1Sɛnea kuropɔn no adan amamfo ni,
kuropɔn a anka nnipa ahyɛ no ma!
Adɛn nti na wayɛ okunafobea a
kan no na anka ɔyɛ ɔkɛse wɔ amanaman no mu?
Nea na ɔyɛ ɔhemmea wɔ amantam no mu no
abɛyɛ afenaa nnɛ.
2Osu yayaayaw anadwo,
nusu sensan nʼafono so.
Nʼadɔfo nyinaa mu no,
obiara nni hɔ a ɔkyekyee ne werɛ.
Ne nnamfonom nyinaa ayi no ama
Wɔayɛ nʼatamfo.
3Amanehunu ne adwumaden akyi no,
Yuda kɔ nnommum mu.
Ɔte amanaman no mu
na onni ahomegyebea.
Wɔn a wɔtaa no nyinaa ato no
wɔ nʼahokyere mu.
4Akwan a ɛkɔ Sion no resu,
efisɛ obiara nkɔ nʼafahyɛ ase.
Nʼapon nyinaa adeda mpan,
na nʼasɔfo si apini,
ne mmabaa di yaw,
na ɔwɔ yawdi a mu yɛ den mu.
5Nʼatamfo abɛyɛ ne wuranom;
wɔn a wɔne no ayɛ adɔm ho adwo wɔn.
Awurade ama awerɛhow aba ne so
nʼamumɔyɛ bebrebe nti.
Ne mma kɔ nnommum mu.
Wɔayɛ nneduafo ama ɔtamfo.
6Anuonyam nyinaa atu
afi Ɔbabea Sion so kɔ.
Ne mmapɔmma ayɛ sɛ aforote
a wonnya adidibea;
na wɔde mmerɛwyɛ aguan
wɔ wɔn ataafo anim.
7Nʼamanehunu ne akyinkyinakyinkyin nna mu no,
Yerusalem kae ademude nyinaa
a na ɛwɔ no wɔ nna a atwa mu no mu.
Ne nkurɔfo kɔtɔɔ ɔtamfo no nsa mu no,
na obiara nni hɔ a ɔbɛboa no.
Nʼatamfo de wɔn ani hwɛɛ no
na wɔserew ne sɛe.
8Yerusalem ayɛ bɔne kɛse
enti ne ho agu fi.
Wɔn a wodi no ni no sopa no,
efisɛ wɔahu nʼadagyaw;
ɔno ankasa gu ahome
na ɔdan nʼani.
9Nʼafideyɛ atu aka ne ntade mu;
wannwene ne daakye ho.
Nʼasehwe yɛ nwonwa;
obiara ankyekye ne werɛ.
“Awurade, hwɛ mʼamanehunu,
efisɛ ɔtamfo adi nkonim.”
10Ɔtamfo no de ne nsa too
nʼademude nyinaa so;
ohuu sɛ amanaman
rehyɛn ne kronkronbea hɔ,
nnipa a woabra sɛ
wɔnnhyɛn wʼasafo mu no.
11Ne nkurɔfo nyinaa si apini
bere a wɔrehwehwɛ aduan;
wɔde wɔn ademude sesa aduan
de nya ahoɔden.
“Awurade, hwɛ na dwene me ho,
efisɛ wobu me animtiaa.”
12“Ɛmfa mo ho ana, mo a mutwa mu wɔ hɔ nyinaa?
Monhwɛ na munhu.
Ɔyaw bi wɔ hɔ a ɛte sɛ me de
a wɔma ɛbaa me so yi,
nea Awurade de baa me so
wɔ nʼabufuwhyew da no ana?
13“Ɔsomaa ogya fii ɔsoro,
ma ɛbaa me nnompe mu.
Osum afiri maa mʼanan
na ɔsan me kɔɔ mʼakyi.
Ɔyɛɛ me pasaa,
metɔɔ beraw da mu nyinaa.
14“Woakyekyere me bɔne ahyɛ konnua mu;
ɔde ne nsa nwen bɔɔ mu.
Wɔde asɛn me kɔn mu
na Awurade atwe mʼahoɔden.
Ɔde me ahyɛ wɔn a
merentumi nnyina wɔn anim no nsa.
15“Awurade apo
akofo a wɔwɔ me ntam nyinaa;
wafrɛ asraafo atia me
sɛ wɔmmɛdwerɛw me mmerante.
Awurade atiatia Ɔbabea Ɔbabun Yuda so
wɔ ne nsakyiamoa mu.
16“Eyinom nti na misu
na nusu aguare me.
Obiara mmɛn a ɔbɛkyekye me werɛ,
nea ɔbɛhyɛ me honhom den nni hɔ.
Me mma agyigya
efisɛ ɔtamfo no adi nkonim.”
17Sion trɛw ne nsa mu
nanso obiara nni hɔ a ɔbɛkyekye ne werɛ.
Awurade ahyɛ ama Yakob se
ne mfɛfo bɛyɛ nʼatamfo;
Yerusalem abɛyɛ
afide wɔ wɔn mu.
