lurkers-guide/ftp/biblical-references

Don't panic -- this is just the bit that I've finished, i.e.
the references in the book of Isaiah. Most of it is lifted
straight from the King James version, but a little bit of
commentary is included. (I like poetry, so I use the King
James version rather than one of the modern language
versions. This will present a problem with the book of Daniel,
because the Catholic version of Daniel includes stuff that
was cut from the King James version, and the book of Daniel
is set during the Babylonian captivity. I'm not going to
worry about it too much right now, because I have a long, long
way to go before *that* is my biggest problem.)

I'll probably finish Daniel or Revelation next, but it will
take me awhile to get around to it.

---Michele L. Worley (michele_l_worley@yahoo.com)



---begin included text---
--Isaiah Chapter 13--
The burden of Babylon, which Isaiah the son of Amoz did see.

Lift ye up a banner upon the high mountain, exalt the voice
unto them, shake the hand, that they may go into the gates
of the nobles.

I have commanded my sanctified ones, I have also called
my mighty ones for mine anger, even them that rejoice in
my highness.

The noise of a multitude in the mountains, like as of a
great people; a tumultuous noise of the kingdoms of nations
gathered together; the Lord of Hosts mustereth the host of
the battle.

They come from a far country, from the end of heaven, even
the Lord, and the weapons of his indignation, to destroy
the whole land.

Howl ye; for the day of the Lord is at hand; it shall come
as a destruction from the Almighty. Therefore shall all
hands be faint, and every man's heart shall melt; and they
shall be afraid: pangs and sorrows shall take hold of them;
they shall be in pain as a woman that travaileth; they
shall be amazed one at another; their faces shall be as
flames.

Behold, the day of the Lord cometh, cruel both with wrath
and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate; and he shall
destroy the sinners thereof out of it.

For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof
shall not give forth their light; the sun shall be darkened
in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her
light to shine. And I will punish the world for their evil,
and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the
arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay low the
haughtiness of the terrible.

I will make a man more precious than gold; even a man than
the golden wedge of Ophir.

Therefore I will shake the heavens, and the earth shall
remove out of her place, in the wrath of the Lord of hosts,
and in the day of his fierce anger. And it shall be as
the chased roe, and as a sheep that no man taketh up; they
shall every man turn to his own people, and flee every one
into his own land.

Every one that is found shall be thrust through; and every
one that is joined with them shall fall by the sword. Their
children also shall be dashed to pieces before their eyes;
their houses shall be spoiled, and their wives ravished.

Behold, I will stir up the Medes against them, which shall
not regard silver; and as for gold, they shall not delight
in it. Their bows also shall dash the young men to pieces;
and they shall have no pity on the fruit of the womb; their
eye shall not spare children.

And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the beauty of the
Chaldees' excellency, shall be as when God overthrew
Sodom and Gomorrah. It shall never be inhabited, neither
shall it be dwelt in from generation to generation;
neither shall the Arabian pitch tent there; neither shall
the shepherds make their fold there. But wild beasts
of the desert shall lie there; and their houses shall be
full of doleful creatures, and owls shall dwell there,
and satyrs shall dance there. And the wild beasts of the
islands shall cry in their desolate houses, and dragons
in their pleasant palaces; and her time is near to come,
and her days shall not be prolonged.
--end Isaiah Chapter 13--

And it shall come to pass in the day that the Lord shall
give thee rest from thy sorrow, and from thy fear, and from
the hard bondage wherein thou wast made to serve, that thou
shalt take up this proverb against the king of Babylon, and
say, How hath the oppressor ceased! the golden city ceased!
--Isaiah 14:3-4

