Lamentations 1:3
New International Version
After affliction and harsh labor, Judah has gone into exile. She dwells among the nations; she finds no resting place. All who pursue her have overtaken her in the midst of her distress.

New Living Translation
Judah has been led away into captivity, oppressed with cruel slavery. She lives among foreign nations and has no place of rest. Her enemies have chased her down, and she has nowhere to turn.

English Standard Version
Judah has gone into exile because of affliction and hard servitude; she dwells now among the nations, but finds no resting place; her pursuers have all overtaken her in the midst of her distress.

Berean Standard Bible
Judah has gone into exile under affliction and harsh slavery; she dwells among the nations but finds no place to rest. All her pursuers have overtaken her in the midst of her distress.

King James Bible
Judah is gone into captivity because of affliction, and because of great servitude: she dwelleth among the heathen, she findeth no rest: all her persecutors overtook her between the straits.

New King James Version
Judah has gone into captivity, Under affliction and hard servitude; She dwells among the nations, She finds no rest; All her persecutors overtake her in dire straits.

New American Standard Bible
Judah has gone into exile out of affliction And harsh servitude; She lives among the nations, But she has not found a resting place; All those who pursued her have overtaken her In the midst of distress.

NASB 1995
Judah has gone into exile under affliction And under harsh servitude; She dwells among the nations, But she has found no rest; All her pursuers have overtaken her In the midst of distress.

NASB 1977
Judah has gone into exile under affliction, And under harsh servitude; She dwells among the nations, But she has found no rest; All her pursuers have overtaken her In the midst of distress.

Legacy Standard Bible
Judah has gone into exile because of affliction And because of great slavery; She sits among the nations, But she has found no rest; All her pursuers have overtaken her In the midst of distress.

Amplified Bible
Judah has gone into exile under affliction And under harsh servitude; She dwells among the [pagan] nations, But she has found no rest; All her pursuers have overtaken her In the midst of [her] distress.

Christian Standard Bible
Judah has gone into exile following affliction and harsh slavery; she lives among the nations but finds no place to rest. All her pursuers have overtaken her in narrow places.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Judah has gone into exile following affliction and harsh slavery; she lives among the nations but finds no place to rest. All her pursuers have overtaken her in narrow places.

American Standard Version
Judah is gone into captivity because of affliction, and because of great servitude; She dwelleth among the nations, she findeth no rest: All her persecutors overtook her within the straits.

Contemporary English Version
The people of Judah are slaves, suffering in a foreign land, with no rest from sorrow. Their enemies captured them and were terribly cruel.

English Revised Version
Judah is gone into captivity because of affliction, and because of great servitude; she dwelleth among the heathen, she findeth no rest: all her persecutors overtook her within the straits.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
"Judah has been exiled after [much] suffering and harsh treatment. Its [people] live among the nations; they find no rest. Those who chased them caught up with them in places where there was no way out.

Good News Translation
Judah's people are helpless slaves, forced away from home. They live in other lands, with no place to call their own--Surrounded by enemies, with no way to escape.

International Standard Version
Judah has gone into exile to escape affliction and servitude. She that sat among the nations, has found no rest. All her pursuers overtook her amid narrow passes.

Majority Standard Bible
Judah has gone into exile under affliction and harsh slavery; she dwells among the nations but finds no place to rest. All her pursuers have overtaken her in the midst of her distress.

NET Bible
Judah has departed into exile under affliction and harsh oppression. She lives among the nations; she has found no resting place. All who pursued her overtook her in narrow straits.

New Heart English Bible
Judah has gone into exile because of affliction and harsh servitude; she dwells among the nations, she finds no rest: all her persecutors overtook her in the midst of her distress.

Webster's Bible Translation
Judah is gone into captivity because of affliction, and because of great servitude: she dwelleth among the heathen, she findeth no rest: all her persecutors overtook her between the straits.

World English Bible
Judah has gone into captivity because of affliction and because of great servitude. She dwells among the nations. She finds no rest. All her persecutors overtook her in her distress.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
Removed has Judah because of affliction, "" And because of the abundance of her service; She has dwelt among nations, "" She has not found rest, "" All her pursuers have overtaken her between the straits.

Young's Literal Translation
Removed hath Judah because of affliction, And because of the abundance of her service; She hath dwelt among nations, She hath not found rest, All her pursuers have overtaken her between the straits.

Smith's Literal Translation
Judah was carried away captive from affliction, and from the greatness of her serving: she dwelt in the nations, she found no rest: all pursuing her overtook her between straitnesses.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Ghimel. Juda hath removed her dwelling place because of her affliction, and the greatness of her bondage: she hath dwelt among the nations, and she hath found no rest: all her persecutors have taken her in the midst of straits.

