Lamentations 1:21
New International Version
“People have heard my groaning, but there is no one to comfort me. All my enemies have heard of my distress; they rejoice at what you have done. May you bring the day you have announced so they may become like me.

New Living Translation
“Others heard my groans, but no one turned to comfort me. When my enemies heard about my troubles, they were happy to see what you had done. Oh, bring the day you promised, when they will suffer as I have suffered.

English Standard Version
“They heard my groaning, yet there is no one to comfort me. All my enemies have heard of my trouble; they are glad that you have done it. You have brought the day you announced; now let them be as I am.

Berean Standard Bible
People have heard my groaning, but there is no one to comfort me. All my enemies have heard of my trouble; they are glad that You have caused it. May You bring the day You have announced, so that they may become like me.

King James Bible
They have heard that I sigh: there is none to comfort me: all mine enemies have heard of my trouble; they are glad that thou hast done it: thou wilt bring the day that thou hast called, and they shall be like unto me.

New King James Version
“They have heard that I sigh, But no one comforts me. All my enemies have heard of my trouble; They are glad that You have done it. Bring on the day You have announced, That they may become like me.

New American Standard Bible
“They have heard that I groan; There is no one to comfort me, All my enemies have heard of my disaster; They are joyful that You have done it. Oh, that You would bring the day which You have proclaimed, So that they will become like me.

NASB 1995
“They have heard that I groan; There is no one to comfort me; All my enemies have heard of my calamity; They are glad that You have done it. Oh, that You would bring the day which You have proclaimed, That they may become like me.

NASB 1977
“They have heard that I groan; There is no one to comfort me; All my enemies have heard of my calamity; They are glad that Thou hast done it. Oh, that Thou wouldst bring the day which Thou hast proclaimed, That they may become like me.

Legacy Standard Bible
They have heard that I am sighing; There is no one to comfort me; All my enemies have heard of the evil done to me; They rejoice that You have done it. You have brought the day which You have proclaimed, So that they will become like me.

Amplified Bible
“People have heard that I groan, That I have no comforter [in You]. All my enemies have heard of my desperation; They are delighted [O LORD] that You have done it. Oh, that You would bring the day [of judgment] which You have proclaimed So that they will become like me.

Christian Standard Bible
People have heard me groaning, but there is no one to comfort me. All my enemies have heard of my misfortune; they are glad that you have caused it. Bring on the day you have announced, so that they may become like me.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
People have heard me groaning, but there is no one to comfort me. All my enemies have heard of my misfortune; they are glad that You have caused it. Bring on the day You have announced, so that they may become like me.

American Standard Version
They have heard that I sigh; there is none to comfort me; All mine enemies have heard of my trouble; they are glad that thou hast done it: Thou wilt bring the day that thou hast proclaimed, and they shall be like unto me.

Contemporary English Version
Everyone heard my groaning, but no one offered comfort. My enemies know of the trouble that you have brought on me, and it makes them glad. Hurry and punish them, as you have promised.

English Revised Version
They have heard that I sigh; there is none to comfort me; all mine enemies have heard of my trouble; they are glad that thou hast done it: thou wilt bring the day that thou hast proclaimed, and they shall be like unto me.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
"All my enemies have heard that I am groaning. No one offers me comfort. All my enemies have heard about my disaster. They are happy that you did it. You have allowed the day to come, the one that you had announced. Let my enemies be like me now.

Good News Translation
"Listen to my groans; there is no one to comfort me. My enemies are glad that you brought disaster on me. Bring the day you promised; make my enemies suffer as I do.

International Standard Version
People heard how I groan, with no one to comfort me. All my adversaries have heard about my troubles; they rejoice that you have caused them. Bring on the day you have promised, so my adversaries will become like me.

Majority Standard Bible
People have heard my groaning, but there is no one to comfort me. All my enemies have heard of my trouble; they are glad that You have caused it. May You bring the day You have announced, so that they may become like me.

NET Bible
They have heard that I groan, yet there is no one to comfort me. All my enemies have heard of my trouble; they are glad that you have brought it about. Bring about the day of judgment that you promised so that they may end up like me!

New Heart English Bible
They have heard that I groan; there is none to comfort me. All my enemies have heard of my trouble; they are glad that you have done it. Bring the day that you have proclaimed, so that they shall end up like me.