Hell from beneath is moved for thee to meet thee at thy
coming; it stirreth up the dead for thee, even all the chief
ones of the earth; it hath raised up from their thrones all
the kings of the nations. All they shall speak and say unto
thee, Art thou also become weak as we? art thou become like
unto us?
   Thy pomp is brought down to the grave, and the noise of
thy viols; the worm is spread under thee, and the worms
cover thee. How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son
of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which
didst weaken the nations!
    For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into
heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I
will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the
sides of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the
clouds; I will be like the most High.
    Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of
the pit. They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee,
and consider thee, saying, Is this the man that made the
earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms; that made the
world as a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof;
that opened not the house of his prisoners?
    All the kings of the nations, even all of them, lie in
glory, every one in his own house. But thou art cast out of
thy grave like an abominable branch, and as the raiment of
those that are slain, thrust through with a sword, that go
down to the stones of the pit; as a carcase trodden under
the feet. Thou shalt not be joined with them in burial,
because thou hast destroyed thy land, and slain thy people;
the seed of evildoers shall never be renowned. Prepare
slaughter for his children for the iniquity of their fathers,
that they do not rise, nor possess the land, nor fill the face
of the world with cities. For I will rise up against them,
saith the Lord of hosts, and cut off from Babylon the name,
and remnant, and son, and nephew, saith the Lord.
   I will also make it a possession for the bittern, and
pools of water; and I will sweep it with the besom of
destruction, saith the Lord of hosts.
---Isaiah 14:9-23


[speaking in my own voice now]
Note the reference in verse 22 that the son and the nephew
will be cut off, and compare against "Midnight on the Firing
Line", episode #1, season #1, in which the chief researcher
on the Centauri colony Ragesh III, Londo's nephew, was made
to suffer.

The reference to God as "Lord of hosts" == "Lord of Sabaoth";
Sabaoth being a word that means "hosts" or "armies".

The reference to Lucifer in this passage is the original
source for the stories of a rebellion of angels against
God's authority. The actual reference here is to the king
of Babylon, and note the mocking tone --- Isaiah is using
the florid phrases of court speech with heavy sarcasm.

In Isaiah, the references to Babylon actually refer to
Babylon; in Revelation, the references should not be taken
so literally.
[my voice off]

Woe to the multitude of many people, which make a noise
like the noise of the seas; and to the rushing of nations,
that make a rushing like the rushing of mighty waters! The
nations shall rush like the rushing of many waters, but
God shall rebuke them, and they shall flee far off, and shall
be chased as the chaff of the mountains before the wind, and
like a rolling thing before the whirlwind. And behold at
eveningtide trouble; and before the morning he is not. This
is the portion of them that spoil us, and the lot of them
that rob us.---Isaiah 16:12-14

Woe to the land shadowing with wings, which is beyond the
rivers of Ethiopia; that sendeth ambassadors by the sea,
even in vessels of bulrushes upon the waters, saying, Go,
ye swift messengers, to a nation scattered and peeled, to
a people terrible from their beginning hitherto; a nation
meted out and trodden down, whose land the rivers have
spoiled! ---Isaiah 18:1-2

The burden of the desert of the sea. As whirlwinds in the
south pass through, so it cometh from the desert, from a 
terrible land. A grievous vision is declared unto me; the
treacherous dealer dealeth treacherously, and the spoiler
spoileth.---Isaiah 21:1-2

Prepare the table, watch in the watchtower, eat, drink;
arise, ye princes, and anoint the shield. For thus hath
the Lord said unto me, Go, set a watchman, let him declare
what he seeth.---Isaiah 21:5-6

And he cried, A lion; My lord, I stand continually upon
the watchtower in the daytime, and I am set in my ward
whole nights; and behold, here cometh a chariot of men,
with a couple of horsemen. And he answered and said,
Babylon is fallen, is fallen; and all the graven images
of her gods he hath broken unto the ground.
---Isaiah 21:8-9

Because ye have said, We have made a covenant with death,
and with hell are we at agreement; when the overflowing
scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us;
for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have
we hid ourselves; therefore thus saith the Lord God, Behold,
I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone,
a precious corner stone, a sure foundation; he that believeth
shall not make haste. Judgement also will I lay to the line,
and righteousness to the plummet; and the hail shall sweep
away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the
hiding place.
   And your covenant with death shall be disannulled, and
your agreement with hell shall not stand; when the overflowing
scourge shall pass through, then ye shall be trodden down
by it. From the time that it goeth forth it shall take you;
for morning by morning shall it pass over, by day and by
night; and it shall be a vexation only to understand
the report.---Isaiah 28:15-19

Woe unto them that seek deep to hide their counsel from the
Lord, and their works are in the dark, and they say, Who
seeth us? and who knoweth us?---Isaiah 29:15

Behold, their valiant ones shall cry without; the ambassadors
of peace shall weep bitterly. The highways lie waste, the
wayfaring man ceaseth; he hath broken the covenant, he hath
despised the cities, he regardeth no man.---Isaiah 33:7-8

