Chapter 1

1:8-10 - Jerusalem is compared to a naked woman who sighs and turns backward. "Her filthiness is in her skirts."

* There is very little (if any) comparison here.  Verse 8 is extremely straightforward and so are the other two verses.  Lamentations 1:8 reads, "Jerusalem has sinned gravely.  Therefore, she has become vile.  All who honored her despise her because they have seen her nakedness.  Yes, she sighs and turns away."

* Even if the Israelites who rejected God were compared to a prostitute, why would this matter?  There are many similarities between God's chosen people and their sinful desire to chase other gods.  In a sense, this is like prostitution.

* Not liking or appreciating the biblical metaphors isn't a contradiction and it really doesn't need an explanation.

1:10 - The adversary puts his hand upon "all her pleasant things."

* There is no contradiction here.  This is another case of someone disliking the chosen metaphor.

1:15-16 - God tramples "as in a winepress" mighty men, young men, and virgins.

* This verse is describing God's judgment.  Judah was a tribe and son of Israel (Jacob).  They were to remain pure and devoted to God.  This is why they are compared to a virgin.  They were not remaining true to Him, so they were going to face His judgment.

1:17 - "Jerusalem is as a menstrous woman." To God this is an insult.

* Menstruation is when a woman bleeds.  Therefore, the wicked Israelites are being compared to this unclean event.

1:21-22 - How should we treat our enemies?

* This passage doesn't give any command from God to treat enemies good, bad, or otherwise.

* This passage of scripture, written by Jeremiah (the author of Lamentations), is simply stating his feelings about his enemies and such.  It is entirely possible for a human to make a statement (and even have it recorded in the Bible) that doesn't line up with God's will.  The same thing is true for David's words in the Psalms.

* In 2 Corinthians 16:22, Paul is referring to people who hated Jesus.  He said they should be "Anathema" or "accursed."  This isn't saying that people should hate them or do evil to them.  This is an issue of fellowship and truth.

Chapter 2

2:2-12 - With one small phrase, the writer sums up how the Biblical God often acts: "The LORD was as an enemy." He goes on about how God has punished everyone without pity, including allowing Israel's enemies to defeat them, destroying palaces, homes, temples and more, causing mourning and exile. Then, a tear-jerking passage on the starvation of children.

* This passage talks about God's wrath.  God did what He said He would do.

2:9 - Apparently, the destruction wrought by God was so bad, "the law is no more." But what about those other verses that say the law is "forever" and so on? And, the prophets are no longer hearing from God? Is that a permanent thing or what?

* This passage is a specific statement from Jeremiah about a certain situation where God judged the people for their sins.  It should not be taken any other way.

2:14 - Prophets have vain and foolish visions.

* These particular, sinful prophets have had vain and foolish visions.  This correlates with several other passages of scripture (like the ones where the lying spirit asked God if he could deceive the prophets, the sinful prophets that received false visions, etc.).

2:15-19 - "The LORD hath done that which he had devised" and he did it without pity. That explains the murder, slavery, oppression, grief, destruction Jerusalem has suffered. Then, in verse 19, the writer urges his followers to beg God for the sake of their children. So much for being the "chosen people."

* This passage speaks of God's judgment.  After these people constantly ignored His laws and warnings, He did not pity the wicked ones that He judged.

2:20-22 - God gets angry and mercilessly torments and kills everyone, young and old. He even causes women to eat their children.

* The woman never ate their offspring.  Jeremiah poses a rhetorical question: "Should the mothers eat their offspring?"  Jeremiah was witnessing the pain and suffering from God's judgment.

Chapter 3

3:8 - Does God listen to and answer prayers?

* This passage is consistent with numerous other scriptures.  Sin that is not confessed hinders one's prayers.  When a person is doing God's will, they are righteous.  When they are righteous, they pray for the right things and see answers to their prayers.

* The only times in the Bible when God cannot be found is when people are sinning and wicked.

3:10-11 - God is like a bear or a lion who secretly pursues you and then tears you apart.

* Since this statement was made from a living person: "He has turned aside my ways and torn me in pieces," it is obviously metaphorical.  Jeremiah is speaking of God's judgment.

3:33 - This verse says that God does not "afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of men." Yet he often instructs his followers to mercilessly slaughter innocent people -- and even more often, he does so himself.

* This verse is simply stating that God judges sin.  He doesn't afflict or grieve people that are righteous.  It is not His will to punish the ones that do not need to be punished.  

* God would prefer that His people obeyed Him and did not earn punishment.  It is God's will that people obey Him and live an abundant life.  However, when people transgress His laws and begin hurting themselves and others, God's wrath and judgment are eventually given to the wicked.

3:38 - "Out of the mouth of the Most High proceedeth not good and evil?" Mostly evil, I'd say -- at least if you believe the Bible.

* God consistently tells people to obey Him and what He expects - basically that they love Him and others.  God's message is not confused or mixed.  When people knowingly and consistently reject Him, they eventually earn His judgment and wrath.  It's a rather simple and logical equation.

3:43-48 - God is covered with anger, slaying people without pity.

* This is describing God's judgment.

3:44 - Does God listen to and answer prayers?

* This passage is consistent with numerous other scriptures.  Sin that is not confessed hinders one's prayers.  When a person is doing God's will, they are righteous.  When they are righteous, they pray for the right things and see answers to their prayers.

* The only times in the Bible when God cannot be found is when people are sinning and wicked.

3:64-66 - How should we treat our enemies?

* This passage doesn't give any command from God to treat enemies good, bad, or otherwise.

* This passage of scripture, written by Jeremiah (the author of Lamentations), is simply stating his feelings about his enemies and such.  It is entirely possible for a human to make a statement (and even have it recorded in the Bible) that doesn't line up with God's will.  The same thing is true for David's words in the Psalms.

Chapter 4

4:10-11 - Once more the good God "accomplishes his fury" by making women eat their children. Praise God.

* God never made any women eat their children.  This is likely a metaphor about the judgment of God and how the people reacted.  Even if the sinful women literally ate their children, this wouldn't be a command or a desire from God.  These people earned judgment and God gave it to them.  Eating people is clearly forbidden.  Nonetheless, Jeremiah is simply recording the events that ensued; and he often used metaphors.

4:13 - Has there ever been a just person?

* Yes. There have been some just people.  The apparent confusion lies only in Ecclesiastes 7:20.  However, the writer is stating that there are no perfect people.  In his new "circle of friends," there surely weren't any godly people (and definitely nobody perfect).

4:21 - When God gets angry at you he calls you a drunken whore.

* The word "whore" is never used in this passage.  However, the word "naked" is used to describe the people who reject God and get drunk.

* According to verse 22, God uncovers their iniquities (sins).  Therefore, the word "naked," in verse 21, is surely metaphorical.  It may have a literal meaning too, though.

* The word "drunk" is often used in a metaphorical way.  Getting drunk, in this context, embodies paganism and foolishness.  God's people are to be sober and covered by His Son, Jesus Christ.