Webster's Bible Translation
They have heard that I sigh: there is none to comfort me: all my enemies have heard of my trouble; they are glad that thou hast done it: thou wilt bring the day that thou hast called, and they shall be like me.

World English Bible
“They have heard that I sigh. There is no one to comfort me. All my enemies have heard of my trouble. They are glad that you have done it. You will bring the day that you have proclaimed, and they will be like me.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
They have heard that I have sighed, "" There is no comforter for me, "" All my enemies have heard of my calamity, "" They have rejoiced that You have done [it], "" You have brought in the day You have called, "" And they are like to me.

Young's Literal Translation
They have heard that I have sighed, There is no comforter for me, All my enemies have heard of my calamity, They have rejoiced that Thou hast done it, Thou hast brought in the day Thou hast called, And they are like to me.

Smith's Literal Translation
Hear, ye, for I groan: none comforting for me: all mine enemies heard my evils: they rejoiced that thou didst: thou broughtest the day thou didst call, and they shall be like me.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Sin. They have heard that I sigh, and there is none to comfort me: all my enemies have heard of my evil, they have rejoiced that thou hast done it: thou hast brought a day of consolation, and they shall be like unto me.

Catholic Public Domain Version
SIN. They have heard that I groan and that there is no one to console me. All my enemies have heard of my misfortune; they have rejoiced that you caused it. You have brought in a day of consolation, and so they shall become like me.

New American Bible
Hear how I am groaning; there is no one to comfort me. All my enemies hear of my misery and rejoice over what you have done. Bring on the day you proclaimed, and let them become like me!

New Revised Standard Version
They heard how I was groaning, with no one to comfort me. All my enemies heard of my trouble; they are glad that you have done it. Bring on the day you have announced, and let them be as I am.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
They have heard that I sigh; there is none to comfort me; all my enemies have heard of my trouble; they are glad that thou hast done it; hasten thou the day that thou hast announced, the enemy shall become like me.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
Shin Hear that I am groaning and there is no comforter for me. All my enemies have heard my misery and they rejoiced in what you have done to me. Bring the day that you called and they shall be like me
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
They have heard that I sigh, There is none to comfort me; All mine enemies have heard of my trouble, and are glad, For Thou hast done it; Thou wilt bring the day that Thou hast proclaimed, And they shall be like unto me.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
CHSEN. Hear, I pray you, for I groan: there is none to comfort me: all mine enemies have heard of mine afflictions, and rejoice because thou hast done it: thou hast brought on the day, thou hast called the time: they are become like to me.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
How Lonely Lies the City
20See, O LORD, how distressed I am! I am churning within; my heart is pounding within me, for I have been most rebellious. Outside, the sword bereaves; inside, there is death. 21People have heard my groaning, but there is no one to comfort me. All my enemies have heard of my trouble; they are glad that You have caused it. May You bring the day You have announced, so that they may become like me. 22Let all their wickedness come before You, and deal with them as You have dealt with me because of all my transgressions. For my groans are many, and my heart is faint.…

Cross References
Psalm 69:20
Insults have broken my heart, and I am in despair. I looked for sympathy, but there was none, for comforters, but I found no one.

Jeremiah 18:16
They have made their land a desolation, a perpetual object of scorn; all who pass by will be appalled and shake their heads.

Jeremiah 48:27
Was not Israel your object of ridicule? Was he ever found among thieves? For whenever you speak of him you shake your head.

Obadiah 1:12
But you should not gloat in that day, your brother’s day of misfortune, nor rejoice over the people of Judah in the day of their destruction, nor boast proudly in the day of their distress.

Ezekiel 25:6
For this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Because you clapped your hands and stomped your feet and rejoiced over the land of Israel with a heart full of contempt,

Micah 7:8
Do not gloat over me, my enemy! Though I have fallen, I will arise; though I sit in darkness, the LORD will be my light.

Job 16:20
My friends are my scoffers as my eyes pour out tears to God.

Isaiah 51:19
These pairs have befallen you: devastation and destruction, famine and sword. Who will grieve for you? Who can comfort you?

Jeremiah 30:14
All your lovers have forgotten you; they no longer seek you, for I have struck you as an enemy would, with the discipline of someone cruel, because of your great iniquity and your numerous sins.

Psalm 35:15
But when I stumbled, they assembled in glee; they gathered together against me. Assailants I did not know slandered me without ceasing.

Psalm 38:11
My beloved and friends shun my disease, and my kinsmen stand at a distance.

