The city of Jerusalem is so empty! She used to be full of people. But now she’s like a woman whose husband has died. She used to be great among the nations. She was like a queen among the kingdoms. But now she is a slave.

先前满有人民的城，现在何竟独坐！先前在列国中为大的，现在竟如寡妇；先前在诸省中为王后的，现在成为进贡的。

唉！先前人口稠密的城市，现在为何独坐！先前在列国中为大的，现在竟如寡妇！先前在各省中为王后的，现在竟成为服苦役的人！

唉！先前人口稠密的城市，现在为何独坐！先前在列国中为大的，现在竟如寡妇！先前在各省中为王后的，现在竟成为服苦役的人！

从前人烟稠密的城，现在何其荒凉！从前扬威万邦的强国，现在竟像寡妇一样。从前在诸省做公主的，现在却沦为奴婢。

从前人烟稠密的城中，现在怎么竟然孤独地坐在那里。从前在列国中为大的，现在怎么竟然像个寡妇。从前在众省份中为王后的，现在怎么竟然成了奴隶。

先前滿有人民的城，現在何竟獨坐！先前在列國中為大的，現在竟如寡婦；先前在諸省中為王后的，現在成為進貢的。

唉！先前人口稠密的城市，現在為何獨坐！先前在列國中為大的，現在竟如寡婦！先前在各省中為王后的，現在竟成為服苦役的人！

唉！先前人口稠密的城市，現在為何獨坐！先前在列國中為大的，現在竟如寡婦！先前在各省中為王后的，現在竟成為服苦役的人！

從前人煙稠密的城，現在何其荒涼！從前揚威萬邦的強國，現在竟像寡婦一樣。從前在諸省做公主的，現在卻淪為奴婢。

從前人煙稠密的城中，現在怎麼竟然孤獨地坐在那裡。從前在列國中為大的，現在怎麼竟然像個寡婦。從前在眾省份中為王后的，現在怎麼竟然成了奴隸。

怎麼啦！先前滿有人民的城，現在竟自獨坐啊！先前在列國中為大的，現在竟如寡婦啊！先前在諸省中為王后的，現在竟成了作苦工的啊！

噫嘻是邑、昔則居民充盈、今則何其寂寞兮、昔為邦國之長、今如嫠婦兮、昔於諸州為郡主、今則供役兮、

維昔郇邑、居民眾多、今則不勝寂寞兮、昔為大國、今若嫠婦兮、昔也列邦為彼所制、今則為人供役、能勿悲兮。

哀哉斯邑、居民素多、今則寂寞、若嫠婦獨坐、昔於諸國中最大、列邦尊以為后、而今反為人供役、為人供役或作納貢

How deserted lies the city, once so full of people! How like a widow is she, who once was great among the nations! She who was queen among the provinces has now become a slave.

How lonely sits the city that was full of people! How like a widow has she become, she who was great among the nations! She who was a princess among the provinces has become a slave.

Jerusalem, once so full of people, is now deserted. She who was once great among the nations now sits alone like a widow. Once the queen of all the earth, she is now a slave.

How she sits alone, the city once crowded with people! She who was great among the nations has become like a widow. The princess among the provinces has been put to forced labor.

How lonely sits the city That once had many people! She has become like a widow Who was once great among the nations! She who was a princess among the provinces Has become a forced laborer!

How lonely sits the city That was full of people! How like a widow is she, Who was great among the nations! The princess among the provinces Has become a slave!

How doth the city sit solitary, that was full of people! She is become as a widow, that was great among the nations! She that was a princess among the provinces is become tributary!

How she sits alone, the city once crowded with people! She who was great among the nations has become like a widow. The princess among the provinces has been put to forced labor.

How doth the city sit solitary,[ that was] full of people![ how] is she become as a widow! she[ that was] great among the nations,[ and] princess among the provinces,[ how] is she become tributary!

Alas! The city once full of people now sits all alone! The prominent lady among the nations has become a widow! The princess who once ruled the provinces has become a forced laborer!ב( Bet)

How the city sits solitary, that was full of people! She has become as a widow, who was great among the nations! She who was a princess among the provinces has become a slave!

The city of Zion will be very sad. Like a widow, she will lose everything. She will sit on the ground and mourn.

Jerusalem has had powerful kings. Some of them ruled over everything west of the Euphrates. Taxes, gifts and fees were paid to them.

Solomon ruled over all the kingdoms from the Euphrates River to the land of the Philistines. He ruled as far as the border of Egypt. All those countries brought the gifts he required them to bring him. And Solomon ruled over those countries for his whole life.

Jehoiakim paid Pharaoh Necho the silver and gold he required. To get the money, Jehoiakim taxed the land. He forced the people to give him the silver and gold. He made each one pay him what he required.

All of our honor is gone. How terrible it is for us because we have sinned!

“ Do not be afraid. You will not be put to shame anymore. Do not be afraid of being dishonored. People will no longer make fun of you. You will forget the time when you suffered as slaves in Egypt. You will no longer remember the shame of being a widow in Babylon.

They will cry out,“‘ How terrible! How terrible it is for you, great city, dressed in fine linen, purple and bright red! How terrible for you, great city, gleaming with gold, jewels and pearls!In just one hour your great wealth has been destroyed!’“ Every sea captain and all who travel by ship will stand far away. So will the sailors and all who earn their living from the sea.

