Lamentations 1:19 (ASV)

Passage

I called for my lovers, [but] they deceived me: My priests and mine elders gave up the ghost in the city, While they sought them food to refresh their souls.

Nearby Context

Lamentations 1:17 Zion spreadeth forth her hands; there is none to comfort her; Jehovah hath commanded concerning Jacob, that they that are round about him should be his adversaries: Jerusalem is among them as an unclean thing.

Lamentations 1:18 Jehovah is righteous; for I have rebelled against his commandment: Hear, I pray you, all ye peoples, and behold my sorrow: My virgins and my young men are gone into captivity.

Lamentations 1:19 I called for my lovers, [but] they deceived me: My priests and mine elders gave up the ghost in the city, While they sought them food to refresh their souls.

Lamentations 1:20 Behold, O Jehovah; for I am in distress; my heart is troubled; My heart is turned within me; for I have grievously rebelled: Abroad the sword bereaveth, at home there is as death.

Lamentations 1:21 They have heard that I sigh; there is none to comfort me; All mine enemies have heard of my trouble; they are glad that thou hast done it: Thou wilt bring the day that thou hast proclaimed, and they shall be like unto me.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "called", "lovers", "deceived", "priests", "mine", "elders", "gave", and "ghost". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "called" and "lovers", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 18's "Jehovah is righteous for I have rebelled..." into verse 20's "Behold O Jehovah for I am in...", so "called" and "lovers" belong inside that flow. In Lamentations context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "called" and "lovers" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.