Matthew 27:39-44
And those who passed by heaped abuse on Him, shaking their heads / and saying, “You who are going to destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save Yourself! If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross!” / In the same way, the chief priests, scribes, and elders mocked Him, saying, ...

Luke 23:35-37
The people stood watching, and the rulers sneered at Him, saying, “He saved others; let Him save Himself if He is the Christ of God, the Chosen One.” / The soldiers also mocked Him and came up to offer Him sour wine. / “If You are the King of the Jews,” they said, “save Yourself!”

Mark 15:29-32
And those who passed by heaped abuse on Him, shaking their heads and saying, “Aha! You who are going to destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, / come down from the cross and save Yourself!” / In the same way, the chief priests and scribes mocked Him among themselves, saying, “He saved others, but He cannot save Himself! ...

John 19:25-27
Near the cross of Jesus stood His mother and her sister, as well as Mary the wife of Clopas and Mary Magdalene. / When Jesus saw His mother and the disciple whom He loved standing nearby, He said to His mother, “Woman, here is your son.” / Then He said to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” So from that hour, this disciple took her into his home.


Treasury of Scripture

They have heard that I sigh: there is none to comfort me: all my enemies have heard of my trouble; they are glad that you have done it: you will bring the day that you have called, and they shall be like to me.

have heard that

Lamentations 1:2,8,11,12,16,22
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…

they are

Lamentations 2:15
All that pass by clap their hands at thee; they hiss and wag their head at the daughter of Jerusalem, saying, Is this the city that men call The perfection of beauty, The joy of the whole earth?

Lamentations 4:21,22
Rejoice and be glad, O daughter of Edom, that dwellest in the land of Uz; the cup also shall pass through unto thee: thou shalt be drunken, and shalt make thyself naked…

Psalm 35:15
But in mine adversity they rejoiced, and gathered themselves together: yea, the abjects gathered themselves together against me, and I knew it not; they did tear me, and ceased not:

thou wilt

Isaiah 13:1
The burden of Babylon, which Isaiah the son of Amoz did see.

Isaiah 14:1
For the LORD will have mercy on Jacob, and will yet choose Israel, and set them in their own land: and the strangers shall be joined with them, and they shall cleave to the house of Jacob.

Isaiah 47:1
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.

the day

Psalm 37:13
The Lord shall laugh at him: for he seeth that his day is coming.

Joel 3:14
Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision.

called or proclaimed.

Lamentations 4:22
The punishment of thine iniquity is accomplished, O daughter of Zion; he will no more carry thee away into captivity: he will visit thine iniquity, O daughter of Edom; he will discover thy sins.

Deuteronomy 32:41-43
If I whet my glittering sword, and mine hand take hold on judgment; I will render vengeance to mine enemies, and will reward them that hate me…

Psalm 137:8,9
O daughter of Babylon, who art to be destroyed; happy shall he be, that rewardeth thee as thou hast served us…

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Announced Calamity Comfort Ear Enemies Glad Grief Groan Haters Hear Heard News Proclaimed Sigh Trouble Voice Wilt
Lamentations 1
1. The miseries of Jerusalem and of the Jews lamented
12. The attention of beholders demanded to this unprecedented case
18. The justice of God acknowledged, and his mercy supplicated.














They have heard my groaning
The Hebrew word for "groaning" is "אָנַח" (anach), which conveys a deep, mournful sigh or lament. This word captures the profound sorrow and distress of Jerusalem, personified as a woman in mourning. Historically, this reflects the period after the Babylonian conquest, where the cries of the people were audible, yet their suffering was met with indifference. Theologically, it underscores the human condition of suffering and the need for divine intervention, reminding believers that God hears their cries even when others do not.

but there is no one to comfort me
The absence of comforters highlights the isolation and abandonment felt by Jerusalem. The Hebrew root "נָחַם" (nacham) for "comfort" suggests consolation and relief. In the context of Lamentations, this absence signifies the complete desolation and the failure of allies and friends to provide solace. This phrase serves as a poignant reminder of the ultimate comfort found in God alone, as human sources of comfort can fail.