Like a crane or a swallow, so did I chatter; I did mourn
as a dove...---Isaiah 38:14

Then came Isaiah the prophet unto king Hezekiah, and said
unto him, What said these men? and from whence came they
unto thee? And Hezekiah said, They are come from a far
country unto me, even from Babylon. Then said he, What have
they seen in thine house? and Hezekiah answered, All that
is in mine house have they seen; there is nothing among my
treasures that I have not shewed them. Then said Isaiah
unto Hezekiah, Hear the word of the Lord of hosts; Behold,
the days come, that all that is in thine house, and that
which thy fathers have laid up in store until this day, shall
be carried to Babylon; nothing shall be left, saith the Lord.
And of thy sons that shall issue from thee, which thou shalt
beget, shall they take away; and they shall be eunuchs in
the palace of the king of Babylon.--Isaiah 39:3-7

[I am the Lord] that saith of Cyrus, He is my shepherd,
and shall perform all my pleasure; even saying to Jerusalem,
Thou shalt be built; and to the temple, Thy foundation shall
be laid.---Isaiah 44:28

[my voice on]
Cyrus (as far as I know) was the founder of the empire of
Persia. He ruled a couple of generations before Xerxes,
who had the unfortunate disagreement with the Spartans.
During his youth, Xerxes ruled Babylon for his father, but
I don't know how long Babylon had been part of the Persian
empire at that point.
[my voice off]

Come down, and sit in the dust, O virgin daughter of Babylon,
sit on the ground; there is no throne, O daughter of the 
Chaldeans; for thou shalt no more be called tender and delicate.
--Isaiah 47:1

All ye, assemble yourselves, and hear which among them hath
declared these things? The Lord hath loved him; he will do
his pleasure on Babylon, and his arm shall be on the Chaldeans.
---Isaiah 48:14

And they that shall be of thee shall build up the old waste
places; thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations,
and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The
restorer of paths to dwell in.---Isaiah 58:12

They hatch cockatrice' eggs, and weave the spider's web; he
that eateth of their eggs dieth, and that which is crushed
breaketh out into a viper. Their webs shall not become garments,
neither shall they cover themselves with their works; their
works are works of iniquity, and the act of violence is in
their hands. Their feet run to evil, and they make haste to
shed innocent blood; their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity;
wasting and destruction are in their paths. The way of peace
they know not; and there is no judgement in their goings;
they have made them crooked paths; whosoever goeth therein
shall not know peace. Therefore is judgment far from us,
neither doth justice overtake us; we wait for light, but
behold obscurity; for brightness, but we walk in darkness.
---Isaiah 59:5-9

Who are these that fly as a cloud, and as the doves to their
windows?---Isaiah 60:8


---end included text---

#############################################################################


This batch covers *only* the book of Revelation. I included not
only the Babylon references, but the Four Horsemen, since the
group occasionally receives posts about "Soul Mates".

Before anyone gets upset, let me mention that I do *not*
break paragraphs by verses, but (roughly) by ease of
reading. I do give chapter and verse with each quote.
Any comments of mine are marked as such. As usual, I am
using a King James version rather than a modern language
translation.
---Michele L. Worley (michele_l_worley@yahoo.com)

---begin included text---
--Revelation--
And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard,
as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying,
Come and see. And I saw, and behold a white horse; and he that
sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him; and he
went forth conquering, and to conquer.
    And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second
beast say, Come and see. And there went out another horse that
was red; and power was given unto him that sat thereon to take
peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another;
and there was given unto him a great sword.
    And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third
beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse;
and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand.
And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A
measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley
for a penny, and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine.
    And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice
of the fourth beast say, Come and see. And I looked, and behold
a pale horse; and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell
followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth
part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and
with death, and with the beasts of the earth.
---Revelation 6:1-8

[my comment: At the time this was written, it would have been
understood that the prices mentioned for food were outrageous;
that is why modern translations use thousands of dollars
rather than pennies as units. Horseman #3 is generally called
Famine, but I have heard various names for #1, #2, and #4.
In particular, I have usually seen #4 listed as Pestilence.]

