Lamentations 2:19
New International Version
Arise, cry out in the night, as the watches of the night begin; pour out your heart like water in the presence of the Lord. Lift up your hands to him for the lives of your children, who faint from hunger at every street corner.

New Living Translation
Rise during the night and cry out. Pour out your hearts like water to the Lord. Lift up your hands to him in prayer, pleading for your children, for in every street they are faint with hunger.

English Standard Version
“Arise, cry out in the night, at the beginning of the night watches! Pour out your heart like water before the presence of the Lord! Lift your hands to him for the lives of your children, who faint for hunger at the head of every street.”

Berean Standard Bible
Arise, cry out in the night from the first watch of the night. Pour out your heart like water in the presence of the Lord. Lift up your hands to Him for the lives of your children who are fainting from hunger on the corner of every street.

King James Bible
Arise, cry out in the night: in the beginning of the watches pour out thine heart like water before the face of the Lord: lift up thy hands toward him for the life of thy young children, that faint for hunger in the top of every street.

New King James Version
“Arise, cry out in the night, At the beginning of the watches; Pour out your heart like water before the face of the Lord. Lift your hands toward Him For the life of your young children, Who faint from hunger at the head of every street.”

New American Standard Bible
“Arise, whimper in the night At the beginning of the night watches; Pour out your heart like water Before the presence of the Lord; Raise your hands to Him For the life of your little ones Who languish because of hunger At the head of every street.

NASB 1995
“Arise, cry aloud in the night At the beginning of the night watches; Pour out your heart like water Before the presence of the Lord; Lift up your hands to Him For the life of your little ones Who are faint because of hunger At the head of every street.”

NASB 1977
“Arise, cry aloud in the night At the beginning of the night watches; Pour out your heart like water Before the presence of the Lord; Lift up your hands to Him For the life of your little ones Who are faint because of hunger At the head of every street.”

Legacy Standard Bible
Arise, cry aloud in the night At the head of the night watches; Pour out your heart like water Before the presence of the Lord; Lift up your hands to Him For the life of your infants Who are faint because of hunger At the head of every street.”

Amplified Bible
“Arise, cry aloud in the night, At the beginning of the night watches; Pour out your heart like water Before the presence of the Lord; Lift up your hands to Him For the life of your little ones Who are faint from hunger At the head of every street.”

Christian Standard Bible
Arise, cry out in the night from the first watch of the night. Pour out your heart like water before the Lord’s presence. Lift up your hands to him for the lives of your children who are fainting from hunger at the head of every street.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Arise, cry out in the night from the first watch of the night. Pour out your heart like water before the Lord’s presence. Lift up your hands to Him for the lives of your children who are fainting from hunger on the corner of every street.

American Standard Version
Arise, cry out in the night, at the beginning of the watches; Pour out thy heart like water before the face of the Lord: Lift up thy hands toward him for the life of thy young children, that faint for hunger at the head of every street.

Contemporary English Version
Get up and pray for help all through the night. Pour out your feelings to the Lord, as you would pour water out of a jug. Beg him to save your people, who are starving to death at every street crossing.

English Revised Version
Arise, cry out in the night, at the beginning of the watches; pour out thine heart like water before the face of the Lord: lift up thy hands toward him for the life of thy young children, that faint for hunger at the top of every street.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Get up! Cry out at night, every hour on the hour. Pour your heart out like water in the presence of the LORD. Lift up your hands to him [in prayer] for the life of your little children who faint from hunger at every street corner."

Good News Translation
All through the night get up again and again to cry out to the Lord; Pour out your heart and beg him for mercy on your children--Children starving to death on every street corner!

International Standard Version
Get up and cry aloud in the night, at the beginning of every hour. Pour out your heart like water in the presence of the Lord! Lift up your hands toward him for the lives of your children, who are fainting away at every street corner.

Majority Standard Bible
Arise, cry out in the night from the first watch of the night. Pour out your heart like water in the presence of the Lord. Lift up your hands to Him for the lives of your children who are fainting from hunger on the corner of every street.

NET Bible
Get up! Cry out in the night when the night watches start! Pour out your heart like water before the face of the Lord! Lift up your hands to him for your children's lives; they are fainting at every street corner.

New Heart English Bible
Arise, cry out in the night, at the beginning of the watches. Pour out your heart like water before the face of the LORD. Lift up your hands toward him for the life of your young children, that faint for hunger at the head of every street.

