1The city of Jerusalem is so empty!
She used to be full of people.
But now she’s like a woman whose husband has died.
She used to be great among the nations.
She was like a queen among the kingdoms.
But now she is a slave.
2Jerusalem weeps bitterly at night.
Tears run down her cheeks.
None of her friends comforts her.
All those who were going to help her
have turned against her.
They have become her enemies.
3After Judah’s people had suffered greatly,
they were taken away as prisoners.
Now they live among the nations.
They can’t find any place to rest.
All those who were chasing them have caught up with them.
And they can’t get away.
4The roads to Zion are empty.
No one travels to her appointed feasts.
All the public places near her gates are deserted.
Her priests groan.
Her young women are sad.
And Zion herself weeps bitterly.
5Her enemies have become her masters.
They have an easy life.
The Lord has brought suffering to Jerusalem
because her people have committed so many sins.
Her children have been taken away as prisoners.
Her enemies have forced her people to leave their homes.
6The city of Zion used to be full of glory.
But now her glory has faded away.
Her princes are like deer.
They can’t find anything to eat.
They are almost too weak to get away
from those who hunt them down.
7Jerusalem’s people are suffering and wandering.
They remember all the treasures
they used to have.
But they fell into the hands of their enemies.
And no one was there to help them.
Their enemies looked at them.
They laughed because Jerusalem had been destroyed.
8Her people have committed many sins.
They have become impure.
All those who honored Jerusalem now look down on her.
They all look at her as if she were a naked woman.
The city groans and turns away in shame.
9Her skirts are dirty.
She didn’t think about how things might turn out.
Her fall from power amazed everyone.
And no one was there to comfort her.
She said, “Lord, please pay attention to how much I’m suffering.
My enemies have won the battle over me.”
10Jerusalem’s enemies took away
all her treasures.
Her people saw outsiders
enter her temple.
The Lord had commanded them
not to do that.
11All Jerusalem’s people groan
as they search for bread.
They trade their treasures for food
just to stay alive.
Jerusalem says, “Lord, look at me.
Think about my condition.
Everyone looks down on me.”
12Jerusalem also says, “All you who are passing by,
don’t you care about what has happened to me?
Just look at my condition.
Has anyone suffered the way I have?
The Lord has brought all this on me.
He has made me suffer.
His anger has burned against me.
13“He sent down fire from heaven.
It went deep down into my bones.
He spread a net to catch me by the feet.
He stopped me right where I was.
He made me empty.
I am sick all the time.
14“My sins have been made into a heavy yoke.
They were woven together by his hands.
They have been placed on my neck.
The Lord has taken away my strength.
He has handed me over to my enemies.
I can’t win the battle over them.
15“The Lord has refused to accept
any of my soldiers.
He has sent for an army
to crush my young men.
I am like grapes in the Lord’s winepress.
He has stomped on me,
even though I am his very own.
16“That’s why I am weeping.
Tears are flowing from my eyes.
No one is near to comfort me.
No one can heal my spirit.
My children don’t have anything.
My enemies are much too strong for me.”
17Zion reaches out her hands.
But no one is there to comfort her people.
The Lord has ordered that
the neighbors of Jacob’s people would become their enemies.
Jerusalem has become impure among them.
18Jerusalem says, “The Lord always does what is right.
But I refused to obey his commands.
Listen, all you nations.
Pay attention to how much I’m suffering.
My young men and women
have been taken away as prisoners.
19“I called out to those who were going to help me.
But they turned against me.
My priests and elders
died in the city.
They were searching for food
just to stay alive.
20“Lord, see how upset I am!
I am suffering deep down inside.
My heart is troubled.
Again and again I have refused to obey you.
Outside the city, people are being killed by swords.
Inside, there is nothing but death.
21“People have heard me groan.
But no one is here to comfort me.
My enemies have heard about all my troubles.
What you have done makes them happy.
