In the Bible, “lamented” generally refers to expressing deep sorrow or mourning, often in response to loss or tragedy. It signifies a heartfelt cry or grief, as seen in instances like David lamenting the death of Saul and Jonathan (2 Samuel 1:17-27).
Scripture
1 Then Joseph fell on his father’s face and wept over him and kissed him.
2 And Joseph commanded his servants the physicians to embalm his father. So the physicians embalmed Israel.
3 Forty days were required for it, for that is how many are required for embalming. And the Egyptians wept for him seventy days.
Meaning of “Lamented” in the Bible
In the Bible, the term “lamented” encapsulates profound expressions of sorrow and grief that reflect a deep human response to loss, suffering, and tragedy. This act of lamentation serves not only as an emotional release but also as a means of processing grief and seeking comfort in the midst of pain. For example, in 2 Samuel 1:17-27, King David’s lament over the deaths of Saul and Jonathan illustrates the depth of his love and loyalty, revealing the personal impact of their loss on his life and the nation of Israel. In this passage, David’s lament is both a public declaration of his sorrow and a communal expression that invites others to share in the mourning, thus weaving individual grief into the larger narrative of the community.
Moreover, lamentation in the Bible frequently represents a spiritual cry, seeking God’s presence in times of distress. The Book of Lamentations is a poignant example, where the author mourns the devastation of Jerusalem and longs for divine restoration, highlighting how lament can serve as a bridge toward hope amidst despair (Lamentations 3:22-23). The Psalms, particularly Psalms 30, 42, and 88, further illustrate the theme of lament as believers articulate their anguish, questioning, and yearning for God’s intervention. In this sense, the act of lamenting not only validates feelings of sorrow but also invites dialogue with God, emphasizing the importance of authentic expression in the journey of faith. Through lament, individuals confront their pain while simultaneously affirming their reliance on God’s presence and promise, showcasing the transformative power of grief within the context of faith.
The theme of lamentation is woven throughout the biblical narrative, signifying an essential aspect of the human experience in relation to God. In the context of communal and individual grief, lament serves as a vital expression of the emotional turmoil faced by the faithful. For instance, we see the concept of lament in the narratives surrounding Job, where he laments his suffering and loss in raw, unfiltered terms. His anguished cries not only reflect personal despair but also challenge preconceived notions of righteousness and divine justice, prompting a deeper exploration of human suffering in relation to God’s sovereignty. Job’s laments underscore the idea that seeking understanding amidst sorrow is a legitimate posture of faith, allowing room for questioning and wrestling with God.
Furthermore, the prophetic books of the Old Testament often include laments that articulate the sorrow of a nation in turmoil. The prophets, such as Jeremiah and Isaiah, lament the collective strife of Israel as they grapple with their unfaithfulness and the consequences of sin. These lamentations not only express sorrow for impending judgment but also serve as calls to repentance and restoration, framing lament as a pathway toward renewal. Thus, biblical lamentation is not just an isolated expression of grief; it embodies a dynamic interaction where personal and collective sufferings are laid bare before God, fostering hope for healing and a future filled with divine promise. In this light, lament becomes a sacred act, shaping the believer’s journey through suffering while continually pointing to the potential for redemption and communal healing.
Expression of Grief and Mourning
In the Bible, the term “lamented” often signifies a deep expression of grief and mourning. It reflects the emotional response to loss, whether it be the death of a loved one, the destruction of a community, or the consequences of sin. This form of lamentation serves as a cathartic release for individuals and communities, allowing them to process their sorrow and seek comfort in their faith. The act of lamenting is not merely an expression of sadness but also a way to honor the memory of what has been lost.
Call for Divine Intervention
Lamentation in the biblical context frequently serves as a plea for divine intervention. When individuals or communities lament, they often do so with the hope of receiving God’s mercy and restoration. This aspect of lamenting highlights the relationship between humanity and the divine, emphasizing the belief that God is attentive to the cries of His people. Through lament, believers express their dependence on God and their desire for His help in times of distress, reinforcing the notion that lamentation can be a pathway to spiritual renewal and hope.
Reflection on Sin and Repentance
Another broader meaning of “lamented” in the Bible relates to the acknowledgment of sin and the call for repentance. Lamentation can be a response to personal or communal wrongdoing, where individuals express sorrow not only for the consequences of their actions but also for the separation from God that sin causes. This form of lament serves as a catalyst for change, prompting believers to seek forgiveness and restoration in their relationship with God. It underscores the importance of humility and the recognition of one’s need for grace and redemption.