Webster's Bible Translation
Arise, cry out in the night: in the beginning of the watches pour out thy heart like water before the face of the Lord: lift up thy hands towards him for the life of thy young children, that faint for hunger at the head of every street.

World English Bible
Arise, cry out in the night, at the beginning of the watches! Pour out your heart like water before the face of the Lord. Lift up your hands toward him for the life of your young children, who faint for hunger at the head of every street.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
Arise, cry aloud in the night, "" At the beginning of the watches. Pour out your heart as water, "" Before the face of the Lord, "" Lift up to Him your hands, for the soul of your infants, "" Who are feeble with hunger at the head of all out-places.

Young's Literal Translation
Arise, cry aloud in the night, At the beginning of the watches. Pour out as water thy heart, Over against the face of the Lord, Lift up unto Him thy hands, for the soul of thine infants, Who are feeble with hunger at the head of all out-places.

Smith's Literal Translation
Arise, cry aloud in the night: at the head of the watches pour out thy heart as water before the face of Jehovah: lift up thy hands to him for the soul of thy young children fainting with hunger in the head of all the streets.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Coph. Arise, give praise in the night, in the beginning of the watches: pour out thy heart like water before the face of the Lord: lift up thy hands to him for the life of thy little children, that have fainted for hunger at the top of all the streets.

Catholic Public Domain Version
COPH. Rise up. Give praise in the night, in the first of the watches. Pour out your heart like water before the sight of the Lord. Lift up your hands to him on behalf of the souls of your little ones, who have passed away from famine at the head of all the crossroads.

New American Bible
Rise up! Wail in the night, at the start of every watch; Pour out your heart like water before the Lord; Lift up your hands to him for the lives of your children, Who collapse from hunger at the corner of every street.

New Revised Standard Version
Arise, cry out in the night, at the beginning of the watches! Pour out your heart like water before the presence of the Lord! Lift your hands to him for the lives of your children, who faint for hunger at the head of every street.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Arise, offer praise in the night at the beginning of the watches; pour out your heart like water before the presence of the LORD; lift up your hands toward him for the lives of your little children who faint for hunger at the head of every street.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
Qoph Arise, sing in the night at first watch, and pour out your heart like waters before the face of LORD JEHOVAH! Raise to him your hands for the souls of your little children who are suffering with hunger at the top of all the streets!
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Arise, cry out in the night, At the beginning of the watches; Pour out thy heart like water Before the face of the Lord; Lift up thy hands toward Him For the life of thy young children, That faint for hunger At the head of every street.'

Brenton Septuagint Translation
KOPH. Arise, rejoice in the night at the beginning of thy watch: pour out thy heart as water before the face of the Lord lift up thy hands to him for the life of thine infants, who faint for hunger at the top of all the streets.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
God's Anger over Jerusalem
18The hearts of the people cry out to the Lord. O wall of the Daughter of Zion, let your tears run down like a river day and night. Give yourself no relief, and your eyes no rest. 19Arise, cry out in the night from the first watch of the night. Pour out your heart like water in the presence of the Lord. Lift up your hands to Him for the lives of your children who are fainting from hunger on the corner of every street. 20Look, O LORD, and consider: Whom have You ever treated like this? Should women eat their offspring, the infants they have nurtured? Should priests and prophets be killed in the sanctuary of the Lord?…

Cross References
Psalm 62:8
Trust in Him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts before Him. God is our refuge. Selah

Joel 1:14
Consecrate a fast; proclaim a solemn assembly! Gather the elders and all the residents of the land to the house of the LORD your God, and cry out to the LORD.

Isaiah 26:9
My soul longs for You in the night; indeed, my spirit seeks You at dawn. For when Your judgments come upon the earth, the people of the world learn righteousness.

Jeremiah 31:25
for I will refresh the weary soul and replenish all who are weak.”

Psalm 119:147
I rise before dawn and cry for help; in Your word I have put my hope.

1 Peter 5:7
Cast all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.

Matthew 11:28-30
Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. / Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. / For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

Psalm 42:8
The LORD decrees His loving devotion by day, and at night His song is with me as a prayer to the God of my life.

Isaiah 40:29-31
He gives power to the faint and increases the strength of the weak. / Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall. / But those who wait upon the LORD will renew their strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not faint.

Psalm 142:2
I pour out my complaint before Him; I reveal my trouble to Him.

Philippians 4:6-7
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. / And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

1 Thessalonians 5:17
Pray without ceasing.

Psalm 55:17
Morning, noon, and night, I cry out in distress, and He hears my voice.

