Lamentationes 1
1 ALEPH quomodo sedit sola civitas plena populo facta est quasi vidua domina gentium princeps provinciarum facta est sub tributo
How the city sits solitary, that was full of people! She has become as a widow, who was great amongst the nations! She who was a princess amongst the provinces has become a slave!
2 BETH plorans ploravit in nocte et lacrimae eius in maxillis eius non est qui consoletur eam ex omnibus caris eius omnes amici eius spreverunt eam et facti sunt ei inimici
She weeps bitterly in the night. Her tears are on her cheeks. Amongst all her lovers she has no one to comfort her. All her friends have dealt treacherously with her. They have become her enemies.
3 GIMEL migravit Iuda propter adflictionem et multitudinem servitutis habitavit inter gentes nec invenit requiem omnes persecutores eius adprehenderunt eam inter angustias
Judah has gone into captivity because of affliction and because of great servitude. She dwells amongst the nations. She finds no rest. All her persecutors overtook her in her distress.
4 DELETH viae Sion lugent eo quod non sint qui veniant ad sollemnitatem omnes portae eius destructae sacerdotes eius gementes virgines eius squalidae et ipsa oppressa amaritudine
The roads to Zion mourn, because no one comes to the solemn assembly. All her gates are desolate. Her priests sigh. Her virgins are afflicted, and she herself is in bitterness.
5 HE facti sunt hostes eius in capite inimici illius locupletati sunt quia Dominus locutus est super eam propter multitudinem iniquitatum eius parvuli eius ducti sunt captivi ante faciem tribulantis
Her adversaries have become the head. Her enemies prosper; for the LORD has afflicted her for the multitude of her transgressions. Her young children have gone into captivity before the adversary.
6 VAV et egressus est a filia Sion omnis decor eius facti sunt principes eius velut arietes non invenientes pascuam et abierunt absque fortitudine ante faciem subsequentis
All majesty has departed from the daughter of Zion. Her princes have become like deer that find no pasture. They have gone without strength before the pursuer.
7 ZAI recordata est Hierusalem dierum adflictionis suae et praevaricationis omnium desiderabilium suorum quae habuerat a diebus antiquis cum caderet populus eius in manu hostili et non esset auxiliator viderunt eam hostes et deriserunt sabbata eius
Jerusalem remembers in the days of her affliction and of her miseries all her pleasant things that were from the days of old; when her people fell into the hand of the adversary, and no one helped her. The adversaries saw her. They mocked at her desolations.
8 HETH peccatum peccavit Hierusalem propterea instabilis facta est omnes qui glorificabant eam spreverunt illam quia viderunt ignominiam eius ipsa autem gemens et conversa retrorsum
Jerusalem has grievously sinned. Therefore she has become unclean. All who honoured her despise her, because they have seen her nakedness. Yes, she sighs and turns backward.
9 TETH sordes eius in pedibus eius nec recordata est finis sui deposita est vehementer non habens consolatorem vide Domine adflictionem meam quoniam erectus est inimicus
Her filthiness was in her skirts. She didn’t remember her latter end. Therefore she has come down astoundingly. She has no comforter. “See, LORD, my affliction; for the enemy has magnified himself.”
10 IOTH manum suam misit hostis ad omnia desiderabilia eius quia vidit gentes ingressas sanctuarium suum de quibus praeceperas ne intrarent in ecclesiam tuam
The adversary has spread out his hand on all her pleasant things; for she has seen that the nations have entered into her sanctuary, concerning whom you commanded that they should not enter into your assembly.
11 CAPH omnis populus eius gemens et quaerens panem dederunt pretiosa quaeque pro cibo ad refocilandam animam vide Domine considera quoniam facta sum vilis
All her people sigh. They seek bread. They have given their pleasant things for food to refresh their soul. “Look, LORD, and see, for I have become despised.”
12 LAMED o vos omnes qui transitis per viam adtendite et videte si est dolor sicut dolor meus quoniam vindemiavit me ut locutus est Dominus in die irae furoris sui
“Is it nothing to you, all you who pass by? Look, and see if there is any sorrow like my sorrow, which is brought on me, with which the LORD has afflicted me in the day of his fierce anger.
13 MEM de excelso misit ignem in ossibus meis et erudivit me expandit rete pedibus meis convertit me retrorsum posuit me desolatam tota die maerore confectam
“From on high has he sent fire into my bones, and it prevails against them. He has spread a net for my feet. He has turned me back. He has made me desolate and I faint all day long.
14 NUN vigilavit iugum iniquitatum mearum in manu eius convolutae sunt et inpositae collo meo infirmata est virtus mea dedit me Dominus in manu de qua non potero surgere
“The yoke of my transgressions is bound by his hand. They are knit together. They have come up on my neck. He made my strength fail. The Lord has delivered me into their hands, against whom I am not able to stand.
15 SAMECH abstulit omnes magnificos meos Dominus de medio mei vocavit adversum me tempus ut contereret electos meos torcular calcavit Dominus virgini filiae Iuda
“The Lord has set at nothing all my mighty men within me. He has called a solemn assembly against me to crush my young men. The Lord has trodden the virgin daughter of Judah as in a wine press.
16 AIN idcirco ego plorans et oculus meus deducens aquam quia longe factus est a me consolator convertens animam meam facti sunt filii mei perditi quoniam invaluit inimicus
“For these things I weep. My eye, my eye runs down with water, because the comforter who should refresh my soul is far from me. My children are desolate, because the enemy has prevailed.”
17 FE expandit Sion manus suas non est qui consoletur eam mandavit Dominus adversum Iacob in circuitu eius hostes eius facta est Hierusalem quasi polluta menstruis inter eos
Zion spreads out her hands. There is no one to comfort her. The LORD has commanded concerning Jacob, that those who are around him should be his adversaries. Jerusalem is amongst them as an unclean thing.
18 SADE iustus est Dominus quia os eius ad iracundiam provocavi audite obsecro universi populi et videte dolorem meum virgines meae et iuvenes mei abierunt in captivitatem
“The LORD is righteous, for I have rebelled against his commandment. Please hear all you peoples, and see my sorrow. My virgins and my young men have gone into captivity.
19 COPH vocavi amicos meos et ipsi deceperunt me sacerdotes mei et senes mei in urbe consumpti sunt quia quaesierunt cibum sibi ut refocilarent animam suam
“I called for my lovers, but they deceived me. My priests and my elders gave up the spirit in the city, while they sought food for themselves to refresh their souls.
20 RES vide Domine quoniam tribulor venter meus conturbatus est subversum est cor meum in memet ipsa quoniam amaritudine plena sum foris interfecit gladius et domi mors similis est
“Look, LORD; for I am in distress. My heart is troubled. My heart turns over within me, for I have grievously rebelled. Abroad, the sword bereaves. At home, it is like death.
21 SEN audierunt quia ingemesco ego et non est qui consoletur me omnes inimici mei audierunt malum meum laetati sunt quoniam tu fecisti adduxisti diem consolationis et fient similes mei
“They have heard that I sigh. There is no one to comfort me. All my enemies have heard of my trouble. They are glad that you have done it. You will bring the day that you have proclaimed, and they will be like me.
22 THAU ingrediatur omne malum eorum coram te et devindemia eos sicut vindemiasti me propter omnes iniquitates meas multi enim gemitus mei et cor meum maerens
“Let all their wickedness come before you. Do to them as you have done to me for all my transgressions. For my sighs are many, and my heart is faint.