How to Embrace Hope Amidst Grief with Faith
Embracing hope amidst grief can feel like an insurmountable challenge, but as Christians, we are reminded that our faith is a powerful anchor in turbulent times. When we face loss, it’s essential to lean into the promises of Scripture, such as Romans 15:13, which assures us that the God of hope fills us with joy and peace as we trust in Him. Allow yourself to grieve, but also seek solace in prayer and community; sharing your burdens with fellow believers can lighten the load and remind you that you are not alone. Reflect on the resurrection of Christ, which offers us the ultimate hope that death is not the end, but a transition to eternal life. In those moments when despair threatens to overwhelm you, remember that hope is not the absence of sorrow, but the presence of faith that assures us of God’s love and purpose, even in our darkest hours. Embrace this journey with an open heart, and let your faith guide you toward healing and renewed hope.
Bible References to the Meaning of “Lamented”:
2 Samuel 1:17-27: 17 And David lamented with this lamentation over Saul and Jonathan his son
And he said it should be taught to the people of Judah; behold, it is written in the Book of Jashar.
19 “Your glory, O Israel, is slain on your high places! How the mighty have fallen!”
20 Tell it not in Gath, publish it not in the streets of Ashkelon, lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice, lest the daughters of the uncircumcised exult.
21 “You mountains of Gilboa, let there be no dew or rain upon you, nor fields of offerings! For there the shield of the mighty was defiled, the shield of Saul, not anointed with oil.”
22 From the blood of the slain, from the fat of the mighty, the bow of Jonathan turned not back, and the sword of Saul returned not empty.
23 “Saul and Jonathan, beloved and lovely! In life and in death they were not divided; they were swifter than eagles, they were stronger than lions.”
24 “You daughters of Israel, weep over Saul, who clothed you luxuriously in scarlet, who put ornaments of gold on your apparel.”
25 How the mighty have fallen in the midst of the battle!
26 I am distressed for you, my brother Jonathan; very pleasant have you been to me; your love to me was extraordinary, surpassing the love of women.
27 “How the mighty have fallen, and the weapons of war perished!”
2 Samuel 3:31-34: 31 Then David said to Joab and to all the people who were with him, “Tear your clothes and put on sackcloth and mourn before Abner.” And King David followed the bier.
32 And they buried Abner at Hebron. And the king lifted up his voice and wept at the grave of Abner, and all the people wept.
33 And the king lamented for Abner, saying, “Should Abner die as a fool dies?
34 Your hands were not bound; your feet were not fettered; as one falls before the wicked you have fallen.” And all the people wept again over him.
2 Samuel 13:30-37: 30 But Absalom had commanded his servants, saying, “Mark when Amnon’s heart is merry with wine, and when I say to you, ‘Strike Amnon,’ then kill him. Do not fear; have I not commanded you? Be courageous and be valiant.”
31 Then the king arose and tore his garments and lay on the earth. And all his servants who were standing by tore their garments.
32 But Jonadab the son of Shimeah, David’s brother, said, “Let not my lord suppose that they have killed all the young men the king’s sons, for Amnon alone is dead.
33 Now therefore let not my lord the king so take it to heart as to suppose that all the king’s sons are dead, for Amnon alone is dead.”
34 But Absalom fled. And the young man who kept the watch lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, many people were coming from the road behind him by the side of the mountain.
35 And Jonadab said to the king, “Behold, the king’s sons have come; as your servant said, so it has come to pass.”
36 While he was yet speaking, behold, Jonathan the son of Abiathar the priest came. And Adonijah said, “Come in, for you are a worthy man and bring good news.”
37 But Absalom fled and went to Talmai the son of Ammihud, king of Geshur. And David mourned for his son day after day.
2 Chronicles 35:24-25: 24 So his servants took him out of the chariot and carried him in his second chariot and brought him to Jerusalem. And he died and was buried in the tombs of his fathers. All Judah and Jerusalem mourned for Josiah.
25 Jeremiah also uttered a lament for Josiah; and all the singing men and singing women have spoken of Josiah in their laments to this day. They made these a rule in Israel; behold, they are written in the Laments.
Job 3:1-26: 1 After this Job opened his mouth and cursed the day of his birth.
