< 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.
“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. 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.
“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 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.
“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 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.
“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 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.
“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 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.
“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 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.
“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 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.
“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 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.
“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 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.
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 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.
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. 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.
“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. 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.
“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. 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.
“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 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.
“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. 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.
“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. 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.
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 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.
“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 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.
“Meyɔ xɔ̃nyewo gake woflum. Nye nunɔlawo kple dumegãwo siaa tsrɔ̃ le dua me esime wonɔ tsatsam le nuɖuɖu dim be woaɖu atsi agbe.
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.
“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 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.
“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 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.
“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.”

< Lamentations 1 >