Lamentations 1
1 ALEPH. O how a city once filled with people now sits alone! The Governess of the Gentiles has become like a widow. The Prince of the provinces has been placed under tribute.
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 BETH. Weeping, she has wept through the night, and her tears are on her cheeks. There is no one to be a comfort to her and to all her beloved. All her friends have spurned her, and 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 GHIMEL. Judah has migrated because of affliction and great servitude. She has lived among the nations and not found rest. All of her persecutors have apprehended her, amid torments.
[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 DALETH. The pathways of Zion mourn, because there are none who approach for the solemnity. All her gates are destroyed. Her priests groan. Her virgins are filthy. And she is overwhelmed with bitterness.
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 HE. Her enemies have been made her leaders; her adversaries have been enriched. For the Lord has spoken against her, because of the multitude of her iniquities. Her little ones have been led into captivity before the face of the tribulator.
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 VAU. And all her elegance has departed, from the daughter of Zion. Her leaders have become like rams that cannot find pasture, and they have gone away without strength before the face of the pursuer.
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 ZAIN. Jerusalem has remembered the days of her affliction and the betrayal of all her desirable ones, whom she held from the days of antiquity, when her people fell into the hand of the enemy, and there was no one to be a helper. The enemies have looked upon her and mocked her Sabbaths.
[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 HETH. Jerusalem has sinned a grievous sinz. Because of this, she has become unstable. All who glorified her have spurned her, because they have looked upon her disgrace. Then she groaned and turned away again.
[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 TETH. Her filth is on her feet, and her end has not been remembered. She has been vehemently put down, having no consolation. O Lord, look upon my affliction, for the adversary has been lifted up.
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 JOD. The enemy has sent his hand against all her desirable ones. For she has watched the Gentiles enter her sanctuary, even though you instructed that they should not enter into your church.
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 CAPH. All her people are groaning and seeking bread. They have given up whatever was precious in exchange for food, so as to remain alive. See, O Lord, and consider, for I have become vile.
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 LAMED. O all you who pass by the way, attend, and see if there is any sorrow like my sorrow. For he has made me a vintage, just as the Lord has spoken in the day of his furious 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 MEM. From on high, he has sent fire into my bones, and he has educated me. He has spread a net for my feet; he has turned me back. He has placed me in desolation, consumed by grief, all 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 NUN. Vigilant is the yoke of my iniquities. They have been folded together in his hand and imposed on my neck. My virtue has been weakened. The Lord has given me into a hand, out of which I am not able to rise.
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 SAMECH. The Lord has taken away all of my great ones from my midst. He has called forth time against me, so as to crush my elect ones. The Lord has trampled the winepress, which was for 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 AIN. For this I weep, and my eyes bring forth water. For the consoler has been far away from me, changing my soul. My sons have become lost, 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 PHE. Zion has reached out her hands; there is no one to console her. The Lord has given orders against Jacob; his enemies are all around him. Jerusalem among them is like a woman made unclean by menstruation.
[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 SADE. The Lord is just, for it is I who has provoked his mouth to wrath. I beg all people to listen and to see my sorrow. My virgins and my youths 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 COPH. I called for my friends, but they deceived me. My priests and my elders have been consumed in the city. For they were seeking their food, so as to revive their life.
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 RES. See, O Lord, that I am in tribulation. My bowels have been disturbed, my heart has been subverted within me, for I am filled with bitterness. Outside, the sword puts to death, and at home there is a similar 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 SIN. They have heard that I groan and that there is no one to console me. All my enemies have heard of my misfortune; they have rejoiced that you caused it. You have brought in a day of consolation, and so they shall 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 THAU. Let all their evil enter before you. And make vintage of them, just as you made vintage of me, because of all my iniquities. For my sighs are many, and my heart is grieving.
[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).