2 And Job said:
3 “Let the day perish on which I was born,
and the night that said,
‘A man is conceived.’”
4 Let that day be darkness!
May God above not seek it,
nor light shine upon it.
5 Let gloom and deep darkness claim it.
6 “As for that night, let darkness seize it; let it not rejoice among the days of the year; let it not come into the number of the months.”
7 “Behold, let that night be barren; let no joyful cry enter it.”
8 Let those curse it who curse the day, who are ready to rouse up Leviathan.
9 Let the stars of its dawn be dark;
let it hope for light, but have none,
nor see the eyelids of the morning,
10 because it did not shut the doors of my mother’s womb, nor hide trouble from my eyes.
11 “Why did I not die at birth, come out from the womb and expire?”
12 Why did the knees receive me?
Or why the breasts, that I should nurse?
13 For now I would have lain down and been quiet; I would have slept; then I would have been at rest,
14 with kings and counselors of the earth who rebuilt ruins for themselves,
15 Or with princes who had gold, who filled their houses with silver.
16 “Or why was I not as a hidden stillborn child,
as infants who never see the light?
17 There the wicked cease from troubling,
and there the weary are at rest.
18 There the prisoners are at ease together; they hear not the voice of the taskmaster.
19 The small and the great are there, and the slave is free from his master.
20 “Why is light given to him who is in misery, and life to the bitter in soul,”
21 who long for death, but it comes not,
and dig for it more than for hidden treasures,
22 It is the thing that I fear that comes upon me; and what I dread befalls me.
23 Why is light given to a man whose way is hidden, whom God has hedged in?
24 For my sighing comes instead of my bread, and my groanings are poured out like water.
25 For the thing that I fear comes upon me, and what I dread befalls me.
26 I am not at ease, nor am I quiet; I have no rest, but trouble comes.”
Jeremiah 9:17-22: 17 Thus says the Lord of hosts: “Consider, and call for the mourning women to come; send for the skillful women to come;
18 Let them make haste and raise a wailing over us, that our eyes may run down with tears and our eyelids flow with water.
19 For a sound of wailing is heard from Zion: ‘How we are ruined! We are utterly shamed, because we have left the land, because they have cast down our dwellings.’
20 Now, O women, hear the word of the Lord,
and let your ear receive the word of his mouth;
teach to your daughters a lament,
and each to her neighbor a dirge.
21 Death has come up into our windows;
it has entered our palaces,
cutting off the children from the streets
and the young men from the squares.
22 Speak, “Thus declares the Lord: ‘The dead bodies of men shall fall like dung upon the open field, like sheaves after the reaper, and none shall gather them.’”
Lamentations 1:1-22: 1 How lonely sits the city that was full of people! How like a widow has she become, she who was great among the nations!
2 She weeps bitterly in the night,
with tears on her cheeks;
among all her lovers
she has none to comfort her;
all her friends have dealt treacherously with her;
they have become her enemies.
3 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.
4 The roads to Zion mourn, for none come to the festival; all her gates are desolate; her priests groan; her virgins have been afflicted, and she herself suffers bitterly.
5 Her foes have become the head; her enemies prosper, because the Lord has afflicted her for the multitude of her transgressions; her children have gone away, captives before the foe.
6 From the daughter of Zion all her majesty has departed. Her princes have become like deer that find no pasture; they fled without strength before the pursuer.
7 Jerusalem remembers in the days of her affliction and wandering all the precious things that were hers from days of old. When her people fell into the hand of the foe, and there was none to help her, her foes gloated over her; they mocked at her downfall.
8 Jerusalem sinned grievously; therefore she became filthy; all who honored her despise her, for they have seen her nakedness; she herself groans and turns her face away.
9 Her uncleanness was in her skirts;
she took no thought of her future;
therefore her fall is terrible;
she has no comforter.
“O Lord, behold my affliction,
for the enemy has triumphed!”
10 The enemy has stretched out his hands over all her precious things; for she has seen the nations enter her sanctuary, those whom you forbade to enter your congregation.
11 All her people groan as they search for bread;
they trade their treasures for food to revive their strength.
12 “Is it nothing to you, all you who pass by? Look and see if there is any sorrow like my sorrow, which was brought upon me, which the Lord inflicted on the day of his fierce anger.”
13 “From on high he sent fire;
into my bones he made it descend;
he spread a net for my feet;
he turned me back;
he has left me stunned,
faint all the day long.