All my enemies have heard of my trouble
The word "enemies" in Hebrew is "אוֹיֵב" (oyev), indicating adversaries or those who oppose. The historical context here is the surrounding nations that witnessed Jerusalem's downfall. Theologically, this reflects the reality of spiritual warfare and the presence of adversaries in the life of believers. It serves as a call to trust in God's justice and sovereignty, even when enemies seem to triumph.

they are glad that You have done it
This phrase reveals the malicious joy of the enemies over Jerusalem's plight. Theologically, it raises questions about divine justice and the role of God in the suffering of His people. The acknowledgment that God has allowed this calamity serves as a reminder of His ultimate control over history and His purposes, even in judgment. It challenges believers to trust in God's righteous plans, even when they are difficult to understand.

May You bring the day You have announced
The "day" refers to a future time of reckoning or judgment. The Hebrew word "יוֹם" (yom) often signifies a significant period or event. This plea for divine intervention reflects a hope for restoration and justice. It is a call for God to fulfill His promises, reminding believers of the eschatological hope in God's ultimate redemption and the establishment of His kingdom.

so they may become like me
This phrase expresses a desire for the enemies to experience the same suffering and judgment. It reflects the principle of divine retribution, where justice is meted out according to one's actions. In a broader theological sense, it underscores the biblical theme of sowing and reaping, and the assurance that God will right all wrongs. It encourages believers to leave vengeance to God and trust in His perfect justice.

(21) They are glad that thou hast done it . . .--Historically the words refer to the conduct of nations like the Edomites, as described in Psalm 137:7.

Thou wilt bring the day that thou hast called.--Better, proclaimed. By some commentators the first verb is taken as a perfect, "Thou hast brought," and the "day" is that of vengeance upon Judah. With the rendering of the Authorised version the clause coheres better with that which follows, and the "day" is that of the punishment of the exulting foes.

Verse 21. - Thou wilt bring. The Hebrew has, "Thou hast brought;" it is the perfect of prophetic certitude, which represents an event certainly foreseen as if it had already taken place. Ewald, however, takes this to be the precative, a variety of the perfect which certainly exists in Arabic, but has not been quite satisfactorily shown to exist in Hebrew (see Driver, 'Hebrew Tenses,' § 20 [13]. The day that thou hast called; i.e. foretold by the prophets (comp. Jeremiah 25:17-26). But very probably we should read, with the Septuagint," Thou wilt bring the day; thou wilt call the fit time."

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
People have heard
שָׁמְע֞וּ (šā·mə·‘ū)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 8085: To hear intelligently

my
אָ֗נִי (’ā·nî)
Pronoun - first person common singular
Strong's 589: I

groaning,
נֶאֱנָחָ֣ה (ne·’ĕ·nā·ḥāh)
Verb - Nifal - Participle - feminine singular
Strong's 584: To sigh, groan

but there is no
אֵ֤ין (’ên)
Adverb
Strong's 369: A non-entity, a negative particle

one to comfort me.
מְנַחֵם֙ (mə·na·ḥêm)
Verb - Piel - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 5162: To sigh, breathe strongly, to be sorry, to pity, console, rue, to avenge

All
כָּל־ (kāl-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

my enemies
אֹ֨יְבַ֜י (’ō·yə·ḇay)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural construct | first person common singular
Strong's 341: Hating, an adversary

have heard
שָׁמְע֤וּ (šā·mə·‘ū)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 8085: To hear intelligently

of my trouble;
רָֽעָתִי֙ (rā·‘ā·ṯî)
Noun - feminine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 7451: Bad, evil

they are glad
שָׂ֔שׂוּ (śā·śū)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 7797: To be bright, cheerful

that
כִּ֧י (kî)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

You
אַתָּ֖ה (’at·tāh)
Pronoun - second person masculine singular
Strong's 859: Thou and thee, ye and you

have caused it.
עָשִׂ֑יתָ (‘ā·śî·ṯā)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 6213: To do, make

May You bring
הֵבֵ֥אתָ (hê·ḇê·ṯā)
Verb - Hifil - Perfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 935: To come in, come, go in, go

the day
יוֹם־ (yō·wm-)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3117: A day

You have announced,
קָרָ֖אתָ (qā·rā·ṯā)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 7121: To call, proclaim, read

so that they may become
וְיִֽהְי֥וּ (wə·yih·yū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be

like me.
כָמֽוֹנִי׃ (ḵā·mō·w·nî)
Preposition | first person common singular
Strong's 3644: Like, as, when


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OT Prophets: Lamentations 1:21 They have heard that I sigh (Lam. La Lm)
Lamentations 1:20
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