Lamentations 1
1 And it came to pass, after Israel was taken captive, and Jerusalem made desolate, [that] Jeremias sat weeping, and lamented [with] this lamentation over Jerusalem, and said, ALEPH. How does the city that was filled with people sit solitary! she is become as a widow: she that was magnified among the nations, [and] princess among the provinces, has become tributary.
“Aleke du si yɔ fũu kple amewo tsã la ɖi gbɔlo ale! Du si nye du gã le duwo dome la le azɔ abe ahosi ene! Duwo ƒe Fianyɔnu zu kluvi egbe.
2 BETH. She weeps sore in the night, and her tears are on her cheeks; and there is none of all her lovers to comfort her: all that were her friends have dealt deceitfully with her, they are become her enemies.
“Ele avi fam hehehe le zã me eye aɖatsi tsi alɔgo dzi nɛ. Eƒe ahiãvi gbogboawo dometɔ aɖeke meli afa akɔ nɛ o. Xɔlɔ̃ lɔlɔ̃wo katã trɔ le eyome hezu eƒe futɔwo.
3 GIMEL. Judea is gone into captivity by reason of her affliction, and by reason of the abundance of her servitude: she dwells among the nations, she has not found rest: all her pursuers have overtaken her between her oppressors.
“Le teteɖeanyi kple dzizizidɔ sesẽwo megbe la, Yuda yi ɖe aboyo me. Ele dukɔwo dome gake mekpɔ gbɔɖemeƒe o. Ame siwo katã le eyome tim la ke ɖe eŋu le xaxa me.
4 DALETH. The ways of Sion mourn, because there are none that come to the feast: all her gates are ruined: her priests groan, her virgins are led captive, and she is in bitterness in herself.
“Zion mɔwo le konyi fam elabena ame aɖeke megazɔa wo dzi yina ɖe eƒe azãwo ɖuƒe o. Eƒe agbowo gbã, eye eƒe nunɔlawo le hũu ɖem. Eƒe ɖetugbiwo le konyi fam eye eya ŋutɔ le veve helĩhelĩ me.
5 HE. Her oppressors are become the head, and her enemies have prospered; for the Lord has afflicted her because of the multitude of her sins: her young children are gone into captivity before the face of the oppressor.
“Eƒe futɔwo zu edziɖulawo eye eƒe ketɔwo ɖe dzi ɖi. Yehowa do hiã nɛ le eƒe nu vɔ̃ gbogboawo ta. Viawo yi ɖe aboyo me, eye wozu aʋaléleawo le futɔwo ŋgɔ.
6 VAU. And all her beauty has been taken away from the daughter of Sion: her princes were as rams finding no pasture, and are gone [away] in weakness before the face of the pursuer.
“Zion vinyɔnu ƒe atsyɔ̃wo katã dzo le eŋu. Eƒe dumegãwo le abe zi siwo mekpɔ gbeɖuƒe aɖeke o, eye le gbɔdzɔgbɔdzɔ me wosi le wo yometilawo ŋgɔ ene.
7 ZAIN. Jerusalem remembered the days of her affliction, and her rejection; [she thought on] all her desirable things which were from the days of old, when her people fell into the hands of the oppressor, and there was none to help her: when her enemies saw [it] they laughed at her habitation.
“Yerusalem ɖo ŋku eƒe kesinɔnu siwo nɔ esi le blemaŋkekewo me la dzi, le eƒe xaxa kple tsaglalãtsatsa ƒe ŋkekewo me. Esi eƒe amewo dze futɔwo ƒe asi me la, ame aɖeke meli akpe ɖe eŋu o. Eƒe futɔwo nye kɔ kpɔe eye wokoe le eƒe aƒedozuzu ta.
8 HETH. Jerusalem has sinned a [great] sin; therefore has she come into tribulation, all that used to honour her have afflicted her, for they have seen her shame: yea, she herself groaned, and turned backward.
“Yerusalem ƒe nu vɔ̃wo lolo eya ta wòzu ame makɔmakɔ. Ame siwo dea bubu eŋu tsã la le vlo domi, elabena wokpɔ eƒe amame, eya ŋutɔ ɖe hũu hetrɔ dzo.
9 TETH. Her uncleanness is before her feet; she remembered not her last end; she has lowered her boasting [tone], there is none to comfort her. Behold, O Lord, my affliction: for the enemy has magnified himself.
“Eƒe ɖiƒoƒo lé ɖe eƒe avɔto, elabena mebu etsɔ me kpɔ o. Eƒe anyidzedze wɔ nuku eye ame aɖeke meli si afa akɔ nɛ o. “O, Yehowa, nye kɔ, kpɔ nye vevesese ɖa elabena ketɔ la ɖu dzi.”
10 JOD. The oppressor has stretched out his hand on all her desirable things: for she has seen the Gentiles entering into her sanctuary, [concerning] whom thou didst command that they should not enter into thy congregation.
Futɔ la do asi ɖe eƒe kesinɔnuwo katã gbɔ; ekpɔ trɔ̃subɔdukɔwo, ame siwo mèɖe mɔ be woage ɖe wò asaɖa me o la ge ɖe wò kɔkɔeƒe la.
11 CHAPH. All her people groan, seeking bread: they have given their desirable things for meat, to restore their soul: behold, Lord, and look; for she is become dishonoured.
