Lamentations 1:19

Easy-to-Read Version

I called out to my lovers, but they tricked me. My priests and my elders have died in the city. They were looking for food for themselves. They wanted to keep themselves alive.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
I called to my lovers,but they betrayed me.My priests and eldersperished in the citywhile searching for foodto keep themselves alive.

Hebrew Names Version
I called for my lovers, [but] they deceived me: My Kohanim and my Zakenim gave up the spirit in the city, While they sought them food to refresh their souls.

King James Version
I called for my lovers, but they deceived me: my priests and mine elders gave up the ghost in the city, while they sought their meat to relieve their souls.

English Standard Version
"I called to my lovers, but they deceived me; my priests and elders perished in the city, while they sought food to revive their strength.

New American Standard Bible
"I called to my lovers, but they deserted me; My priests and my elders perished in the city While they sought food to restore their strength themselves.

New Century Version
"I called out to my friends, but they turned against me. My priests and my elders have died in the city while looking for food to stay alive.

Amplified Bible
"I [Jerusalem] called to my lovers (political allies), but they deceived me. My priests and my elders perished in the city While they looked for food to restore their strength.

World English Bible
I called for my lovers, [but] they deceived me: My priests and my elders gave up the spirit in the city, While they sought them food to refresh their souls.

Geneva Bible (1587)
I called for my louers, but they deceiued me: my Priestes and mine Elders perished in the citie while they sought their meate to refresh their soules.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"I called to my lovers, but they deceived me; My priests and my elders perished in the city While they sought food to restore their strength themselves.

Legacy Standard Bible
I called to my lovers, but they deceived me;My priests and my elders breathed their last in the cityWhile they sought food for themselves in order to restore their souls.

Berean Standard Bible
I called out to my lovers, but they have betrayed me. My priests and elders perished in the city while they searched for food to keep themselves alive.

Contemporary English Version
I called out to my lovers, but they betrayed me. My priests and my leaders died while searching the city for scraps of food.

Complete Jewish Bible
"I called out to my lovers, but they let me down. My cohanim and leaders perished in the city, as they were seeking food to keep themselves alive.

Darby Translation
I called for my lovers, they have deceived me; my priests and mine elders have expired in the city, while they sought them food to revive their soul.

George Lamsa Translation
I called for my lovers, but they deceived me; my priests and my elders perished in the city; they searched for food to relieve their souls, but they found it not.

Good News Translation
"I called to my allies, but they refused to help me. The priests and the leaders died in the city streets, Looking for food to keep themselves alive.

Lexham English Bible
I have called to my lovers, they themselves deceived me; my priests and elders perished in the city when they sought food for themselves to revive their life.

Literal Translation
I called for my lovers; they deceived me. My priests and my elders expired in the city, while they sought food for them to bring back their life.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
I called for my louers (but they begyled me:) for my prestes and councelers, but they perished: euen while they sought for meate, to saue their lyues.

American Standard Version
I called for my lovers, but they deceived me: My priests and mine elders gave up the ghost in the city, While they sought them food to refresh their souls.

Bible in Basic English
I sent for my lovers, but they were false to me: my priests and my responsible men were breathing their last breath in the town, while they were looking for food to give them new life.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
I called for my lovers, but they deceived me; my priests and mine elders perished in the city, while they sought them food to refresh their souls.

King James Version (1611)
I called for my louers, but they deceiued me: my priests and mine elders gaue vp the ghost in the citie, while they sought their meat to relieue their soules

Bishop's Bible (1568)
I called for my louers, but they beguiled me, for my priestes and counsaylers, but they perished, euen whyle they sought for meate to saue their lyues.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
KOPH. I called my lovers, but they deceived me: my priests and my elders failed in the city; for they sought meat that they might restore their souls, and found it not.

English Revised Version
I called for my lovers, but they deceived me: my priests and mine elders gave up the ghost in the city, while they sought them meat to refresh their souls.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Coth. I clepide my frendis, and thei disseyueden me; my prestis and myn elde men in the citee ben wastid; for thei souyten mete to hem silf, to coumforte hir lijf.

Update Bible Version
I called for my lovers, [but] they deceived me: My priests and my elders gave up the ghost in the city, While they sought food for them to refresh their souls.

Webster's Bible Translation
I called for my lovers, [but] they deceived me: my priests and my elders resigned their breath in the city, while they sought their food to relieve their souls.

New English Translation

ק (Qof)

I called for my lovers, but they had deceived me. My priests and my elders perished in the city. Truly they had searched for food to keep themselves alive.

New King James Version
"I called for my lovers, But they deceived me; My priests and my elders Breathed their last in the city, While they sought food To restore their life.

New Living Translation
"I begged my allies for help, but they betrayed me. My priests and leaders starved to death in the city, even as they searched for food to save their lives.

New Life Bible
I called to my lovers, but they were not faithful to me. My religious leaders and leaders of the people died in the city, while they looked for food to get their strength back.