So please judge them, just as you said you would.
Let them become like me.
22“Please pay attention to all their sinful ways.
Punish them as you have punished me.
You judged me because I had committed so many sins.
I groan all the time.
And my heart is weak.”
凄惨的耶路撒冷
1从前人烟稠密的城，
现在何其荒凉！
从前扬威万邦的强国，
现在竟像寡妇一样。
从前在诸省做公主的，
现在却沦为奴婢。
2她在夜间痛哭，泪流满面。
情人中没有一个前来安慰。
朋友都出卖她，与她为敌。
3犹大饱受苦难和奴役，
被掳往远方，流落异邦，
找不到安居之所。
她在走投无路之际被追敌擒获。
4通往锡安1:4 “锡安”又称“耶路撒冷”。的道路满目凄凉，
因为无人前去过节。
她的城门冷落，
她的祭司悲叹，
她的少女哀伤，她痛苦不已。
5敌人做了她的主人，
兴旺发达。
因为她作恶多端，
耶和华叫她饱受困苦，
她的孩子被敌人掳去。
6锡安的尊荣消逝，
她的首领像找不到草吃的鹿，
无力逃脱敌人的追赶。
7在困苦流离中，
耶路撒冷想起昔日的荣华。
如今，她的人民落在敌人手中，
无人援救。
仇敌看见她，都嘲笑她的灭亡。
8耶路撒冷罪大恶极，
沦为污秽之物。
从前尊重她的人看见她赤身裸体，就蔑视她。
她只能哀叹、退避。
9她的裙子沾满污秽，
她未曾想过自己的结局。
她的败落无比凄惨，
无人安慰。
她哭喊道：“耶和华啊，
仇敌已经获胜，
求你垂顾我的苦难！”
10敌人伸手夺去她的一切珍宝。
她目睹外族人闯入圣殿——那是耶和华禁止他们进入的地方。
11她的人民呻吟着四处觅食，
用珍宝换取粮食维生。
耶路撒冷的哀叹
她说：“耶和华啊，求你眷顾我，
因为我被人蔑视。
12“路人啊，你们都无动于衷吗？
你们看看，
耶和华向我发烈怒，降祸于我，
还有谁比我更痛苦呢？
13“祂从高天降下火来，
焚烧我的骨头；
祂在我脚前设下网罗，
使我返回；
祂使我凄凉孤寂，终日痛苦。
14“我的罪恶连接成轭，
祂亲手把它们编在一起，
绑在我的颈项上，
使我筋疲力尽。
主把我交给我无力抵挡的敌人。
15“主藐视我所有的勇士，
召集军队攻击我，
打垮我的青年。
主践踏犹大人1:15 “犹大人”希伯来文是“犹大的纯洁少女”。，
如同在榨酒池踩踏。
16“我为此哭泣，
泪流满面，
却无人安慰、鼓励我。
我的儿女凄凉孤苦，
因为仇敌已经得胜。”
17锡安伸手求助，却无人理睬。
耶和华已命四周邻国与雅各为敌。
耶路撒冷在他们当中成了污秽之物。
18“但耶和华是公义的，
因为我违背了祂的命令。
万国啊，请听我的话，
看看我的痛苦！
我的年轻男女都被掳去。
19“我向情人们求助，
他们却欺骗我。
我的祭司和长老在觅食求生时，
倒毙在城中。
20“耶和华啊，
看看我是多么痛苦！
我的内脏搅动，
我的心灵翻腾，
因为我背叛了你。
街上有屠杀，
家中有死亡。
21“人们听见我的哀叹，
却无人安慰我。
敌人看见你降给我的灾难，
都幸灾乐祸。
愿你应许的审判之日来临，
叫他们像我一样受苦！
22“愿他们的恶行都摆在你眼前！
你怎样因我的罪恶而惩罚我，
愿你也照样惩罚他们！
我叹息不绝，心中哀伤。”
