Babylonian soldiers flaying Judean prisoners

“Jerusalem, once so full of people, is now deserted. She who was once great among the nations now sits alone like a widow. She sobs through the night; tears stream down her cheeks.”

Lamentations 1:1,2

“The roads to Jerusalem are in mourning, for crowds no longer come to celebrate the festivals. The city gates are silent, her priests groan, her young women are crying – how bitter is her fate.”

Lamentations 1:4

“Jerusalem’s gates have sunk into the ground. Her kings and princes have been exiled to distant lands; her law has ceased to exist. Her prophets receive no more visions from the Lord. The leaders of beautiful Jerusalem sit on the ground in silence.

“They are clothed in burlap and throw dust on their heads. The young women of Jerusalem hang their heads in shame. I have cried until the tears no longer come; my heart is broken. My spirit is poured out in agony as I see the desperate plight of my people.”

Lamentations 2:9-12

“The elders no longer sit in the city gates; the young men no longer dance and sing. Joy has left our hearts; our dancing has turned to mourning. The garlands have fallen from our heads. Our hearts are sick and weary, and our eyes grow dim with tears.”

Lamentations 5:14-17

“Is it really you, Naomi?”

“Don’t call me Naomi. Call me, ‘Mara,’ call me ‘Bitter,’ for the Lord Almighty has made life very bitter for me.”

Naomi, in Ruth 1:20

“The thought of my suffering and homelessness is bitter beyond words. I will never forget this awful time, as I grieve over my loss. Yet, I still dare to hope when I remember this: The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning. I say to myself, ‘The Lord is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in him.”

Lamentations 3:19-24

“Let them lie face down in the dust, for there may be hope at last.”Lamentations 3:29

“We do not grieve like people who have no hope. For we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again….”

Paul, in 1 Thessalonians 4:13, 14

Sound ~ Betty CaulerCamera ~ Reece Bartman

Computer ~ Melissa SchneckHorizon’s awesome Band