Klagesangene 1
1 Hvor sidder hun ene, den By, saa folkerig før — mægtig blandt Folkene før, men nu som en Enke! Fyrstinden blandt Lande er nu sat til at trælle.
How desolate sits the city of Jerusalem, once filled with people! She has become like a widow, she who was once great among the nations. The queen of all the world has become a slave-laborer.
2 Hun græder og græder om Natten med Taarer paa Kind; ingen af alle hendes Elskere bringer hende Trøst, alle Vennerne sveg og blev hendes Fjender.
She cries bitterly through the night, tears rolling down her cheeks. Despite all her many lovers, no one comes to comfort her. Betrayed by all her friends, they are now her enemies.
3 Af Trang og tyngende Trældom udvandred Juda; blandt Folkene sidder hun nu og finder ej Ro, alle Forfølgerne naaede hende midt i Trængslerne.
Judah has been dragged off into captivity, suffering miserably under brutal slavery; she lives among the nations but has no place of her own where she can rest. Those chasing her have brought her down and she cannot escape.
4 Vejene til Zion sørger, uden Højtidsgæster, alle hendes Porte er øde, Præsterne sukker, hendes Jomfruer knuges af Kvide, hun selv er i Vaande.
Even the roads to Zion are in mourning because no one travels on them to go to the religious festivals. All her gates are empty. Her priests groan in sadness. Her girls are suffering. She herself is in bitter distress.
5 Hendes Avindsmænd er Herrer, hendes Fjender trygge, thi Kvide fik hun af HERREN for Mængden af Synder, hendes Børn drog bort som Fanger for Fjendens Aasyn.
Those who hated her now control her; her enemies enjoy life, because the Lord has made her suffer due to all her sins of rebellion. Her children have been taken away as prisoners of the enemy.
6 Og bort fra Zions Datter drog al hendes Pragt; som Hjorte, der ej finder Græsning, blev hendes Fyrster, de vandrede kraftløse bort for Forfølgernes Aasyn.
All the glory has left the Daughter of Zion. Her leaders are like deer that can't find any grass to eat. They don't even have the strength to run away when the hunter comes after them!
7 Jerusalem mindes den Tid, hun blev arm og husvild, (alle sine kostelige Ting fra fordums Dage), i Fjendehaand faldt hendes Folk, og ingen hjalp, Fjender saa til og lo, fordi hun gik under.
As she wanders around in her misery, Jerusalem thinks back to all the wonderful things she once had in the old days. When her enemies conquered her people, she didn't receive any help. Her enemies gloated over her, and laughed at her downfall.
8 Jerusalem syndede svart, blev derfor til Afsky; hun foragtes af alle sine Beundrere, de saa hendes Blusel, derfor sukker hun dybt og vender sig bort.
Jerusalem sinned terribly which is why she is now treated as someone unclean. Everyone who used to honor her now despise her, because they've seen her naked and ashamed. She herself groans as she turns away.
9 Hendes Urenhed pletter hendes Slæb, hun betænkte ej Enden; hun sank forfærdende dybt, og ingen trøster. Se min Elendighed, HERRE, thi Fjenden hoverer.
Her uncleanness contaminates her skirts. She didn't think about what would happen. Her fall was a shock, and no one was there to comfort her. “Please, Lord, see how much I'm suffering, because the enemy has won!” she says.
10 Avindsmænd bredte deres Haand over alle hendes Skatte, ja, ind i sin Helligdom saa hun Hedninger komme, hvem du havde nægtet Adgang til din Forsamling.
The invader has stolen all her treasures. She even had to watch as heathen nations went into her sanctuary, people you had forbidden to enter.
11 Alt hendes Folk maatte sukke, søgende Brød; de gav deres Skatte for Mad for at friste Livet. HERRE, se til og giv Agt paa, hvorledes jeg haanes!