Catholic Public Domain Version
GHIMEL. Judah has migrated because of affliction and great servitude. She has lived among the nations and not found rest. All of her persecutors have apprehended her, amid torments.

New American Bible
Judah has gone into exile, after oppression and harsh labor; She dwells among the nations, yet finds no rest: All her pursuers overtake her in the narrow straits.

New Revised Standard Version
Judah has gone into exile with suffering and hard servitude; she lives now among the nations, and finds no resting place; her pursuers have all overtaken her in the midst of her distress.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Judah is gone into captivity because of affliction and because of great servitude; she dwells among the Gentiles, she finds no rest; all her pursuers overtook her in the midst of her affliction.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
Gimel Yehuda is made captive from bondage and from much slavery. She dwelt among the nations and she has not found rest for herself. All her pursuers overtook her in the place of suffering
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Judah is gone into exile because of affliction, And because of great servitude; She dwelleth among the nations, She findeth no rest; All her pursuers overtook her Within the straits.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
GIMEL. Judea is gone into captivity by reason of her affliction, and by reason of the abundance of her servitude: she dwells among the nations, she has not found rest: all her pursuers have overtaken her between her oppressors.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
How Lonely Lies the City
2She weeps aloud in the night, with tears upon her cheeks. Among all her lovers there is no one to comfort her. All her friends have betrayed her; they have become her enemies. 3Judah has gone into exile under affliction and harsh slavery; she dwells among the nations but finds no place to rest. All her pursuers have overtaken her in the midst of her distress. 4The roads to Zion mourn, because no one comes to her appointed feasts. All her gates are deserted; her priests groan, her maidens grieve, and she herself is bitter with anguish.…

Cross References
Deuteronomy 28:64-67
Then the LORD will scatter you among all the nations, from one end of the earth to the other, and there you will worship other gods, gods of wood and stone, which neither you nor your fathers have known. / Among those nations you will find no repose, not even a resting place for the sole of your foot. There the LORD will give you a trembling heart, failing eyes, and a despairing soul. / So your life will hang in doubt before you, and you will be afraid night and day, never certain of survival. ...

Jeremiah 52:27-30
There at Riblah in the land of Hamath, the king of Babylon struck them down and put them to death. So Judah was taken into exile, away from its own land. / These are the people Nebuchadnezzar carried away: in the seventh year, 3,023 Jews; / in Nebuchadnezzar’s eighteenth year, 832 people from Jerusalem; ...

2 Kings 25:11
Then Nebuzaradan captain of the guard carried into exile the people who remained in the city, along with the deserters who had defected to the king of Babylon and the rest of the population.

Jeremiah 15:13-14
Your wealth and your treasures I will give up as plunder, without charge for all your sins within all your borders. / Then I will enslave you to your enemies in a land you do not know, for My anger will kindle a fire that will burn against you.”

Ezekiel 12:15-16
And they will know that I am the LORD, when I disperse them among the nations and scatter them throughout the countries. / But I will spare a few of them from sword and famine and plague, so that in the nations to which they go, they can recount all their abominations. Then they will know that I am the LORD.”

Isaiah 42:24-25
Who gave Jacob up for spoil, and Israel to the plunderers? Was it not the LORD, against whom we have sinned? They were unwilling to walk in His ways, and they would not obey His law. / So He poured out on them His furious anger and the fierceness of battle. It enveloped them in flames, but they did not understand; it consumed them, but they did not take it to heart.

Jeremiah 30:10-11
As for you, O Jacob My servant, do not be afraid, declares the LORD, and do not be dismayed, O Israel. For I will surely save you out of a distant place, your descendants from the land of their captivity! Jacob will return to quiet and ease, with no one to make him afraid. / For I am with you to save you, declares the LORD. Though I will completely destroy all the nations to which I have scattered you, I will not completely destroy you. Yet I will discipline you justly, and will by no means leave you unpunished.”

Hosea 9:3
They will not remain in the land of the LORD; Ephraim will return to Egypt and eat unclean food in Assyria.

Leviticus 26:33-39
But I will scatter you among the nations and will draw out a sword after you as your land becomes desolate and your cities are laid waste. / Then the land shall enjoy its Sabbaths all the days it lies desolate, while you are in the land of your enemies. At that time the land will rest and enjoy its Sabbaths. / As long as it lies desolate, the land will have the rest it did not receive during the Sabbaths when you lived in it. ...

2 Chronicles 36:20-21
Those who escaped the sword were carried by Nebuchadnezzar into exile in Babylon, and they became servants to him and his sons until the kingdom of Persia came to power. / So the land enjoyed its Sabbath rest all the days of the desolation, until seventy years were completed, in fulfillment of the word of the LORD spoken through Jeremiah.

