Lamentations 1
1 The city that once was full of people is now sitting all alone. She has become like a widow, though she was a mighty nation. She was a princess among the nations, but is now forced into slavery.
How is seated alone, the city that abounded with people, hath become as a widow, —She who abounded among the nations was a princess among provinces, hath come under tribute.
2 She weeps and wails in the night, and her tears cover her cheeks. None of her lovers comfort her. All her friends have betrayed her. They have become her enemies.
She, weepeth sore, in the night, and, her tear, is on her cheek, She hath none to comfort her, of all her lovers, —All her friends, have betrayed her, have become her foes.
3 After poverty and affliction, Judah has gone into exile. She lives among the nations and finds no rest. All her pursuers overtook her in her desperation.
Carried away captive is Judah—because of oppression, and because of great servitude, She, hath remained among the nations, hath found no place of rest, —All her pursuers, have overtaken her, between straits.
4 The roads of Zion mourn because none come to the appointed feasts. All her gates are desolate. Her priests groan. Her virgins are sorrowful and she herself is in complete distress.
The ways to Zion, are mourning, because none come to her appointed feasts, All her gates, are desolate, her priests, are sighing, —her virgins, are grieved, and, she, it is bitter for her.
5 Her adversaries have become her master; her enemies prosper. Yahweh has afflicted her for her many sins. Her little children go into captivity to her adversary.
Her adversaries have become chief, her foes, are at ease, for, Yahweh, hath grieved her, because of the multitude of her transgressions, —Her children, have gone into captivity, before the adversary.
6 Beauty has left the daughter of Zion. Her princes have become like deer that cannot find pasture, and they go without strength before their pursuer.
Thus hath gone forth from the daughter of Zion, all that adorned her, —Her princes have become like harts that have found no pasture, and have gone strengthless before the pursuer.
7 In the days of her affliction and her homelessness, Jerusalem will call to mind all her precious treasures that she had in former days. When her people fell into the hand of the adversary, no one helped her. The adversaries saw her and laughed at her destruction.
Jerusalem hath remembered in the days of her humiliation and her fleeings—all her precious things, which have existed from the days of old, —Now that her people have been falling into the hand of the adversary, with none to help her, the adversaries have seen her, have mocked over her sabbath-keepings.
8 Jerusalem sinned greatly, therefore, she has become scorned as something that is filthy. All who honored her now despise her since they have seen her nakedness. She groans and tries to turn away.
Jerusalem, hath grievously sinned, For this cause, unto exile, hath she been delivered, —All who used to honour her, have despised her, for they have descried her unseemliness, yea, she herself, hath sighed, and turned back.
9 She has become unclean beneath her skirts. She did not think about her future. Her fall was terrible. There was no one to comfort her. She cried out, “Look at my affliction, Yahweh, for the enemy has become too great!”
Her impurity, is in her skirts, She hath not remembered her hereafter, Therefore hath she come down wonderfully, none to comfort her, —Behold, O Yahweh, my humiliation, that the foe, hath made himself great.
10 The adversary has put his hand on all our precious treasures. She has seen the nations enter her sanctuary, even though you had commanded that they must not enter into your assembly place.
His hand, hath the adversary spread out, over all her precious things, —for she saw that, the nations, entered her sanctuary, as to whom thou didst command they should not enter—in the convocation—unto thee!
11 All her people groan as they search for bread. They have given their precious treasures for food to restore their lives. Look, Yahweh, and consider me, for I have become worthless.
All her people, are sighing, seeking bread, They have given their precious things for food, to bring back life, —Behold, O Yahweh, and discern, that I have become worthless.
12 Is it nothing to you, all you who pass by? Look and see if there is anyone else's sorrow like the sorrow that is being inflicted on me, since Yahweh has tormented me on the day of his fierce anger.
Is it nothing to you, all ye that pass by? Look around and see, whether there is pain like my pain, which is severely dealt out to me, —in that Yahweh, hath caused grief, in the day of the glow of his anger?
13 It is from on high that he has sent fire into my bones, and it has conquered them. He has spread a net for my feet and turned me back. He has made me constantly desolate and weak.
From on high, sent he fire, among my bones, and laid them prostrate, —He spread out a net for my feet, he made me turn back, he made me desolate, all the day, faint.
14 The yoke of my transgressions is bound together by his hand. They are knit together and placed upon my neck. He has made my strength fail. The Lord has given me over into their hands, and I am not able to stand.
The yoke of my transgressions, hath been bound, by his hand—They have intertwined themselves, have come up on my neck, it hath paralysed my strength, —My Lord, hath delivered me, into the hands of those against whom I cannot rise up.
15 The Lord has tossed aside all my mighty men who defended me. He has called an assembly against me to crush my vigorous men. The Lord has trampled the virgin daughter of Judah in the winepress.
My Lord, hath flouted at all my magnates, in my midst, He hath called against me a host, to crush my young men, —A winepress, hath My Lord trodden, to the virgin, the daughter of Judah.
16 For these things I weep, my eyes overflow with tears; for a comforter is far from me, one who restores my life. My children are desolate because the enemy has conquered me.
For these things, am, I, weeping, Mine eye, mine eye, is running down with waters, for, far from me, is any who could comfort, could bring back my life, —My sons are amazed, for strong is the foe.
17 Zion has spread her hands wide; there is none to comfort her. Yahweh has commanded that those around Jacob should be his adversaries. Jerusalem is something unclean to them.
Zion, hath spread forth, her hands, there is none to comfort her, Yahweh, hath given command, respecting Jacob, unto them who surround him—his adversaries, —Jerusalem, hath become as a removed woman, in their midst.
18 Yahweh is righteous, for I have rebelled against his commandment. Hear, all you peoples, and see my sorrow. My virgins and my vigorous men have gone into captivity.
Righteous is Yahweh, for, against his bidding, had I rebelled, —Hear, I pray you, all ye peoples, and see my pain, My virgins and my young men, have gone into exile.
19 I called for my friends, but they were treacherous toward me. My priests and my elders perished in the city, while they sought food to restore their lives.
I called to my lovers, they, deceived me, My priests and mine elders, in the city, have breathed their last, —for they sought them food, that they might bring back their life.
20 Look, Yahweh, for I am in distress; my stomach churns, my heart is disturbed within me, for I have been very rebellious. Outside, the sword bereaves a mother, inside the house there is only death.
See, O Yahweh, that I am in distress, Mine inward parts, are in ferment, My heart is turned within me, for I have obstinately rebelled, —Without, bereaveth the sword, Within, is like death,
21 They have heard my groaning, but there is no one to comfort me. All my enemies have heard of my trouble and they are glad that you have done it. You have brought the day you promised; now let them become like me.
They have heard—that, sighing am, I, [and am saying] —There is none to comfort me, All my foes, —having heard of my calamity—have rejoiced, because, thou, hast done it, —thou hast brought in the day thou didst proclaim, So let them become like me.
22 Let all their wickedness come before you. deal with them as you have dealt with me because of all my transgressions. My groans are many and my heart is faint.
Let all their wickedness, come in, before thee, and deal thou severely with them, according as thou hast dealt severely with me, for all my transgressions; for many are my sighs, and, my heart, is sick.