14 “My transgressions were bound into a yoke; by his hand they were fastened together; they were set upon my neck; he caused my strength to fail; the Lord gave me into the hands of those whom I cannot withstand.”
15 “The Lord rejected all my mighty men in my midst;
he summoned an assembly against me
to crush my young men;
the Lord has trodden as in a winepress
the virgin daughter of Judah.”
16 “For these things I weep; my eyes flow with tears; for a comforter is far from me, one to revive my spirit; my children are desolate, for the enemy has prevailed.”
17 Zion stretches out her hands,
but there is none to comfort her;
the Lord has commanded against Jacob
that his neighbors should be his foes;
Jerusalem has become
a filthy thing among them.
18 “The Lord is in the right, for I have rebelled against his word; but hear, all you peoples, and see my suffering; my young women and my young men have gone into captivity.”
19 “I called to my lovers, but they deceived me; my priests and elders perished in the city, while they sought food to revive their strength.”
20 “Look, O Lord, for I am in distress; my stomach churns; my heart is wrung within me, because I have been very rebellious. In the street the sword bereaves; in the house it is like death.”
21 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 will bring the day you have announced, and they will be like me.
22 Let all their evildoing 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.
Lamentations 2:1-22: 1 How the Lord in his anger has set the daughter of Zion under a cloud! He has cast down from heaven to earth the splendor of Israel; he has not remembered his footstool in the day of his anger.
2 The Lord has swallowed up without mercy
all the habitations of Jacob;
in his wrath he has broken down
the strongholds of the daughter of Judah;
he has brought down to the ground in dishonor
the kingdom and its rulers.
3 He has cut down in fierce anger all the might of Israel; he has withdrawn from them his right hand in the face of the enemy; he has burned like a flaming fire in Jacob, consuming all around.
4 He has bent his bow like an enemy,
with his right hand set like a foe;
and he has killed all who were delightful in our eyes
in the tent of the daughter of Zion;
he has poured out his fury like fire.
5 The Lord has become like an enemy; he has swallowed up Israel; he has swallowed up all its palaces; he has laid in ruins its strongholds, and he has multiplied in the daughter of Judah mourning and lamentation.
6 He has laid waste his booth like a garden,
laid in ruins his meeting place;
the Lord has made Zion forget festival and Sabbath,
and in his fierce indignation has spurned king and priest.
7 The Lord has scorned his altar, disowned his sanctuary; he has delivered into the hand of the enemy the walls of her palaces; they raised a clamor in the house of the Lord as on the day of festival.
8 The Lord determined to lay in ruins the wall of the daughter of Zion; he stretched out the measuring line; he did not restrain his hand from destroying; he caused rampart and wall to lament; they languished together.
9 Her gates have sunk into the ground;
he has ruined and broken her bars;
her king and princes are among the nations;
the law is no more,
and her prophets find
no vision from the Lord.
10 The elders of the daughter of Zion sit on the ground in silence; they have thrown dust on their heads and put on sackcloth; the young women of Jerusalem have bowed their heads to the ground.
11 My eyes are spent with weeping; my stomach churns; my bile is poured out to the ground because of the destruction of the daughter of my people, because infants and babies faint in the streets of the city.
12 They cry to their mothers,
“Where is bread and wine?”
as they faint like a wounded man
in the streets of the city,
as their life is poured out
on their mothers’ bosom.
13 What can I say for you, to what compare you, O daughter of Jerusalem? What can I liken to you, that I may comfort you, O virgin daughter of Zion? For your ruin is vast as the sea; who can heal you?
14 Your prophets have seen for you false and deceptive visions; they have not exposed your iniquity to restore your fortunes, but have seen for you oracles that are false and misleading.
15 All who pass along the way clap their hands at you; they hiss and wag their heads at the daughter of Jerusalem: “Is this the city that was called the perfection of beauty, the joy of all the earth?”
16 All your enemies open their mouths against you; they hiss, they gnash their teeth, they cry: “We have swallowed her! Ah, this is the day we longed for; now we have it; we see it!”
17 The Lord has done what he purposed;
he has carried out his word,
which he commanded long ago;
he has thrown down without pity;
he has made the enemy rejoice over you
and exalted the might of your foes.
18 Their heart cried to the Lord. O wall of the daughter of Zion, let tears stream down like a torrent day and night! Give yourself no rest, your eyes no respite!