And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman
clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and
upon her head a crown of twelve stars; and she being
with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to
be delivered. And there appeared another wonder in
heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads
and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads. And his 
tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did
cast them to the earth; and the dragon stood before the
woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her
child as soon as it was born. And she brought forth a man
child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron; and
her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne.
---Revelation 12:1-5

[my comments: The poet William Blake painted "Woman Clothed
with the Sun and the Red Dragon" (my recollection of the
title may be slightly off) as one of his drawings of the
Apocalypse. Any of you who have read Thomas Harris' _Red
Dragon_ have seen a reference to the painting. I mention it
here because when I saw Varn inside the machine in _A Voice
in the Wilderness_, the image reminded me of the painting.
But that may be just a fluke association.]

And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen,
is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations
drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.
---Revelation 14:8

And I heard a great voice out of the temple saying to the
seven angels, Go your ways, and pour out the vials of the
wrath of God upon the earth. ---Revelation 16:1

And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials,
and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew
unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many
waters; with whom the kings of the earth have committed
fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made
drunk with the wine of her fornication.
    So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness; and
I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of
blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. And the woman was
arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and
precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full
of abominations and filthiness of her fornication; and upon her
forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE
MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. And I saw
the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the
blood of the martyrs of Jesus; and when I saw her, I wondered
with great admiration. And the angel said unto me, Wherefore
dost thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman,
and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath seven heads and
ten horns.
    The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall
ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition; and
they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not
written in the book of life from the foundation of the world,
when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.
    And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are
seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth.
--Revelation 17:1-9

[my comment: At the time, anybody would have known that Rome,
the chief city of the Roman Empire, was built upon seven hills.]

And there are seven kings; five are fallen, and one is, and the
other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a
short space. And the beast that was, and is not, even he is
the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition. And
the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have
received no kingdom as yet, but receive power as kings one
hour with the beast. These have one mind, and shall give their
power and strength unto the beast. These shall make war with
the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them; for he is Lord of
lords, and King of kings; and they that are with him are called,
and chosen, and faithful.---Revelation 17:10-14

And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which
reigneth over the kings of the earth.---Revelation 17:18

[my comment: for practical purposes, all of chapters 17 and
18 concern Babylon, but I am only hitting the high points
here. Also, for any of you who are acquainted with the poems
and drawings of William Blake, one of his drawings from
Revelation is of Babylon the Great as described above.]

And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon
the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation
of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of
every unclean and hateful bird.---Revelation 18:1

How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously,
so much torment and sorrow give her; for she saith in her
heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no
sorrow. ---Revelation 18:7

[my comment: If JMS has this in mind, Sheridan is in
big trouble...

Clarification:

All we keep hearing about Sheridan on the net are comments
that he's too cheerful, he smiles too much, he's too confident,
he likes the creature comforts that go with being in charge
of B5. That's the reason for my associating that verse with
Sheridan, even though it is speaking of Babylon as being
female.

That's all. No deep significance, just an association that came
together in my head when I was typing the stuff up.]


...Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying,
Alas, alas that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for
in one hour is thy judgment come. And the merchants of the
earth shall weep and mourn over her, for no man buyeth
their merchandise any more. ---Revelation 18:10-11
--end Revelation--
--end included text--

##############################################################################

(Some raven references, apropos "All Alone in the Night")

There is an excerpt from Genesis and also an excerpt from 1 Kings,
but I haven't tried to go over those books thoroughly --- these
are just raven references. The stuff from Jeremiah and Lamentations
is about as thorough as I can make it.
---Michele L. Worley (michele_l_worley@yahoo.com)

--Genesis 8: Noah, the raven, and the dove --
And it came to pass at the end of forty days, that Noah opened
the window of the ark which he had made; and he sent forth a
raven, which went forth to and fro, until the waters were dried
up from off the earth. Also he sent forth a dove from him, to
see if the waters were abated from off the face of the ground;
but the dove found no rest for the sole of her foot, and she
returned unto him into the ark, for the waters were on the face
of the whole earth; and then he put forth his hand, and took her,
and pulled her in unto him into the ark. And he stayed yet
another seven days, and again he sent forth the dove out of the
ark; and the dove came in to him in the evening; and lo, in her
mouth was an olive leaf pluckt off; so Noah knew that the waters
were abated from off the earth. And he stayed yet another seven
days, and sent forth the dove, which returned not again unto him
any more. --Genesis 8:6-12

