How over Sions daughter hath God hung
    His wraths thicke cloud! and from heaven hath flung
To  earth the beauty of Israel, and hath
    Forgot his footstools in the day of wrath!

The Lord unsparingly hath swallowed
    All Jacob's dwellings, and demolished
To ground the strengths of Juda, and prophan'd
    The Princes of the Kingdome, and the land.

In  heat of wrath, the home of Israel hee
    Hath cleane cut off, and lest the enemie
Be hindred, his right hand he doth retire,
   But is towards Jacob, All-devouring fire.

Like to an enemie he bent his bow,
    His right hand was in posture of a foe,
To kill what Sions daughter did desire,
    'Gainst whom his wrath, he poured forth, like fire.

For  like an enemie Jehova is,
    Devouring Israel, and his Palaces,
Destroying holds, giving additions
   To Juda's daughters lamentations.

Like to a garden hedge he hath cast downe
    The place where was his congregation,
And  Sions feasts and sabbaths are forgot;
    Her King, her Priest, his wrath regardeth not.

The Lord forsakes his Altar, and detests
    His Sanctuary, and in the foes hand rests
His Palace, and the walls, in which their cries
    Are heard, as in the true solemnities.

The Lord hath cast a line, so to confound
   And levell Sions walls unto the ground;
He drawes not back his hand, which doth oreturne
    The wall, and Rampart, which together mourne.

Their gates are sunke into the ground, and hee
    Hath broke the barres; their King and Princes bee
Amongst the heathen, without law, nor there
    Unto their Prophets doth the Lord appeare.

There  Sions Elders on the ground are plac'd,
    And silence keepe; Dust on their heads they cast,
In sackcloth have they girt themselves, and low
    The Virgins towards ground, their heads do throw.

My bowells are growne muddy, and mine eyes
    Are faint with weeping: and my liver lies
Pour'd out upon the ground, for miserie
    That sucking children in the streets doe die.

When they had cryed unto their Mothers, where
    Shall we have bread, and drinke? they fainted there,
And in the streets like wounded persons lay
  Till 'twixt their mothers breasts they went away.

Daughter  Jerusalem, Oh what may bee
    A witnesses or comparison for thee?
Sion, to ease thee, what shall I name like thee?
    Thy breach is like the sea, what help can bee?

For thee vaine foolish things thy Prophets sought,
    Thee, thine iniquities they have not taught,
Which might disturne thy bondage: but for thee
    False burthens, and false causes they would see.

The passengers doe clap their hands, and hisse,
    And wag their head at thee, and say, Is this
That citie, which so many men did call
    Joy of the earth, and perfectest of all?

Thy foes doe gape upon thee, and they hisse,
    And gnash their teeth, and say, Devoure wee this,
For this is certainly the day which wee
    Expected, and which now we finde, and see.

The Lord hath done that which he purposed,
    Fulfill'd his word of old determined;
He hath throwne downe, and not spar'd, and thy foe
    Made glad above thee, and advanc'd him so.

But now, their hearts against the Lord do call,
   Therefore, O walls of Sion, let teares fall
Downe like a river, day and night; take thee
    No rest, but let thine eye incessant be.

Arise, cry in the night, poure, for thy sinnes,
    Thy heart, like water, when the watch begins;
Lift up thy hands to God, lest children dye,
    Which, faint for hunger, in the streets doe lye.

Behold O Lord, consider unto whom
    Thou hast done this; what, shall the women come
To eate their children of a spanne? shall thy
    Prophet and Priest be slaine in Sanctuary?

On ground in streets, the yong and old do lye,
    My virgins and yong men by sword do dye;
Them in the day of try wrath thou hast slaine,
    Nothing did thee from killing them container

As to a solemne feast, all whom I fear'd
    Thou call'st about mee; when his wrath appear'd,
None did remaine or scape, for those which I
    Brought up, did perish by mine enemie.

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