19 “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.”
20 Look, O Lord, and see!
With whom have you dealt thus?
Should women eat the fruit of their womb,
the children of their tender care?
Should priest and prophet be killed
in the sanctuary of the Lord?
21 In the dust of the streets lie the young and the old; my young women and my young men have fallen by the sword; you have killed them in the day of your anger, slaughtering without pity.
22 You summoned as if to a festival day my terrors on every side, and on the day of the anger of the Lord no one escaped or survived; those whom I held and raised my enemy destroyed.
Lamentations 3:1-66: 1 I am the man who has seen affliction
under the rod of his wrath;
2 He has driven and brought me into darkness without any light;
3 Surely against me he turns his hand
again and again the whole day.
4 He has made my flesh and my skin waste away; he has broken my bones;
5 He has besieged and enveloped me with bitterness and tribulation;
6 He has made me dwell in darkness like the dead of long ago.
7 He has walled me about so that I cannot escape; he has made my chains heavy.
8 though I call and cry for help, he shuts out my prayer.
9 He has blocked my ways with blocks of stones; he has made my paths crooked.
10 He is a bear lying in wait for me, a lion in hiding;
11 He turned to me his hand all the day.
12 He bent his bow and set me as a target for his arrow.
13 He pierced my kidneys with his arrows;
14 I have become the laughingstock of all peoples,
the object of their taunts all day long.
15 He has filled me with bitterness; he has sated me with wormwood.
16 He has made my teeth grind on gravel, and made me cower in ashes;
17 my soul is bereft of peace;
I have forgotten what happiness is;
18 so I say, “My endurance has perished;
so has my hope from the Lord.”
19 Remember my affliction and my wanderings,
the wormwood and the gall!
20 My soul continually remembers it
and is bowed down within me.
21 But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope:
22 The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end;
23 they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.
24 “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.”
25 The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him.
26 It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.
27 It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth.
28 Let him sit alone in silence when it is laid on him;
29 Let him put his mouth in the dust—
there may yet be hope;
30 let him give his cheek to the one who strikes,
and let him be filled with insults.
31 For the Lord will not cast off forever,
32 Though he cause grief, he will have compassion according to the abundance of his steadfast love;
33 for he does not afflict from his heart
or grieve the children of men.
34 To crush underfoot all the prisoners of the earth,
35 to deny a man justice in the presence of the Most High,
36 to subvert a man in his lawsuit,
the Lord does not approve.
37 Who has spoken and it came to pass,
unless the Lord has commanded it?
38 Is it not from the mouth of the Most High
that good and bad come?
39 Why should a living man complain,
a man, about the punishment of his sins?
40 Let us test and examine our ways, and return to the Lord.
41 Let us lift up our hearts and hands to God in heaven:
42 “We have transgressed and rebelled,
and you have not forgiven.
43 “You have wrapped yourself with anger and pursued us, killing without pity;”
44 “You have wrapped yourself with a cloud so that no prayer can pass through.”
45 “You have made us scum and garbage
among the peoples.”
46 “All our enemies open their mouths against us;”
47 “Panic and pitfall have come upon us,
devastation and destruction;”
48 my eyes flow with rivers of tears
because of the destruction of the daughter of my people.
49 “My eyes will flow without ceasing, without respite,”
50 till the Lord looks down and sees from heaven.
51 My eyes cause me grief at the fate of all the daughters of my city.
52 “They chased me like a bird, those who were my enemies without cause;
53 They flung me alive into the pit and cast stones on me;
54 water closed over my head; I said, ‘I am lost.’
55 “I called on your name, O Lord, from the depths of the pit;”
56 You have heard their taunts, O Lord, all their plots against me.
57 You came near when I called on you; you said, ‘Do not fear!’
58 “You have taken up my cause, O Lord; you have redeemed my life.”
59 You have seen the wrong done to me, O Lord; judge my cause.
60 You have seen all their vengeance, all their plots against me.
61 “You have heard their taunts, O Lord,
all their plots against me.”
62 the lips of my assailants and their whispering against me all the day.
63 Behold their sitting and their rising; I am the object of their taunts.
64 You will repay them, O Lord, according to the work of their hands.
65 You will give them dullness of heart; your curse will be on them.
66 You will pursue them in anger and destroy them from under your heavens, O Lord.
Lamentations 4:1-22: 1 How the gold has grown dim, how the pure gold is changed!