[stray bit of information: the word "forty" used to be used
where "many" was meant. These days, people would say, "O,
there are a million of those things." Same sort of thing.
I can't cite a reference for this, this is just stray information.]
--end Genesis 8--

--1 Kings chapter 17: Elijah and the ravens--
And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead,
said unto Ahab, As the Lord God of Israel liveth, before whom
I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but
according to my word. And the word of the Lord came unto him,
saying, Get thee hence, and turn thee eastward, and hide
thyself by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan. And it
shall be, that thou shalt drink of the brook; and I have
commanded the ravens to feed thee there.
   So he went and did according to the word of the Lord; for
he went and dwelt by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan.
And the ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning, and
bread and flesh in the evening; and he drank of the brook.
--1 Kings 17:1-6
--end 1 Kings chapter 17--

--Jeremiah--
Lo, I will bring a nation upon you from far, O house of Israel,
saith the Lord; it is a mighty nation, it is an ancient nation, a
nation whose language thou knowest not, neither understandest
what they say.
--Jeremiah 5:15

For among my people are found wicked men; they lay wait, as he
that setteth snares; they set a trap, they catch men.
--Jeremiah 5:26

A wonderful and horrible thing is committed in the land; the
prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their
means; and my people love to have it so; and what will ye do
in the end thereof? --Jeremiah 5:30-31

[NOTE: If the quotations from chapter 5 of Jeremiah sound
familiar from some other context which you can't place,
they are read by Lord Peter Wimsey in "Busman's Honeymoon"
by Dorothy Leigh Sayers when he reads the lesson in church.]

I have set thee for a tower and a fortress among my people, that
thou mayest know and try their way. --Jeremiah 6:27

Oh that I had in the wilderness a lodging place of wayfaring men,
that I might leave my people, and go from them! for they be all
adulterers, an assembly of treacherous men. --Jeremiah 9:2

Their tongue is as an arrow shot out; it speaketh deceit; one
speaketh peaceably with his neighbour with his mouth, but in
his heart he layeth his wait. --Jeremiah 9:8

The spoilers are come upon all high places through the
wilderness; for the sword of the Lord shall devour from
one end of the land even to the other end of the land;
no flesh shall have peace.--Jeremiah 12:12

Give glory to the Lord your God, before he cause darkness,
and before your feet stumble upon the dark mountains, and,
while ye look for light, he turn it into the shadow of
death, and make it gross darkness.--Jeremiah 13:16

The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately
wicked; who can know it?---Jeremiah 17:9

For I have not sent them, saith the Lord, yet they prophesy
a lie in my name; that I might drive you out, and that ye
might perish, ye, and the prophets that prophesy unto you.
--Jeremiah 27:14-15

I have heard a rumour from the Lord, and an ambassador is sent
among the heathen, saying, Gather ye together, and come against
her, and rise up to the battle.--Jeremiah 49:14

[chapters 50-52 concern Babylon]
The word that the Lord spake against Babylon and against the land
of the Chaldeans by Jeremiah the prophet. Declare ye among the
nations, and publish, and set up a standard; publish, and conceal
not; say, Babylon is taken... --Jeremiah 50:1-2

At the noise of the taking of Babylon the earth is moved, and
the cry is heard among nations.--Jeremiah 50:46

Thus saith the Lord: Behold, I will raise up against Babylon,
and against them that dwell in the midst of them that rise up
against me, a destroying wind...--Jeremiah 51:1

Flee out of the midst of Babylon, and deliver every man his
soul; be not cut off in her iniquity, for this is the time of
the Lord's vengeance; he will render unto her a recompense.
Babylon hath been a golden cup unto the Lord's hand, that
made all the earth drunken; the nations have drunken of her
wine, therefore the nations are mad. Babylon is suddenly
fallen and destroyed; howl for her; take balm for her pain, if
so she may be healed. We would have healed Babylon, but she is
not healed; forsake her, and let us go every one into his own
country; for her judgment reacheth unto heaven, and is lifted
up even to the skies.--Jeremiah 51:6-9

For thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: The
daughter of Babylon is like a threshingfloor; it is time
to thresh her; yet a little while, and the time of her
harvest shall come.--Jeremiah 51:53