All her people groan, looking for bread. They have spent what they value the most to buy food so they can stay alive. “Please, Lord, look and see what's happening to me,” she says. “It's as if I'm worthless!
12 Alle, som vandrer forbi, giv Agt og se, om det gives en Smerte som den, der er tilføjet mig, hvem HERREN voldte Harm paa sin glødende Vredes Dag.
Don't you care anything about it, all you people passing by? Take a look and see! Is there any suffering as bad as mine, punished by the Lord when he became angry?
13 Fra det høje sendte han Ild, der for ned i mine Ben; han spændte et Net for min Fod, han drev mig tilbage, han gjorde mig øde, syg baade Dag og Nat.
He sent down fire from heaven that destroyed my bones. He spread out a net to catch my feet, tripping me over. He abandoned me, leaving me sick all day long.
14 Der vogtedes paa mine Synder, i hans Haand blev de flettet, de kom som et Aag om min Hals, han brød min Kraft; Herren gav mig dem i Vold, som er mig for stærke.
He took my rebellious sins and twisted them together into a yoke that he tied to my neck. He took away all my strength, and handed me over defenseless to my enemies.
15 Herren forkasted de vældige udi min Midte, han indbød til Fest paa mig for at knuse mine unge, traadte Persen til Dom over Jomfruen, Judas Datter.
The Lord brushed aside all my strong soldiers defending me. He called up an army to attack me, to crush my young men. The Lord has trampled down the virgin Daughter of Judah like grapes in a winepress.
16 Derover græder mit Øje, det strømmer med Taarer, thi langt har jeg til en Trøster, som kvæger min Sjæl; mine Børn er fortabt, thi Fjenden er blevet for stærk.
This is why I'm weeping, tears flowing from my eyes, because there's is no one here to comfort me, no one to make me feel better. There's nothing left for my children because the enemy has conquered us.”
17 Zion udrækker Hænderne, ingen trøster; mod Jakob opbød HERREN hans Fjender omkring ham; imellem dem er Jerusalem blevet til Afsky.
Zion holds out her hands in distress, but there's no one to comfort her. The Lord issued orders against Jacob, and his neighbors became his enemies. Jerusalem is to them something disgusting.
18 HERREN, han er retfærdig, jeg modstod hans Mund. Hør dog, alle I Folkeslag, se min Smerte! Mine Jomfruer og unge Mænd drog bort som Fanger.
“The Lord has done what's right, because I rebelled against his instructions. Listen, everyone everywhere; look at what I'm suffering. My young women and young men have been taken off into captivity.
19 Mine Elskere kaldte jeg ad — de svigtede mig; mine Præster og Ældste opgav Aanden i Byen, thi Føde søgte de efter, men intet fandt de.
I called out for help to my lovers, but they betrayed me. My priests and elders starved to death in the city as they tried to find food to keep themselves alive.
20 Se, HERRE, hvor jeg er i Vaande, mit Indre i Glød, mit Hjerte er knust i mit Bryst, thi jeg var genstridig; ude mejede Sværdet og inde Døden.
Can't you see, Lord, how upset I am? inside I am in turmoil; my heart is breaking because I've been so rebellious. Outside, the sword kills those I love; inside, it's like I'm living in the house of death.
21 Hør, hvor jeg sukker, ingen bringer mig Trøst. De hørte min Ulykke, glæded sig, da du greb ind. Lad komme den Dag, du loved, dem gaa det som mig!
People hear me groaning, but no one comes to comfort me. All my enemies have heard about the bad things that have happened to me, and they're delighted that it was you who did it. Please bring about the day of judgment that you promised so they can end up like me.
22 Læg al deres Ondskab for dig og gør med dem, som du gjorde med mig til Straf for al min Synd! Thi mange er mine Suk, mit Hjerte er sygt.
May you see all the evil things they've done! Treat them the same way as you've treated me as a result of all my rebellious sins, for I'm groaning all the time, and I'm sick at heart.”