Luke 18:1
Then Jesus told them a parable about their need to pray at all times and not lose heart:

James 5:16
Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man has great power to prevail.


Treasury of Scripture

Arise, cry out in the night: in the beginning of the watches pour out your heart like water before the face of the LORD: lift up your hands toward him for the life of your young children, that faint for hunger in the top of every street.

cry out

Psalm 42:8
Yet the LORD will command his lovingkindness in the daytime, and in the night his song shall be with me, and my prayer unto the God of my life.

Psalm 62:8
Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah.

Psalm 119:55,147,148
I have remembered thy name, O LORD, in the night, and have kept thy law…

watches

Judges 7:19
So Gideon, and the hundred men that were with him, came unto the outside of the camp in the beginning of the middle watch; and they had but newly set the watch: and they blew the trumpets, and brake the pitchers that were in their hands.

Matthew 14:25
And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea.

Mark 13:35
Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning:

pour

1 Samuel 1:15
And Hannah answered and said, No, my lord, I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit: I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but have poured out my soul before the LORD.

1 Samuel 7:6
And they gathered together to Mizpeh, and drew water, and poured it out before the LORD, and fasted on that day, and said there, We have sinned against the LORD. And Samuel judged the children of Israel in Mizpeh.

Job 3:24
For my sighing cometh before I eat, and my roarings are poured out like the waters.

lift up

Psalm 28:2
Hear the voice of my supplications, when I cry unto thee, when I lift up my hands toward thy holy oracle.

Psalm 63:4
Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy name.

Psalm 134:2
Lift up your hands in the sanctuary, and bless the LORD.

that faint

Lamentations 2:11,12
Mine eyes do fail with tears, my bowels are troubled, my liver is poured upon the earth, for the destruction of the daughter of my people; because the children and the sucklings swoon in the streets of the city…

Lamentations 4:1-9
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…

Isaiah 51:20
Thy sons have fainted, they lie at the head of all the streets, as a wild bull in a net: they are full of the fury of the LORD, the rebuke of thy God.

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Arise Beginning Children Cry Face Faint Hands Head Heart Hunger Lift Night Pour Street Top Towards Watches Water Young
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Lamentations 2
1. Jeremiah laments the misery of Jerusalem
20. He complains thereof to God














Arise
The Hebrew root for "arise" is "קוּם" (qum), which conveys a sense of standing up or taking action. In the context of Lamentations, this call to arise is a summons to spiritual vigilance and urgency. The people of Jerusalem are urged to awaken from their spiritual slumber and respond to their dire circumstances with fervent prayer and repentance.

Cry out in the night
The phrase "cry out" comes from the Hebrew "זָעַק" (za'aq), which means to call out loudly or to summon. The night, often a time of rest, is here depicted as a time for earnest supplication. Historically, the night watches were periods of heightened alertness, and this call to cry out signifies the need for persistent prayer, even during times of darkness and despair.

At the beginning of the watches
In ancient Israel, the night was divided into watches, each lasting a few hours. The "beginning of the watches" indicates the first watch, a time when vigilance is renewed. This phrase underscores the importance of initiating prayer and seeking God’s intervention at the earliest opportunity, symbolizing a proactive approach to spiritual crises.

Pour out your heart like water
The imagery of pouring out one's heart "like water" suggests complete transparency and vulnerability before God. Water, a vital and life-sustaining element, represents the depth and sincerity of the supplicant's emotions. This phrase encourages believers to approach God with honesty and openness, holding nothing back in their prayers.

Before the presence of the Lord
The Hebrew term for "presence" is "פָּנִים" (panim), often translated as "face." To be before the presence of the Lord is to stand in His sight, acknowledging His sovereignty and seeking His favor. This phrase emphasizes the importance of directing one's prayers to God, recognizing His authority and ability to provide deliverance.

Lift up your hands to Him
Lifting hands in prayer is a biblical gesture of surrender and appeal. It signifies dependence on God and a plea for His mercy. This act of lifting hands is a physical expression of the heart's cry, symbolizing the worshiper’s earnest desire for divine intervention and blessing.

For the lives of your children
The focus on "the lives of your children" highlights the dire situation faced by the community, where even the most vulnerable suffer. This phrase underscores the communal aspect of prayer, where intercession is made not only for oneself but for the well-being of others, particularly the innocent and helpless.