2 The precious sons of Zion, worth their weight in fine gold, how they are regarded as earthen pots, the work of a potter’s hands!
3 Even jackals offer the breast; they nurse their young, but the daughter of my people has become cruel, like the ostriches in the wilderness.
4 The tongue of the nursing infant sticks to the roof of its mouth for thirst; the children beg for food, but no one gives to them.
5 Those who once feasted on delicacies perish in the streets; those who were brought up in purple embrace ash heaps.
6 For the chastisement of the daughter of my people has been greater than the punishment of Sodom, which was overthrown in a moment, and no hands were wrung for her.
7 Her princes were purer than snow,
whiter than milk;
their bodies were more ruddy than coral,
the beauty of their form was like sapphire.
8 Now their face is blacker than soot;
they are not recognized in the streets;
their skin has shriveled on their bones;
it has become as dry as wood.
9 Happier were the victims of the sword than the victims of hunger, who wasted away, pierced by lack of the fruits of the field.
10 The hands of compassionate women have boiled their own children; they became their food during the destruction of the daughter of my people.
11 The Lord gave full vent to his wrath; he poured out his hot anger, and he kindled a fire in Zion that consumed its foundations.
12 The kings of the earth did not believe, nor any of the inhabitants of the world, that foe or enemy could enter the gates of Jerusalem.
13 This was for the sins of her prophets and the iniquities of her priests, who shed in the midst of her the blood of the righteous.
14 They wandered, blind, through the streets; they were so defiled with blood that no one was able to touch their garments.
15 “Away! Unclean!” people cried at them. “Away! Away! Do not touch!” So they became fugitives and wanderers; people said among the nations, “They shall stay with us no longer.”
16 The Lord himself has scattered them;
he will regard them no more;
no honor was shown to the priests,
no favor to the elders.
17 Our eyes failed, ever watching vainly for help; in our watching we watched for a nation that could not save.
18 They dogged our steps
so that we could not walk in our streets;
our end drew near; our days were numbered,
for our end had come.
19 Our pursuers were swifter than the eagles in the heavens; they chased us on the mountains; they lay in wait for us in the wilderness.
20 The breath of our nostrils, the Lord’s anointed, was captured in their pits, of whom we said, “Under his shadow we shall live among the nations.”
21 Rejoice and be glad, O daughter of Edom,
you who dwell in the land of Uz;
but to you also the cup shall pass;
you shall become drunk and strip yourself bare.
22 The punishment of your iniquity, O daughter of Zion, is accomplished; he will keep you in exile no longer; but your iniquity, O daughter of Edom, he will punish; he will uncover your sins.
Lamentations 5:1-22: 1 Remember, O Lord, what has befallen us;
look, and see our disgrace!
2 Our inheritance has been turned over to strangers,
our homes to foreigners.
3 We have become orphans, fatherless;
our mothers are like widows.
4 We must pay for the water we drink; the wood we get must be bought.
5 Our pursuers are at our necks;
we are weary; we are given no rest.
6 We have given the hand to Egypt, and to Assyria, to get bread enough.
7 Our fathers sinned, and are no more; and we bear their iniquities.
8 Slaves rule over us; there is none to deliver us from their hand.
9 We get our bread at the peril of our lives, because of the sword in the wilderness.
10 Our skin is hot as an oven with the burning heat of famine.
11 Women are raped in Zion,
young women in the towns of Judah.
12 Princes are hung up by their hands; no respect is shown to the elders.
13 Young men are compelled to grind at the mill,
and boys stagger under loads of wood.
14 The old men have left the city gate,
the young men their music.
15 The joy of our hearts has ceased; our dancing has been turned to mourning.
16 The crown has fallen from our head; woe to us, for we have sinned!
17 For this our heart has become sick,
for these things our eyes have grown dim,
18 for Mount Zion which lies desolate; jackals prowl over it.
19 But you, O Lord, reign forever;
your throne endures to all generations.
20 Why do you forget us forever, why do you forsake us for so many days?
21 Restore us to yourself, O Lord, that we may be restored! Renew our days as of old—
22 Restore us to yourself, O Lord, that we may be restored! Renew our days as of old.
Ezekiel 27:1-36: 27 The word of the Lord came to me:
2 “Now you, son of man, raise a lamentation over Tyre,”
3 and say to Tyre, who dwells at the entrances to the sea, merchant of the peoples to many coastlands, thus says the Lord God: “O Tyre, you have said, ‘I am perfect in beauty.’
