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.”
1Haa! Mzinda uja wasiyidwa wokhawokha,
umene kale unali wodzaza ndi anthu!
Kale unali wotchuka pakati pa mitundu ya anthu!
Tsopano wasanduka ngati mkazi wamasiye.
Kale unali mfumukazi ya onse pa dziko lapansi,
tsopano wasanduka kapolo.
2Ukulira mowawidwa mtima usiku wonse,
misozi ili pa masaya pake.
Mwa abwenzi ake onse,
palibe ndi mmodzi yemwe womutonthoza.
Abwenzi ake onse amuchitira chiwembu;
onse akhala adani ake.
3Yuda watengedwa ku ukapolo,
kukazunzika ndi kukagwira ntchito yolemetsa.
Iye akukhala pakati pa anthu a mitundu ina;
ndipo alibe malo opumulira.
Onse omuthamangitsa iye amupitirira,
ndipo alibe kwina kothawira.
4Misewu yopita ku Ziyoni ikulira,
chifukwa palibe ndi mmodzi yemwe akubwera ku maphwando ake.
Zipata zake zonse zili pululu,
ansembe akubuwula.
Anamwali ake akulira,
ndipo ali mʼmasautso woopsa.
5Adani ake asanduka mabwana ake;
odana naye akupeza bwino.
Yehova wamubweretsera mavuto
chifukwa cha machimo ake ambiri.
Ana ake atengedwa ukapolo
pamaso pa mdani.
6Ulemerero wonse wa mwana wamkazi wa Ziyoni
wachokeratu.
Akalonga ake ali ngati mbawala
zosowa msipu;
alibe mphamvu zothawira
owathamangitsa.
7Pa masiku a masautso ndi kuzunzika kwake,
Yerusalemu amakumbukira chuma chonse
chimene mʼmasiku amakedzana chinali chake.
Anthu ake atagwidwa ndi adani ake,
panalibe aliyense womuthandiza.
Adani ake ankamuyangʼana
ndi kumuseka chifukwa cha kuwonongeka kwake.
8Yerusalemu wachimwa kwambiri
ndipo potero wakhala wodetsedwa.
Onse amene ankamulemekeza pano akumunyoza,
chifukwa aona umaliseche wake.
Iye mwini akubuwula
ndipo akubisa nkhope yake.
9Uve wake umaonekera pa zovala zake;
iye sanaganizire za tsogolo lake.
Nʼchifukwa chake kugwa kwake kunali kwakukulu;
ndipo analibe womutonthoza.
“Inu Yehova, taonani masautso anga,
pakuti mdani wapambana.”
10Adani amulanda
chuma chake chonse;
iye anaona mitundu ya anthu achikunja ikulowa mʼmalo ake opatulika,
amene Inu Mulungu munawaletsa
kulowa mu msonkhano wanu.
11Anthu ake onse akubuwula
pamene akufunafuna chakudya;
asinthanitsa chuma chawo ndi chakudya
kuti akhale ndi moyo.
“Inu Yehova, taonani ndipo ganizirani,
chifukwa ine ndanyozeka.”
12“Kodi zimenezi mukuziyesa zachabe, inu nonse mukudutsa?
Yangʼanani ndipo muone.
Kodi pali mavuto ofanana ndi
amene andigwerawa,
amene Ambuye anandibweretsera
pa tsiku la ukali wake?
13“Anatumiza moto kuchokera kumwamba,
unalowa mpaka mʼmafupa anga.
Anayala ukonde kuti ukole mapazi anga
ndipo anandibweza.
Anandisiya wopanda chilichonse,
wolefuka tsiku lonse.
14“Wazindikira machimo anga onse
ndipo ndi manja ake anawaluka pamodzi.
Machimowa afika pakhosi panga,
ndipo Ambuye wandithetsa mphamvu.
Iye wandipereka
kwa anthu amene sindingalimbane nawo.
15“Ambuye wakana
anthu anga onse amphamvu omwe ankakhala nane:
wasonkhanitsa gulu lankhondo kuti lilimbane nane,
kuti litekedze anyamata anga;
mʼmalo ofinyira mphesa Ambuye wapondereza
anamwali a Yuda.
16“Chifukwa cha zimenezi ndikulira
ndipo maso anga adzaza ndi misozi.
Palibe aliyense pafupi woti anditonthoze,
palibe aliyense wondilimbitsa mtima.
Ana anga ali okhaokha
chifukwa mdani watigonjetsa.
17“Ziyoni wakweza manja ake,
koma palibe aliyense womutonthoza.
Yehova walamula kuti abale ake
a Yakobo akhale adani ake;
Yerusalemu wasanduka
chinthu chodetsedwa pakati pawo.
18“Yehova ndi wolungama,
koma ndine ndinawukira malamulo ake.
Imvani inu anthu a mitundu yonse;
onani masautso anga.
Anyamata ndi anamwali anga
agwidwa ukapolo.
19“Ndinayitana abwenzi anga
koma anandinyenga.
Ansembe ndi akuluakulu anga
anafa mu mzinda
pamene ankafunafuna chakudya
kuti akhale ndi moyo.
20“Inu Yehova, onani mmene ine ndavutikira!
Ndikuzunzika mʼkati mwanga,
ndipo mu mtima mwanga ndasautsidwa
chifukwa ndakhala osamvera.
Mʼmisewu anthu akuphedwa,
ndipo ku mudzi kuli imfa yokhayokha.
21“Anthu amva kubuwula kwanga,
koma palibe wonditonthoza.
Adani anga onse amva masautso anga;
iwo akusangalala pa zimene Inu mwachita.
Lifikitseni tsiku limene munalonjeza lija
kuti iwonso adzakhale ngati ine.
22“Lolani kuti ntchito zawo zoyipa zifike pamaso panu;
muwalange
ngati mmene mwandilangira ine
chifukwa cha machimo anga onse.
Ndikubuwula kwambiri
ndipo mtima wanga walefuka.”
