Kaph
“All her people groan.
They search for bread.
They trade
Their treasures
For food
To revive
Their strength.
‘Look!
Yahweh!
See!
How worthless
I have become!’”
Once again, we have the shift from a third person description about Jerusalem to a first person singular Jerusalem itself praying directly to Yahweh, the God of Israel. All the people were groaning due to the lack of bread or nourishment. They were trading their treasures for food, which makes sense. They wanted to revive their strength. This verse ends with the first person singular plea to Yahweh. Jerusalem laments how worthless she has become. This verse starts with the Hebrew consonant letter Kaph. Each verse after this will use the next letter of the Hebrew alphabet in this acrostic poem.
Eugene Finnegan Bible Project 