4 Your borders are in the heart of the seas; your builders have perfected your beauty.
5 They made all your planks of fir trees from Senir; they took a cedar from Lebanon to make a mast for you.
6 Of oaks of Bashan
they made your oars;
they made your deck of pines
from the coasts of Cyprus,
inlaid with ivory.
7 Your sail was of fine embroidered linen from Egypt so that it became your own sail.
8 The inhabitants of Sidon and Arvad were your rowers; your skilled men, O Tyre, were in you; they were your pilots.
9 The elders of Gebal and its skilled men were in you, caulking your seams; all the ships of the sea with their mariners were in you to barter for your wares.
10 “Persia and Lud and Put were in your army as your men of war. They hung the shield and helmet in you; they gave you splendor.”
11 The men of Arvad and Helech were on your walls all around, and men of Gamad were in your towers. They hung their shields on your walls all around; they have made perfect your beauty.
12 “Tarshish did business with you because of your great wealth of every kind; silver, iron, tin, and lead they exchanged for your wares.
13 Javan, Tubal, and Meshech traded with you. They exchanged human beings and vessels of bronze for your merchandise.
14 “Beth-togarmah exchanged for your wares horses, war horses, and mules.
15 The men of Dedan traded with you. Many coastlands were your own special markets; they brought you in payment ivory tusks and ebony.
16 Syria did business with you because of the abundance of your goods; they exchanged for your wares emeralds, purple, embroidered work, fine linen, coral, and ruby.
17 Judah and the land of Israel traded with you; they exchanged for your merchandise wheat, olives, honey, and oil.
18 Damascus was your merchant in the multitude of the goods of your making, for the abundance of all wealth, in wine of Helbon and wool of Sahar.
19 Vedan and Javan traded with yarn for your wares; wrought iron, cassia, and calamus were bartered for your merchandise.
20 Dedan traded with you in saddlecloths for riding.
21 Arabia and all the princes of Kedar were your favored dealers in lambs, rams, and goats; in these they did business with you.
22 The traders of Sheba and Raamah traded with you; they exchanged for your wares the best of all kinds of spices and all precious stones and gold.
23 Haran, Canneh, Eden, traders of Sheba, Asshur, and Chilmad traded with you.
24 “In your marketplace they traded with you beautiful garments, blue fabric, embroidered work, and fine carpets of colored material, bound with cords and made secure.
25 The ships of Tarshish traveled for you with your merchandise. So you were filled and heavily laden in the heart of the seas.
26 “Your rowers have brought you out into the high seas. The east wind has wrecked you in the heart of the seas.”
27 Your riches, your wares, your merchandise, your mariners and your pilots, your caulkers, your dealers in merchandise, and all your men of war who are in you, with all your crew that is in your midst, sink into the heart of the seas on the day of your fall.
28 At the sound of the cry of your pilots the countryside shakes,
29 and down from their ships come all who handle the oar. The sailors and all the pilots of the sea stand on the land
30 and shout aloud over you and cry out bitterly. They cast dust on their heads and wallow in ashes;
31 they make themselves bald for you
and put sackcloth on their waist,
and they weep over you in bitterness of soul,
with bitter mourning.
32 And in their wailing they raise a lamentation for you
and lament over you:
‘Who is like Tyre,
like one destroyed in the midst of the sea?
33 When your wares went out on the seas, you satisfied many peoples; with your abundant wealth and merchandise you enriched the kings of the earth.
34 Now you are wrecked by the seas, in the depths of the waters; your merchandise and all your crew in your midst have sunk with you.
35 All the inhabitants of the coastlands
are appalled at you,
and the hair of their kings bristles with horror;
their faces are convulsed.
36 The merchants among the peoples hiss at you; you have come to a dreadful end and shall be no more forever.
Ezekiel 32:1-16: 1 In the twelfth year, in the twelfth month, on the first day of the month, the word of the Lord came to me:
2 “Son of man, raise a lamentation over Pharaoh king of Egypt and say to him: “You consider yourself a lion of the nations, but you are like a dragon in the seas; you burst forth in your rivers, trouble the waters with your feet, and foul their rivers.”