Jeremiah 9:16
I will scatter them among the nations that neither they nor their fathers have known, and I will send a sword after them until I have finished them off.”

Ezekiel 36:19
I dispersed them among the nations, and they were scattered throughout the lands. I judged them according to their ways and deeds.

Jeremiah 13:19
The cities of the Negev have been shut tight, and no one can open them. All Judah has been carried into exile, wholly taken captive.

Isaiah 5:13
Therefore My people will go into exile for their lack of understanding; their dignitaries are starving and their masses are parched with thirst.

Matthew 23:37-38
O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those sent to her, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were unwilling! / Look, your house is left to you desolate.


Treasury of Scripture

Judah is gone into captivity because of affliction, and because of great servitude: she dwells among the heathen, she finds no rest: all her persecutors overtook her between the straits.

gone

2 Kings 24:14,15
And he carried away all Jerusalem, and all the princes, and all the mighty men of valour, even ten thousand captives, and all the craftsmen and smiths: none remained, save the poorest sort of the people of the land…

2 Kings 25:11,21
Now the rest of the people that were left in the city, and the fugitives that fell away to the king of Babylon, with the remnant of the multitude, did Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carry away…

2 Chronicles 36:20,21
And them that had escaped from the sword carried he away to Babylon; where they were servants to him and his sons until the reign of the kingdom of Persia: …

because of great servitude.

Lamentations 2:9
Her gates are sunk into the ground; he hath destroyed and broken her bars: her king and her princes are among the Gentiles: the law is no more; her prophets also find no vision from the LORD.

Leviticus 26:36-39
And upon them that are left alive of you I will send a faintness into their hearts in the lands of their enemies; and the sound of a shaken leaf shall chase them; and they shall flee, as fleeing from a sword; and they shall fall when none pursueth…

Deuteronomy 28:64-67
And the LORD shall scatter thee among all people, from the one end of the earth even unto the other; and there thou shalt serve other gods, which neither thou nor thy fathers have known, even wood and stone…

all

Lamentations 4:18,19
They hunt our steps, that we cannot go in our streets: our end is near, our days are fulfilled; for our end is come…

Jeremiah 16:16
Behold, I will send for many fishers, saith the LORD, and they shall fish them; and after will I send for many hunters, and they shall hunt them from every mountain, and from every hill, and out of the holes of the rocks.

Jeremiah 52:8
But the army of the Chaldeans pursued after the king, and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho; and all his army was scattered from him.

Jump to Previous
Abundance Affliction Attackers Captivity Dwelleth Dwells Dwelt Exile Findeth Finds Found Great Hard Harsh Heathen Judah Labor Midst Nations Overtaken Overtook Persecutors Prisoner Pursue Pursuers Removed Rest Resting Service Servitude Straits Within Work
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Abundance Affliction Attackers Captivity Dwelleth Dwells Dwelt Exile Findeth Finds Found Great Hard Harsh Heathen Judah Labor Midst Nations Overtaken Overtook Persecutors Prisoner Pursue Pursuers Removed Rest Resting Service Servitude Straits Within Work
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.














Judah has gone into exile
The phrase "Judah has gone into exile" refers to the historical event of the Babylonian captivity, where the people of Judah were forcibly removed from their homeland. The Hebrew word for "exile" (גָּלָה, galah) implies a stripping away or uncovering, symbolizing the loss of identity and security. This exile was a consequence of persistent disobedience to God, as prophesied by Jeremiah and other prophets. It serves as a somber reminder of the importance of faithfulness to God's covenant.

under affliction and harsh slavery
The words "under affliction and harsh slavery" describe the severe conditions faced by the exiles. "Affliction" (עֳנִי, oni) conveys a sense of poverty and oppression, while "harsh slavery" (עֲבֹדָה קָשָׁה, avodah kashah) indicates forced labor and suffering. This reflects the physical and spiritual bondage experienced by the people, reminiscent of their ancestors' slavery in Egypt. It underscores the consequences of turning away from God and the heavy burden of sin.

she dwells among the nations
"She dwells among the nations" highlights the dispersion of the Jewish people among foreign lands. The Hebrew verb "dwells" (יָשַׁב, yashav) suggests a temporary settlement, indicating that this was not their true home. This scattering among the nations fulfilled the warnings given by Moses in Deuteronomy about the consequences of disobedience. It also foreshadows the New Testament theme of Christians living as sojourners in the world, awaiting their heavenly home.

but finds no place to rest
The phrase "but finds no place to rest" speaks to the deep longing for peace and stability. The Hebrew word for "rest" (מָנוֹחַ, manoach) implies a place of repose and security. This restlessness is both physical and spiritual, as the people are cut off from the land God promised them. It serves as a metaphor for the soul's unrest when separated from God, pointing to the ultimate rest found in Christ.

