have starved to death.
20-22 LORD, see my distress, how my enemies rejoice at my punishment. Deal with them as you have dealt with me.
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