Who are fainting from hunger
The word "fainting" conveys a sense of weakness and exhaustion, a direct result of the severe famine and siege conditions described in Lamentations. This phrase paints a vivid picture of the physical and spiritual desolation experienced by the people, calling for urgent divine intervention.

At the head of every street
The "head of every street" indicates a public and widespread calamity. It suggests that the suffering is not hidden but visible to all, affecting the entire community. This phrase serves as a reminder of the pervasive nature of sin and its consequences, urging collective repentance and reliance on God’s mercy.

(19) In the beginning of the watches--i.e., of each watch, so that the lamentation was continued throughout the night.

Lift up thy hands.--The wall is still addressed in its character as a mourner, beholding the children dying of hunger and lifting up her hands as in despairing supplication for them.

Verse 19. - In the beginning of the watches. This would seem to be most naturally explained as referring to the first watch of the night. When most are wrapped in their first and sweetest sleep, the daughter of Zion is to "arise and cry." Others explain, "at the beginning of each of the night watches;" i.e. all the night through. Previously to the Roman times, the Jews had divided the night into three watches (comp. Judges 3:19). Pour out thine heart like water; i.e. give free course to thy complaint, shedding tears meanwhile. The expression is parallel partly to phrases like "I am poured out like water" (Psalm 22:14), partly to "Pour out your heart before him" (Psalm 62:8). In the top of every street; rather, at every street corner (and so Lamentations 4:1).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Arise,
ק֣וּמִי ׀ (qū·mî)
Verb - Qal - Imperative - feminine singular
Strong's 6965: To arise, stand up, stand

cry out
רֹ֣נִּי (rōn·nî)
Verb - Qal - Imperative - feminine singular
Strong's 7442: To give a ringing cry

in the night
בַלַּ֗יְלָה (ḇal·lay·lāh)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3915: A twist, night, adversity

from the first
לְרֹאשׁ֙ (lə·rōš)
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 7218: The head

watch of the night.
אַשְׁמֻר֔וֹת (’aš·mu·rō·wṯ)
Noun - feminine plural
Strong's 821: A night watch

Pour out
שִׁפְכִ֤י (šip̄·ḵî)
Verb - Qal - Imperative - feminine singular
Strong's 8210: To spill forth, to expend, to sprawl out

your heart
לִבֵּ֔ךְ (lib·bêḵ)
Noun - masculine singular construct | second person feminine singular
Strong's 3820: The heart, the feelings, the will, the intellect, centre

like water
כַמַּ֙יִם֙ (ḵam·ma·yim)
Preposition-k, Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 4325: Water, juice, urine, semen

in
נֹ֖כַח (nō·ḵaḥ)
Preposition
Strong's 5227: The front part, opposite, in front of, forward, in behalf of

the presence
פְּנֵ֣י (pə·nê)
Noun - common plural construct
Strong's 6440: The face

of the Lord.
אֲדֹנָ֑י (’ă·ḏō·nāy)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 136: The Lord

Lift up
שְׂאִ֧י (śə·’î)
Verb - Qal - Imperative - feminine singular
Strong's 5375: To lift, carry, take

your hands
כַּפַּ֗יִךְ (kap·pa·yiḵ)
Noun - fdc | second person feminine singular
Strong's 3709: Hollow or flat of the hand, palm, sole (of the foot), a pan

to Him
אֵלָ֣יו (’ê·lāw)
Preposition | third person masculine singular
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

for
עַל־ (‘al-)
Preposition
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

the lives
נֶ֙פֶשׁ֙ (ne·p̄eš)
Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 5315: A soul, living being, life, self, person, desire, passion, appetite, emotion

of your children
עֽוֹלָלַ֔יִךְ (‘ō·w·lā·la·yiḵ)
Noun - masculine plural construct | second person feminine singular
Strong's 5768: A suckling

who are fainting
הָעֲטוּפִ֥ים (hā·‘ă·ṭū·p̄îm)
Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 5848: To shroud, clothe, to languish

from hunger
בְּרָעָ֖ב (bə·rā·‘āḇ)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 7458: Famine, hunger

on the corner
בְּרֹ֥אשׁ (bə·rōš)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 7218: The head

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

street.
חוּצֽוֹת׃ (ḥū·ṣō·wṯ)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 2351: Separate by a, wall, outside, outdoors


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OT Prophets: Lamentations 2:19 Arise cry out in the night at (Lam. La Lm)
Lamentations 2:18
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