All her pursuers have overtaken her
"All her pursuers have overtaken her" conveys the relentless pursuit and capture by enemies. The term "pursuers" (רֹדֵף, rodef) suggests an active and aggressive chase, while "overtaken" (הִשִּׂיג, hisig) indicates being caught or captured. This imagery reflects the consequences of sin and the inevitability of judgment. It also serves as a call to repentance and reliance on God's deliverance.

in the midst of her distress
The phrase "in the midst of her distress" captures the profound suffering and turmoil experienced by Judah. "Distress" (מְצוּקָה, metzuka) denotes a state of anguish and trouble. This distress is both a result of external circumstances and internal spiritual decay. It highlights the need for divine intervention and the hope of restoration through God's mercy and grace. This verse, while depicting a scene of despair, ultimately points to the hope of redemption and the faithfulness of God to His promises.

(3) Because of affliction.--The Authorised version suggests the thought that the words refer to the voluntary emigration of those who went to Egypt and other countries (Jeremiah 42:14), to avoid the oppression to which they were subject in their own land. The Hebrew admits, however, of the rendering "from affliction," and so the words speak of the forcible deportation of the people from misery at home to a yet worse misery in Babylon as the land of their exile. Even there they found no "rest" (Deuteronomy 28:65) Their persecutors hunted them down to the "straits" from which no escape was possible.

Verse 3. - Is gone into captivity because of affliction; rather, is gone into exile, etc. The poet is not thinking of the deportation of the captives, but of those Jews who sought refuge for themselves in foreign lands (comp. Jeremiah 40:11). An objection has been raised to this view that the number of fugitive Jews would not be large enough to warrant their being called "Judah." But we might almost as well object on a similar ground to the application of the term "Judah" to the Jews who were carried to Babylon. The truth may, perhaps, be that, after the fall of Jerusalem, the Jewish nation became split up into three parts:

(1) the Jews who succeeded in escaping into Egypt or elsewhere;

(2) those who were carried captive;

(3) the mass of the common people, who remained on their native soil, Keil, however, retains the view of the Authorized Version, only substituting "out of" for "because of." "Out of" the misery into which the Jews had been brought by the invasions of Necho and Nebuchadnezzar they passed into the new misery of captivity. Among the heathen; rather, among the nations. Between the straits. The phrase is peculiar, and reminds us of Psalm 118:5, "Out of the strait I called unto thee." "A strait," or narrow place, clearly means adversity, just as "a large place" (Psalm 118:5) means prosperity.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Judah
יְהוּדָ֤ה (yə·hū·ḏāh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3063: Judah -- 'praised', a son of Jacob, also the southern kingdom, also four Israelites

has gone into exile
גָּֽלְתָ֨ה (gā·lə·ṯāh)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 1540: To denude, to exile, to reveal

under affliction
מֵעֹ֙נִי֙ (mê·‘ō·nî)
Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 6040: Affliction, poverty

and harsh
וּמֵרֹ֣ב (ū·mê·rōḇ)
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 7230: Multitude, abundance, greatness

slavery;
עֲבֹדָ֔ה (‘ă·ḇō·ḏāh)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 5656: Work of any kind

she
הִ֚יא (hî)
Pronoun - third person feminine singular
Strong's 1931: He, self, the same, this, that, as, are

dwells
יָשְׁבָ֣ה (yā·šə·ḇāh)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 3427: To sit down, to dwell, to remain, to settle, to marry

among the nations
בַגּוֹיִ֔ם (ḇag·gō·w·yim)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 1471: A foreign nation, a Gentile, a troop of animals, a flight of locusts

but finds
מָצְאָ֖ה (mā·ṣə·’āh)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 4672: To come forth to, appear, exist, to attain, find, acquire, to occur, meet, be present

no
לֹ֥א (lō)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

place to rest.
מָנ֑וֹחַ (mā·nō·w·aḥ)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4494: A resting place, state or condition of rest

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

her pursuers
רֹדְפֶ֥יהָ (rō·ḏə·p̄e·hā)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural construct | third person feminine singular
Strong's 7291: To pursue, chase, persecute

have overtaken her
הִשִּׂיג֖וּהָ (hiś·śî·ḡū·hā)
Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person common plural | third person feminine singular
Strong's 5381: To reach, overtake

in the midst
בֵּ֥ין (bên)
Preposition
Strong's 996: An interval, space between

of her distress.
הַמְּצָרִֽים׃ (ham·mə·ṣā·rîm)
Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 4712: Something tight, trouble


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OT Prophets: Lamentations 1:3 Judah is gone into captivity because (Lam. La Lm)
Lamentations 1:2
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