New Revised Standard
I called to my lovers but they deceived me; my priests and elders perished in the city while seeking food to revive their strength.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
I called to my lovers, they, deceived me, My priests and mine elders, in the city, have breathed their last, - for they sought them food, that they might bring back their life.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Coph. I called for my friends, but they deceived me: my priests and my ancients pined away in the city: while they sought their food, to relieve their souls.

Revised Standard Version
"I called to my lovers but they deceived me; my priests and elders perished in the city, while they sought food to revive their strength.

Young's Literal Translation
I called for my lovers, they -- they have deceived me, My priests and my elders in the city have expired; When they have sought food for themselves, Then they give back their soul.

THE MESSAGE
"I called to my friends; they betrayed me. My priests and my leaders only looked after themselves, trying but failing to save their own skins.

Contextual Overview

¹² All you who pass by on the road, you don't seem to care. But look at me and see. Is there any pain like my pain? Is there any pain like the pain that has come to me? Is there any pain like the pain that the Lord has punished me with? He has punished me on the day of his great anger. ¹³ The Lord sent fire from above that went down into my bones. He stretched out a net for my feet. He turned me all the way around. He made me into a wasteland. I am sick all day. ¹⁴ "My sins were tied up like a yoke. My sins were tied up in the Lord's hands. His yoke is on my neck. He has made me weak. He has given me to those who I cannot stand up against. ¹⁵ "The Lord rejected all my powerful men who were inside the city. Then he brought a group of people against me. He brought them to kill my young soldiers. The Lord has trampled his dearest city like grapes in a winepress. ¹⁶ "I cry about all these things. Tears are flowing down my cheeks. There is no one near to comfort me. There is no one who can make me feel better. My children are like a wasteland, because the enemy won." ¹⁷ Zion spread out her hands. There was no one to comfort her. The Lord had given orders to Jacob's enemies. He ordered them to surround the city. Jerusalem has become a dirty rag that her enemies threw away. ¹⁸ Now Jerusalem says, "I refused to listen to the Lord , so he is right for doing these things. So listen, all you people! Look at my pain! My young women and men have gone into captivity. ¹⁹ I called out to my lovers, but they tricked me. My priests and my elders have died in the city. They were looking for food for themselves. They wanted to keep themselves alive. ²⁰ "Look at me, Lord . I am in distress! I am upset, as if my heart turned upside down inside of me. I feel this way because I have been so stubborn. Out in the streets, I lost my children to the swords. Inside, it is like death. ²¹ "Listen to me, I am groaning. I have no one to comfort me. All my enemies have heard of my trouble. They are happy that you did this to me. You said there would be a time of punishment. You said you would punish my enemies. Now do what you said. Let my enemies be like I am now.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

for: Lamentations 1:2, Lamentations 4:17, Job 19:13-19, Jeremiah 2:28, Jeremiah 30:14, Jeremiah 37:7-9

my priests: Lamentations 1:11, Lamentations 2:20, Lamentations 4:7-9, Lamentations 5:12, Jeremiah 14:15-18, Jeremiah 23:11-15, Jeremiah 27:13-15

Reciprocal: Isaiah 51:20 - sons Jeremiah 4:30 - in vain Jeremiah 22:20 - for Lamentations 1:17 - none Lamentations 5:14 - elders Ezekiel 16:37 - General Obadiah 1:7 - the men of Matthew 26:31 - and the

Gill's Notes on the Bible

I called for my lovers, [but] they deceived me,.... Either her idols, with whom she had committed spiritual adultery, that is, idolatry; but these could not answer her expectations, and help her: or the Egyptians, that courted her friendship, and with whom she was in alliance, and in whom she trusted; and these, in the times of her distress, she called upon to make good their engagements, but they disappointed her, and stood not to their covenant and promises, but left her to stand and fall by herself; this Jerusalem said, according to the Targum, when she was delivered into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar; but these words, "they deceived me", it makes to be the Romans, that came with Titus and Vespasian, and built bulwarks against Jerusalem:

my priests and mine elders gave up the ghost in the city; or died in the city of Jerusalem; not by the sword of the enemy, but through famine; and so, in the Arabic language, the word i signifies to labour under famine, and want of food, and perish through it; and if this was the case of their priests that officiated in holy things, and of their elders or civil magistrates, what must be the case of the common people?

while they sought their meat to relieve their souls; or "fetch k [them] back"; which were just fainting and dying away through hunger; and who did expire while they were begging their bread, or inquiring in one place after another where they could get any, either freely or for money.

i "esurivit et fame ac inedia laboravit", Golius, col. 556. k וישיבו את נפשם "et reducerent animam suam", Montanus.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

I called for ... - Rather, to “my lovers.”

While they sought their meat - literally, “for they sought food for themselves to revive their souls.” Complete the sense by adding, “and found none.”

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 19. I called for my lovers — My allies; the Egyptians and others.