Why is your town so full of noise? Why is your city so full of the sound of wild parties? Those among you who died weren’t killed by swords. They didn’t die in battle.

Still others were saying,“ We’ve had to borrow money. We needed it to pay the king’s tax on our fields and vineyards.

He continued,“ Once again old men and women will sit in the streets of Jerusalem. All of them will be using canes because they are old.The city streets will be filled with boys and girls. They will be playing there.”

Get up, Jerusalem! Shake off your dust. Take your place on your throne. Captured people of Zion, remove the chains from your neck.

What a beautiful sight it is to see messengers coming with good news! How beautiful to see them coming down from the mountains with a message about peace! How wonderful it is when they bring the good news that we are saved! How wonderful when they say to Zion,“ Your God rules!”

Give her as much pain and suffering as the glory and wealth she gave herself. She brags to herself,‘ I rule on a throne like a queen. I am not a widow. I will never mourn.’( Isaiah 47:7, 8)

Pharaoh Necho put him in chains at Riblah in the land of Hamath. That kept him from ruling in Jerusalem. Necho made the people of Judah pay him a tax of almost four tons of silver and 75 pounds of gold.

The tribes of the Lord go there to praise his name. They do it in keeping with the law he gave to Israel.

“ City of Babylon, go down and sit in the dust. Leave your throne and sit on the ground. Queen city of the Babylonians, your life will not be comfortable and easy anymore.Get millstones and grind some flour like a female slave. Take off your veil. Lift up your skirts. Make your legs bare. Wade through the streams.Everyone will see your naked body. Everyone will see your shame. I will pay you back for what you did. I will not spare any of your people.”The one who sets us free is the Holy One of Israel. His name is the Lord Who Rules Over All.The Lord says,“ Queen city of the Babylonians, go into a dark prison. Sit there quietly. You will not be called the queen of kingdoms anymore.I was angry with my people. I treated them as if they did not belong to me. I handed them over to you. And you did not show them any pity. You even placed heavy loads on their old people.You said,‘ I am queen forever!’ But you did not think about what you were doing. You did not consider how things might turn out.“ So listen, you who love pleasure. You think you are safe and secure. You say to yourself,‘ I am like a god. No one is greater than I am. I’ll never be a widow. And my children will never be taken away from me.’But both of these things will happen to you in a moment. They will take place on a single day. You will lose your children. And you will become a widow. That is what will happen to you. All your evil magic and powerful spells will not save you.You have felt secure in your evil ways. You have said,‘ No one sees what I’m doing.’ Your wisdom and knowledge lead you astray. You say to yourself,‘ I am like a god. No one is greater than I am.’So horrible trouble will come on you. You will not know how to use your evil magic to make it go away. Great trouble will fall on you. No amount of money can keep it away. Something terrible will happen to you all at once. You will not see it coming ahead of time.“ So keep on casting your magic spells. Keep on practicing your evil magic. You have been doing those things ever since you were a child. Perhaps they will help you. Maybe they will scare your enemies away.All the advice you have received has only worn you out! Let those who study the heavens come forward. They claim to know what is going to happen by watching the stars every month. So let them save you from the trouble that is coming on you.They are just like straw. Fire will burn them up. They can’t even save themselves from the powerful flames. These are not like coals that can warm anyone. This is not like a fire to sit by.They can’t do you any good. You have done business with them ever since you were a child. You have always asked them for advice. All of them are bewildered and continue in their own ways. None of them can save you.”

Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, made a promise. He made the promise to give hope to all these men. He spoke in a kind way to them. He said,“ Don’t be afraid to serve the Babylonians. Make your homes in the land of Judah. Serve the king of Babylon. Then things will go well with you.

Look at how the gold has lost its brightness! See how dull the fine gold has become! The sacred jewels are scattered at every street corner.

It has been broken to pieces. It was the hammer that broke the whole earth. How empty Babylon is among the nations!

See how the Lord covered the city of Zion with the cloud of his anger! He threw Israel’s glory down from heaven to earth. When he was angry, he turned his back on his own city.

But we have sinned against you. So its great harvest goes to the kings of Persia. You have placed them over us. They rule over our bodies and cattle just as they please. And we are suffering terribly.

“ King of Babylon, you thought you were the bright morning star. But now you have fallen from heaven! You once brought down nations. But now you have been thrown down to the earth!

The Lord says,“ I will knock down all of Jerusalem’s buildings. I will make it a home for wild dogs. The towns of Judah will be completely destroyed. No one will be able to live in them.”

The elders of the city of Zion sit silently on the ground. They have sprinkled dust on their heads. They’ve put on the clothes of sadness. The young women of Jerusalem have bowed their heads toward the ground.

Nineveh was a carefree city. It lived in safety. It said to itself,“ I am the one! No one is greater than I am.” But it has been destroyed. Wild animals make their home there. All those who pass by laugh and shake their fists at it.

Then all the princes along the coast will step down from their thrones. They will put their robes away. They will take off their beautiful clothes. They will sit on the ground. They will put on terror as if it were their clothes. They will tremble with fear all the time. They will be shocked because of what has happened to you.

The Lord and King has unplugged my ears. I’ve always obeyed him. I haven’t turned away from him.

Solomon ruled over all the kings from the Euphrates River to the land of the Philistines. He ruled all the way to the border of Egypt.