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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.

Res. Se thou, Lord, for Y am troblid, my wombe is disturblid; myn herte is distried in my silf, for Y am ful of bittirnesse; swerd sleeth with outforth, and lijk deth is at hoome.

Syn. Thei herden, that Y make ynward weilyng, and noon is that coumfortith me; alle myn enemyes herden myn yuel, thei ben glad, for thou hast do; thou hast brouyt a dai of coumfort, and thei schulen be maad lijk me.

Tau. Al the yuel of hem entre byfore thee, and gadere thou grapis awei fro hem, as thou hast gaderid grapis awei fro me; for my wickidnessis, for my weilyngis ben manye, and myn herte is mornynge.

Caph. Myn iyen failiden for teeris, myn entrails weren disturblid; my mawe was sched out in erthe on the sorewe of the douyter of my puple; whanne a litil child and soukynge failide in the stretis of the citee.

Men. To whom schal Y comparisoun thee? ether to whom schal Y licne thee, thou douyter of Jerusalem? to whom schal Y make thee euene, and schal Y coumforte thee, thou virgyn, the douyter of Sion? for whi thi sorewe is greet as the see; who schal do medicyn to thee?

Coph. Rise thou togidere, herie thou in the nyyt, in the begynnyng of wakyngis; schede out thin herte as watir, bifore the siyt of the Lord; reise thin hondis to hym for the soulis of thi litle children, that failiden for hungur in the heed of alle meetyngis of weies.

Res. Se thou, Lord, and byholde, whom thou hast maad so bare; therfor whether wymmen schulen ete her fruyt, litle children at the mesure of an hond? for a prest and profete is slayn in the seyntuarie of the Lord.

Heth. The mercies of the Lord ben manye, for we ben not wastid; for whi hise merciful doyngis failiden not.

Joth. He schal sitte aloone, and he schal be stille; for he reiside hym silf aboue hym silf.

Caph. For the Lord schal not putte awei with outen ende.

Caph. For if he castide awei, and he schal do merci bi the multitude of hise mercies.

Caph. For he makide not low of his herte; and castide not awei the sones of men. Lameth.

Men. What grutchide a man lyuynge, a man for hise synnes?

Ayn. Myn iyen ledden doun departyngis of watris, for the defoulyng of the douyter of my puple.

Phe. Myn iye was turmentid, and was not stille; for no reste was.

Teth. It was betere to men slayn with swerd, than to men slayn with hungur; for these men wexiden rotun, thei weren wastid of the bareynesse of erthe.

Men. For the synnes of the profetis therof, and for wickidnessis of preestis therof, that schedden out the blood of iust men in the myddis therof.

Sade. Oure steppis weren slidir in the weie of oure stretis; oure ende neiyede, oure daies weren fillid, for oure ende cam.

We drunken oure watir for monei, we bouyten oure trees for siluer.