Lamentations

Lamentations is a short, sorrowful book consisting of five funeral poems, or laments, traditionally attributed to the prophet Jeremiah. Written shortly after the devastating siege and destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians in 586 BC, the poems express the raw grief, horror, and profound sorrow of the survivors. The author mourns the destruction of the Temple, the collapse of the kingdom, the death of children, and the terrible suffering of the people. While filled with deep anguish and a recognition that the judgment was deserved because of the nation's sin, the book contains a powerful turning point in the middle, remembering God’s enduring love, compassion, and great faithfulness, offering a faint but real hope amidst the ruins.