The Book of Lamentations is a collection of poetic laments for the destruction of Jerusalem in 586 BCE. It contains five poems from an anonymous author who survived and is now reflecting back on the tragedy. The authorship of the book is traditionally ascribed to the prophet Jeremiah, and both Jewish and Christian tradition support this view. The book is a lament for what occurred to Judah and Jerusalem, and it pictures a man of God puzzling over the results of evil and suffering in the world. The book is divided into five chapters, and each chapter represents a separate poem. In the original Hebrew, the verses are acrostic, each verse starting with a succeeding letter of the Hebrew alphabet. The book is a reminder of the importance of mourning over our sin and asking the Lord for His forgiveness when we fail Him.