Lamentations 1
1 How lonely lies the city, once so full of people! She who was great among the nations has become a widow. The princess of the provinces has become a slave.
Jerusalem was [once] full of people, but now it is deserted. [Once] it was honored by people all over the world, but now it is [grieving/abandoned] like [SIM] a widow. [Once] it was [honored like] [MET] a princess [is honored] among the nations, but now [we who live here] have become slaves.
2 She weeps aloud in the night, with tears upon her cheeks. Among all her lovers there is no one to comfort her. All her friends have betrayed her; they have become her enemies.
We [PRS] weep bitterly [all] night long, with tears flowing down our cheeks. Among [the people in] all [the nations] that loved Jerusalem there are none that comfort us [now]. All [the rulers of those nations that were previously] our allies have betrayed us, and they are all now enemies [of the people of Jerusalem].
3 Judah has gone into exile under affliction and harsh slavery; she dwells among the nations but finds no place to rest. All her pursuers have overtaken her in the midst of her distress.
[The people of] Judah have been (exiled/forced to go to other countries) and caused to suffer greatly as slaves. They live in [other] nations where they do not have peace/safety. Their enemies seized them, and there was no way for them to escape.
4 The roads to Zion mourn, because no one comes to her appointed feasts. All her gates are deserted; her priests groan, her maidens grieve, and she herself is bitter with anguish.
The roads to Zion [Hill] are empty [PRS] because no one comes [here] to [celebrate] the sacred festivals. The city gates are deserted, and the priests groan. The young women [of Jerusalem] cry [because] they are suffering greatly.
5 Her foes have become her masters; her enemies are at ease. For the LORD has brought her grief because of her many transgressions. Her children have gone away as captives before the enemy.
Our enemies have conquered the city, and [now] they prosper. Yahweh has punished [the people of] Jerusalem because of all the sins that they have committed. The children [of Jerusalem] have been captured and taken [to other countries].
6 All the splendor has departed from the Daughter of Zion. Her princes are like deer that find no pasture; they lack the strength to flee in the face of the hunter.
Jerusalem was a beautiful city, but it is not beautiful now. The leaders [of the city] are like [SIM] deer that are starving because of being unable to find any grass [to eat]. They are very weak, with the result that they are unable to run from their enemies.
7 In the days of her affliction and wandering Jerusalem remembers all the treasures that were hers in days of old. When her people fell into enemy hands she received no help. Her enemies looked upon her, laughing at her downfall.
[The people of] Jerusalem are sad and scattered, and they think about the previous greatness of the city. [But now] our enemies have captured the city, and there is no one to help the people. Our enemies destroyed the city and laughed while they were doing that.
8 Jerusalem has sinned greatly; therefore she has become an object of scorn. All who honored her now despise her, for they have seen her nakedness; she herself groans and turns away.
[The people of] [PRS] Jerusalem have sinned very much; [it is as though] [MET] the city has become [like] a filthy [rag]. All those who [previously] honored the city [now] despise it, because they see that it has become very disgraced [MET]. Now [the people of] the city groan, and they cover their faces [because they are very ashamed].
9 Her uncleanness stains her skirts; she did not consider her end. Her downfall was astounding; there was no one to comfort her. Look, O LORD, on my affliction, for the enemy has triumphed!
The city has become filthy because of [PRS] the sins that the people have committed; they did not think about what could happen to the city. [Now] the city has been destroyed, and there is no one to comfort [the people]. [The people cry out saying], “Yahweh, look at how we are suffering because our enemies have defeated us!”
10 The adversary has seized all her treasures. For she has seen the nations enter her sanctuary— those You had forbidden to enter Your assembly.
Our enemies have taken away all our treasures, all the valuable things that we owned. We have seen [soldiers from other] nations, [men who do not worship Yahweh], enter our sacred temple, [the place] where foreigners/non-Israelis were (forbidden/not allowed) to enter.
11 All her people groan as they search for bread. They have traded their treasures for food to keep themselves alive. Look, O LORD, and consider, for I have become despised.
The people of the city groan while they search for food; they have given their treasures to get food [to eat] to remain alive. [They say], “Yahweh, look [at us], and see that we are despised!”