3 Thus says the Lord God: I will throw my net over you with a host of many peoples, and they will haul you up in my dragnet.
4 I will cast you on the ground; I will fling you on the open field.
5 I will strew your flesh upon the mountains and fill the valleys with your carcass.
6 I will drench the land even to the mountains with your flowing blood, and the ravines will be full of you.
7 When I blot you out, I will cover the heavens and make their stars dark; I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon shall not give its light.
8 All the bright lights of heaven will I make dark over you, and put darkness on your land, declares the Lord God.
9 “Then the land will be desolate, and its fullness, because of all these nations who are at the head of it.”
10 I will make many peoples appalled at you, and their kings shall shudder because of you, when I brandish my sword before them. They shall tremble every moment, every one for his own life, on the day of your downfall.
11 For thus says the Lord God: The sword of the king of Babylon shall come upon you.
12 By the swords of the mighty warriors, all of them the most terrifying of the nations, they will bring to an end the pride of Egypt, and all its multitude will perish.
13 And I will destroy all its beasts from beside many waters; and no foot of man shall trouble them anymore, nor shall the hoofs of beasts trouble them.
14 Then I will make their waters clear, and cause their rivers to run like oil, declares the Lord God.
15 When I make the land of Egypt desolate,
and when the land is desolate of all that fills it,
when I strike down all who dwell in it,
then they will know that I am the Lord.
16 This is the lamentation that shall be chanted; the daughters of the nations shall chant it; over Egypt, and over all her multitude, shall they chant it, declares the Lord God.”
Joel 1:8-13: 8 Lament like a virgin wearing sackcloth for the bridegroom of her youth.
9 The grain offering and the drink offering are cut off from the house of the Lord. The priests mourn, the ministers of the Lord.
10 The fields are destroyed, the ground mourns, because the grain is destroyed, the wine dries up, the oil languishes.
11 Be ashamed, O tillers of the soil; wail, O vinedressers, for the wheat and the barley, because the harvest of the field has perished.
12 The vine dries up; the fig tree languishes. The pomegranate, palm, and apple, all the trees of the field are dried up, and gladness dries up from the children of man.
13 Put on sackcloth and lament, O priests; wail, O ministers of the altar. Go in, pass the night in sackcloth, O ministers of my God! Because grain offering and drink offering are withheld from the house of your God.
Amos 5:1-3: 1 Hear this word that I take up over you in lamentation, O house of Israel:
2 “Fallen, no more to rise, is the virgin Israel; forsaken on her land, with none to raise her up.”
3 For thus says the Lord God: “The city that went out a thousand shall have a hundred left, and that which went out a hundred shall have ten left to the house of Israel.”
Zechariah 12:10-14: 10 “And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and pleas for mercy, so that, when they look on me, on him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly over him, as one weeps over a firstborn.”
11 On that day the mourning in Jerusalem will be as great as the mourning for Hadad-rimmon in the plain of Megiddo.
12 The land shall mourn, each family by itself: the family of the house of David by itself, and their wives by themselves; the family of the house of Nathan by itself, and their wives by themselves;
13 “On that day there shall be a great mourning in Jerusalem, like the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the plain of Megiddo.”
14 The families of the house of David separate themselves, and their wives separate themselves; the family of the house of Nathan separate themselves, and their wives separate themselves;
Matthew 2:16-18: 16 Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, became furious, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had ascertained from the wise men.
17 Then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah:
18 “A voice was heard in Ramah,
weeping and loud lamentation,
Rachel weeping for her children;
she refused to be comforted,
because they are no more.”
Luke 23:27-31: 27 And there followed him a great multitude of the people and of women who were mourning and lamenting for him.
28 But turning to them Jesus said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children.
29 For behold, the days are coming when they will say, ‘Blessed are the barren and the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!’
30 Then they will begin to say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us,’ and to the hills, ‘Cover us.’
23 And when they came to the place that is called The Skull, there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on his right and one on his left.
Reverend Ogunlade is a seasoned Church Minister with over three decades of experience in guiding and nurturing congregations. With profound wisdom and a serene approach, Reverend Ogunlade has carried out various pastoral duties, including delivering uplifting sermons, conducting religious ceremonies, and offering sage counsel to individuals seeking spiritual guidance. Their commitment to fostering harmony and righteousness within their community is exemplified through their compassionate nature, making them a beloved and trusted figure among the congregation.