Then the heaven and the earth, and all that is therein, shall
sing for Babylon; for the spoilers shall come unto her from the
north, saith the Lord.--Jeremiah 51:48

Though Babylon should mount up to heaven, and though she should
fortify the height of her strength, yet from me shall spoilers
come unto her, saith the Lord. A sound of a cry cometh from
Babylon, and great destruction from the land of the Chaldeans;
because the Lord hath spoiled Babylon, and destroyed out of her
the great voice; when her waves do roar like great waters, a
noise of their voice is uttered; because the spoiler is come
upon her, even upon Babylon, and her mighty men are taken, every
one of their bows is broken; for the Lord God of recompenses
shall surely requite.--Jeremiah 51:53-56
--end Jeremiah--
--Lamentations--
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 triburary! She
weepeth sore in the night, and her tears are on her cheeks; among
all her lovers she hath none to comfort her; all her friends have
dealt treacherously with her, they are become her enemies.
--Lamentations 1:1-2

Is it nothing to you, all ye that pass by? behold, and see
if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow, which is done unto me,
wherewith the Lord hath afflicted me in the day of his fierce
anger. From above hath he sent fire into my bones, and it
prevaileth against them; he hath spread a net for my feet, he
hath turned me back; he hath made me desolate and faint all the
day. The yoke of my transgressions is bound by his hand: they
are wreathed, and come up upon my neck: he hath made my strength
to fall, the Lord hath delivered me into their hands, from whom
I am not able to rise up.
--Lamentations 1:12-14

The Lord hath purposed to destroy the wall of the daughter of
Zion; he hath stretched out a line, he hath not withdrawn his
hand from destroying; therefore he made the rampart and the
wall to lament; they languished together.
--Lamentations 2:8

Thy prophets have seen vain and foolish things for thee; and
they have not discovered thine iniquity, to turn away thy
captivity; but have seen for thee false burdens and causes of
banishment.
--Lamentations 2:14

He hath led me, and brought me into darkness, but not into light.
--Lamentations 3:2

He hath set me in dark places, as they that be dead of old.
--Lamentations 3:6

Fear and a snare is come upon us, desolation and destruction.
Mine eye runneth down with rivers of water for the destruction
of the daughter of my people. Mine eye trickleth down, and
ceaseth not, without any intermission, till the Lord look down,
and behold from heaven. Mine eye afflicteth mine heart because
of all the daughters of my city. Mine enemies chased me sore,
like a bird, without cause. They have cut off my life in the
dungeon, and cast a stone upon me. Waters flowed over mine head;
then I said, I am cut off. I called upon thy name, O Lord, out
of the low dungeon. Thou hast heard my voice; hide not thine ear
at my breathing, at my cry.
--Lamentations 3:47-56

Thou hast seen all their vengeance and all their imaginations
against me. Thou hast heard their reproach, O Lord, and all
their imaginations against me; the lips of those that rose up
against me, and their device against me all the day.
--Lamentations 3:60-62

How is the gold become dim! how is the most fine gold changed!
the stones of the sanctuary are poured out in the top of every
street. The precious sons of Zion, comparable to fine gold, how
are they esteemed as earthen pitchers, the work of the hands of
the potter!
--Lamentations 4:1-2

For the sins of her prophets, and the iniquities of her priests,
that have shed the blood of the just in the midst of her. They
have wandered as blind men in the streets, they have polluted
themselves with blood, so that men could not touch their garments.
--Lamentations 4:13-14

As for us, our eyes as yet failed for our vain help; in our
watching we have watched for a nation that could not save us.
They hunt our steps, that we cannot go in our streets; our end
is near, our days are fulfilled; for our end is come. Our 
persecutors are swifter than the eagles of the heaven; they
pursued us upon the mountains, they laid wait for us in the
wilderness. The breath of our nostrils, the anointed of the Lord,
was taken in their pits, of whom we said, Under his shadow we
shall live among the heathen.
--Lamentations 4:17-20

Remember, O Lord, what is come upon us; consider, and behold our
reproach. Our inheritance is turned to strangers, our houses to
aliens.
--Lamentations 5:1-2

We have given the hand to the Egyptians, and to the Assyrians, to
be satisfied with bread.
--Lamentations 5:6
--end Lamentations--