18“Awurade yɛ ɔtreneeni,
nanso manni nʼahyɛde so.
Muntie, mo amanaman nyinaa
monhwɛ me yaw.
Me mmerante ne mmabaa
kɔ nnommum mu.
19“Mefrɛɛ mʼadɔfo
nanso woyii me mae.
Mʼasɔfo ne me mpanyimfo
ase tɔree wɔ kuropɔn no mu,
bere a wɔrehwehwɛ aduan adi
na wɔanwuwu.
20“Awurade, hwɛ me mmɔbɔ!
Meredi yaw wɔ me mu,
na me koma mu nso minni ahotɔ,
efisɛ mayɛ otuatewfo kɛse.
Afoa hyɛ me awerɛhow wɔ abɔnten so;
ofie nso yɛ owu nko ara.
21“Nnipa ate mʼapinisi,
nanso obiara nni hɔ a ɔbɛkyekye me werɛ.
Mʼatamfo nyinaa ate mʼamanehunu
wɔn ani gye nea woayɛ no ho.
Ma nna a woahyɛ no mmra
sɛnea wɔbɛyɛ sɛ me.
22“Fa wɔn atirimɔdensɛm nyinaa si wʼanim;
na wo ne wɔn nni
sɛnea wo ne me adi;
esiane mʼamumɔyɛ no nti.
Mʼapinisi dɔɔso
na me koma abotow.”
This chapter is an acrostic poem, the verses of which begin with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet. 1How deserted lies the city,
once so full of people!
How like a widow is she,
who once was great among the nations!
She who was queen among the provinces
has now become a slave.
2Bitterly she weeps at night,
tears are on her cheeks.
Among all her lovers
there is no one to comfort her.
All her friends have betrayed her;
they have become her enemies.
3After affliction and harsh labor,
Judah has gone into exile.
She dwells among the nations;
she finds no resting place.
All who pursue her have overtaken her
in the midst of her distress.
4The roads to Zion mourn,
for no one comes to her appointed festivals.
All her gateways are desolate,
her priests groan,
her young women grieve,
and she is in bitter anguish.
5Her foes have become her masters;
her enemies are at ease.
The Lord has brought her grief
because of her many sins.
Her children have gone into exile,
captive before the foe.
6All the splendor has departed
from Daughter Zion.
Her princes are like deer
that find no pasture;
in weakness they have fled
before the pursuer.
7In the days of her affliction and wandering
Jerusalem remembers all the treasures
that were hers in days of old.
When her people fell into enemy hands,
there was no one to help her.
Her enemies looked at her
and laughed at her destruction.
8Jerusalem has sinned greatly
and so has become unclean.
All who honored her despise her,
for they have all seen her naked;
she herself groans
and turns away.
9Her filthiness clung to her skirts;
she did not consider her future.
Her fall was astounding;
there was none to comfort her.
“Look, Lord, on my affliction,
for the enemy has triumphed.”
10The enemy laid hands
on all her treasures;
she saw pagan nations
enter her sanctuary—
those you had forbidden
to enter your assembly.
11All her people groan
as they search for bread;
they barter their treasures for food
to keep themselves alive.
“Look, Lord, and consider,
for I am despised.”
12“Is it nothing to you, all you who pass by?
Look around and see.
Is any suffering like my suffering
that was inflicted on me,
that the Lord brought on me
in the day of his fierce anger?
13“From on high he sent fire,
sent it down into my bones.
He spread a net for my feet
and turned me back.
He made me desolate,
faint all the day long.
14“My sins have been bound into a yoke1:14 Most Hebrew manuscripts; many Hebrew manuscripts and Septuagint He kept watch over my sins;
by his hands they were woven together.
They have been hung on my neck,
and the Lord has sapped my strength.
He has given me into the hands
of those I cannot withstand.
15“The Lord has rejected
all the warriors in my midst;
he has summoned an army against me
to1:15 Or has set a time for me / when he will crush my young men.
In his winepress the Lord has trampled
Virgin Daughter Judah.
16“This is why I weep
and my eyes overflow with tears.
No one is near to comfort me,
no one to restore my spirit.
My children are destitute
because the enemy has prevailed.”
17Zion stretches out her hands,
but there is no one to comfort her.
The Lord has decreed for Jacob
that his neighbors become his foes;
Jerusalem has become
an unclean thing among them.
18“The Lord is righteous,
yet I rebelled against his command.
Listen, all you peoples;
look on my suffering.
My young men and young women
have gone into exile.
19“I called to my allies
but they betrayed me.
My priests and my elders
perished in the city
while they searched for food
to keep themselves alive.
20“See, Lord, how distressed I am!
I am in torment within,
and in my heart I am disturbed,
for I have been most rebellious.
Outside, the sword bereaves;
inside, there is only death.
21“People have heard my groaning,
but there is no one to comfort me.
All my enemies have heard of my distress;
they rejoice at what you have done.
May you bring the day you have announced
so they may become like me.
22“Let all their wickedness come before you;
deal with them
as you have dealt with me
because of all my sins.
My groans are many
and my heart is faint.”