Eƒe amewo katã le tsatsam le abolo dim kple ŋeŋe, wotsɔa woƒe kesinɔnu veviwo ɖɔa li nuɖuɖu be woanɔ agbe. “O, Yehowa, kpɔ ale si wodo vlom la ɖa.”
12 LAMED. All ye that pass by the way, turn, and see if there is sorrow like to my sorrow, which has happened [to me]. The Lord who spoke by me has afflicted me in the day of his fierce anger.
“Mi ame siwo katã to afi ma yi, ɖe mewɔ naneke na mi oa? Mitsa ŋku miakpɔe ɖa! Ɖe fukpekpe aɖe le abe esi wohe va dzinye, esi Yehowa he va dzinye le eƒe dziku helĩhelĩ ƒe ŋkekewo me la enea?
13 MEM. He has sent fire from his lofty habitation, he has brought it into my bones: he has spread a net for my feet, he has turned me back: he has made me desolate [and] mourning all the day.
“Eɖo dzo ɖa tso dziƒo, ena wòɖiɖi ɖe nye ƒuwo me. Eɖo ɖɔ na nye afɔwo eye wògbugbɔm ɖe megbe. Ewɔm mezu gbegbe heku ƒenyi ŋkeke blibo la katã.
14 NUN. He has watched over my sins, they are twined about my hands, they have come up on my neck: my strength has failed; for the Lord has laid pains on my hands, I shall not be able to stand.
“Ebla nye nu vɔ̃wo abe kɔkuti ene, etsɔ eƒe asiwo lɔ̃e wode nu wo nɔewo me. Woɖiɖi ɖe nye kɔʋume eye Aƒetɔ la ɖe nye ŋusẽ ɖa. Etsɔm de asi na ame siwo nu nyemate ŋu anɔ te ɖo o.
15 SAMECH. The Lord has cut off all my strong men from the midst of me: he has summoned against me a time for crushing my choice men: the Lord has trodden a wine-press for the virgin daughter of Juda: for these things I weep.
“Aƒetɔ la gbe nu le kalẽtɔ siwo katã le donyeme la gbɔ, eɖo aʋakɔ ɖa be woato nye ɖekakpuiwo nyanyanya. Le eƒe wainfiaƒe, Aƒetɔ la fanya Yuda Vinyɔnuwo.
16 AIN. Mine eye has poured out water, because he that should comfort me, that should restore my soul, has been removed far from me: my sons have been destroyed, because the enemy has prevailed.
“Esia ta mefa avi eye nye ŋkuwo fa aɖatsi blobloblo. Ame aɖeke metsɔ ɖe gbɔnye afa akɔ nam o eye ame aɖeke meli si agbɔ agbe nye luʋɔ o. Vinyewo zu hiãtɔwo elabena futɔ ƒe alɔ yi dzi.”
17 PHE. Sion has spread out her hand, [and] there is none to comfort her: the Lord has commanded [concerning] Jacob, his oppressors are round about him: Jerusalem has become among them as a removed woman.
Zion ke eƒe abɔwo me gake ame aɖeke meli si afa akɔ nɛ o. Yehowa gblɔ nya ɖi ɖe Yakob ŋu be eƒe aƒelikawo nanye eƒe futɔwo eye Yerusalem va zu ŋunyɔnu le wo dome.
18 TSADE. The Lord is righteous; for I have provoked his mouth: hear, I pray you, all people, and behold my grief: my virgins and my young men are gone into captivity.
“Yehowa le dzɔdzɔe, gake metsi tsitre ɖe eƒe se la ŋu. Miɖo to, mi amewo katã, mikpɔ nye fukpekpewo ɖa. Nye ɖekakpuiwo kple ɖetugbiwo katã yi aboyo me.
19 KOPH. I called my lovers, but they deceived me: my priests and my elders failed in the city; for they sought meat that they might restore their souls, and found [it] not.
“Meyɔ xɔ̃nyewo gake woflum. Nye nunɔlawo kple dumegãwo siaa tsrɔ̃ le dua me esime wonɔ tsatsam le nuɖuɖu dim be woaɖu atsi agbe.
20 RHECHS. Behold, O Lord; for I am afflicted: my belly is troubled, and my heart is turned within me; for I have been grievously rebellious: abroad the sword has bereaved me, even as death at home.
“O Yehowa, kpɔ ale si metsi dzodzodzoe ɖa! Nye ameti blibo la metɔtɔ eye nye dzi hã le fu ɖem nam elabena medze aglã vevie. Yi le nu gblẽm le gota; eye le eme la, ku koe li.
21 CHSEN. Hear, I pray you, for I groan: there is none to comfort me: all mine enemies have heard [of] mine afflictions, and rejoice because thou hast done [it]: thou hast brought on the day, thou hast called the time: they are become like to me.
“Amewo se nye ŋeŋe gake ame aɖeke meli afa akɔ nam o. Nye futɔwo katã se nye dzɔgbevɔ̃eŋkɔ eye wodzɔ dzi le nu si nèwɔ ta. Na be ŋkeke si ƒe gbeƒã nèɖe la nava be woawo hã nanɔ abe nye ene.
22 THAU. Let all their wickedness come before thy face; and strip them, as they have made a gleaning for all my sins: for my groans are many, and my heart is grieved.
“Na be woƒe nu vɔ̃ɖi wɔwɔwo katã nava ŋkuwò me; wɔ na wo abe ale si nèwɔm le nye nu vɔ̃wo katã ta la ene. Nye hũuɖeɖe sɔ gbɔ eye nu te nye dzi ŋuti.”