12 Is this nothing to you, all you who pass by? Look around and see! Is there any sorrow like mine, which was inflicted on me, which the LORD made me suffer on the day of His fierce anger?
You people who pass by, you do not [RHQ] seem to care at all [about what has happened to us]. Look around and see that there are no other [RHQ] people who are suffering like we are. Yahweh has caused us to suffer because he was extremely angry [with us].
13 He sent fire from on high, and it overpowered my bones. He spread a net for my feet and turned me back. He made me desolate, faint all the day long.
[It is as though] he sent a fire from heaven [MTY] that burned in our bones; [it is as though] [MET] he has placed a trap for our feet, and has prevented us from walking any further. He has abandoned us; we are weak/miserable [every day], all day long.
14 My transgressions are bound into a yoke, knit together by His hand; they are draped over my neck, and the Lord has broken my strength. He has delivered me into the hands of those I cannot withstand.
He caused the sins that we have committed to be [like] a heavy load for us to carry; [it is as though] [MET] he tied them around our necks. Previously we were strong, but he has caused us to become weak. He has allowed our enemies to capture us, and we were not able to do anything to resist them.
15 The Lord has rejected all the mighty men in my midst; He has summoned an army against me to crush my young warriors. Like grapes in a winepress, the Lord has trampled the Virgin Daughter of Judah.
Yahweh looked at our mighty soldiers and laughed at them. He has summoned a great army to [come and] crush our young soldiers. [It is as though] [MET] Yahweh has trampled on [us] people of Judah like [SIM] [people trample] on grapes in a pit [to make wine].
16 For these things I weep; my eyes flow with tears. For there is no one nearby to comfort me, no one to revive my soul. My children are destitute because the enemy has prevailed.
I weep because of [all] those things; my eyes are filled with tears. There is no one to comfort me; those who could encourage me are far away. Our enemies have conquered [us], so our children have nothing good to (hope for/expect to happen).
17 Zion stretches out her hands, but there is no one to comfort her. The LORD has decreed against Jacob that his neighbors become his foes. Jerusalem has become an unclean thing among them.
[We people of] [PRS] Jerusalem reach out our hands [to get help], but there is no one to comfort us. Yahweh has decided concerning [us descendants of] Jacob that the people in nearby nations will become our enemies; so they consider that Jerusalem has become [like] [MET] a filthy rag.
18 The LORD is righteous, for I have rebelled against His command. Listen, all you people; look upon my suffering. My young men and maidens have gone into captivity.
But what Yahweh has done [to us] is fair, because we have rebelled against obeying the commands that he gave [us]. You people everywhere, listen [to us]; [look and] see that we are suffering [greatly]. We had [many] sons and daughters, but they have been captured and forced to go to distant countries.
19 I called out to my lovers, but they have betrayed me. My priests and elders perished in the city while they searched for food to keep themselves alive.
We pleaded with our allies [to help us], but they [all] refused. Our priests and our leaders have died [from hunger] in the city while they were searching for food [to eat] to remain alive.
20 See, O LORD, how distressed I am! I am churning within; my heart is pounding within me, for I have been most rebellious. Outside, the sword bereaves; inside, there is death.
Yahweh, see that we are suffering very much. [It is as though] our inner beings are tormented. We are sad [SYN] because we have rebelled [against you]. Our enemies kill people in the streets with their swords; people are dying [because they have no food to eat].
21 People have heard my groaning, but there is no one to comfort me. All my enemies have heard of my trouble; they are glad that You have caused it. May You bring the day You have announced, so that they may become like me.
People have heard us while we groaned, but no one [came to] comfort us. [Yahweh, ] you caused us to experience this [disaster], and our enemies are happy to see what you have done [to us]. But cause it soon to be the time that you have promised, when our enemies will suffer like we have suffered!
22 Let all their wickedness come before You, and deal with them as You have dealt with me because of all my transgressions. For my groans are many, and my heart is faint.
[Yahweh, ] see all the evil things that they have done and punish them! [Punish them] like you have punished us for all the sins that we committed! [We say this to you] because we suffer and groan very much, and we (faint/are very sad).
