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.”
1Ao, sɛdeɛ kuropɔn no adane amamfo nie,
kuropɔn a anka nnipa ahyɛ no ma?
Ɛdeɛn enti na wayɛ okunafoɔ baa a
kane no na anka woyɛ kɛseɛ wɔ amanaman no mu?
Deɛ na ɔyɛ ɔhemmaa wɔ amantam no mu no
abɛyɛ afenaa ɛnnɛ.
2Ɔsu yaayaaya anadwo,
nisuo sensane nʼafono so.
Nʼadɔfoɔ nyinaa mu no,
ɔbiara nni hɔ a ɔkyekyere ne werɛ.
Nʼayɔnkofoɔ nyinaa adi no hwammɔ
Wɔayɛ nʼatamfoɔ.
3Amanehunu ne adwumaden akyi no,
Yuda kɔ nnommumfa mu.
Ɔte amanaman no mu
na ɔnni ahomegyebea
Wɔn a wɔtaa no nyinaa ati no
wɔ nʼahokyere mu.
4Akwan a ɛkɔ Sion no di awerɛhoɔ,
ɛfiri sɛ obiara nkɔ nʼafahyɛ ase.
Nʼapono nyinaa adeda mpan,
na nʼasɔfoɔ si apinie,
ne mmabaawa di yea,
na ɔwɔ yeadie a emu yɛ den.
5Nʼatamfoɔ abɛyɛ ne wuranom;
wɔn a wɔ ne no ayɛ dom ho adwo wɔn.
Awurade ama awerɛhoɔ aba ne so
nʼamumuyɛ bebrebe enti.
Ne mma kɔ nnommumfa mu.
Wɔayɛ nneduafoɔ ama ɔtamfoɔ.
6Animuonyam nyinaa atu
afiri Ɔbabaa Sion so kɔ.
Ne mmapɔmma ayɛ sɛ aforoteɛ
a wɔnnya adidibea;
na wɔde mmerɛyɛ adwane
wɔ wɔn ataafoɔ anim.
7Nʼamanehunu ne ananteananteɛ nna mu no,
Yerusalem kae ademudeɛ nyinaa
a na ɛwɔ no wɔ nna a atwam no mu.
Ne nkurɔfoɔ kɔtɔɔ ɔtamfoɔ no nsa mu no,
na obiara nni hɔ a ɔbɛboa no.
Nʼatamfoɔ de wɔn ani hwɛɛ no
na wɔseree ne sɛeɛ.
8Yerusalem ayɛ bɔne kɛseɛ
enti ne ho agu fi.
Wɔn a wɔdi no ni no sopa no,
ɛfiri sɛ wɔahunu nʼadagya;
ɔno ankasa gu ahome
na ɔdane nʼani.
9Nʼafideyɛ atu aka ne ntadeɛ mu;
wannwene ne daakye ho.
Nʼasehweɛ yɛ nwanwa;
obiara ankyekyere ne werɛ.
“Ao Awurade hwɛ mʼamanehunu,
ɛfiri sɛ ɔtamfoɔ adi nkonim.”
10Ɔtamfoɔ no de ne nsa too
nʼademudeɛ nyinaa so;
ɔhunuu sɛ amanaman
rehyɛne ne kronkronbea hɔ,
nnipa a woabra sɛ
wɔnnhyɛne wʼasafo mu no.
11Ne nkurɔfoɔ nyinaa si apinie
ɛberɛ a wɔrepɛ aduane;
wɔde wɔn ademudeɛ sesa aduane
de nya ahoɔden.
“Ao, Awurade, hwɛ na dwene me ho,
ɛfiri sɛ wɔbu me animtia.”
12“Ɛmfa mo ho anaa, mo a motwam hɔ nyinaa?
Monhwɛ na monhunu.
Ɛyea bi wɔ hɔ a ɛte sɛ me deɛ
a wɔma ɛbaa me soɔ yi anaa?
Deɛ Awurade de baa me so
wɔ nʼabufuhyeɛ da no.
13“Ɔsomaa ogya firi ɔsoro,
ma ɛbaa me nnompe mu.
Ɔsum afidie maa me nan
na ɔsane me kɔɔ mʼakyi.
Ɔyɛɛ me pasaa,
metɔɔ bira da mu nyinaa.
14“Woakyekyere me bɔne sɛ adesoa;
ɔde ne nsa nwene bɔɔ mu.
Abɛda me kɔn mu
na Awurade atwe mʼahoɔden.
Ɔde me ahyɛ wɔn a
merentumi nnyina wɔn anim no nsa.
15“Awurade apo
ahoɔdenfoɔ a wɔwɔ me ntam nyinaa;
wafrɛ akodɔm atia me
sɛ wɔmmɛdwɛre me mmeranteɛ.
Awurade atiatia Ɔbabaa Yuda Bunu so
wɔ ne nsakyiamena hɔ.
16“Yeinom enti na mesu
na nisuo adware me.
Obiara mmɛn a ɔbɛkyekye me werɛ.
Deɛ ɔbɛhyɛ me honhom den nni hɔ.
Me mma agyigya
ɛfiri sɛ ɔtamfoɔ no adi nkonim.”
17Sion trɛ ne nsa mu
nanso obiara nni hɔ a ɔbɛkyekye ne werɛ
Awurade ahyɛ ama Yakob sɛ
ne mfɛfoɔ bɛyɛ nʼatamfoɔ;
Yerusalem abɛyɛ
afideɛ wɔ wɔn mu.
18“Awurade yɛ ɔteneneeni,
nanso manni nʼahyɛdeɛ so.
Montie, mo amanaman nyinaa
monhwɛ me yea.
Me mmeranteɛ ne mmabaawa
kɔ nnommumfa mu.
19“Mefrɛɛ mʼapamfoɔ
nanso wɔyii me maeɛ.
Mʼasɔfoɔ ne me mpanimfoɔ
ase tɔreɛ wɔ kuropɔn no mu,
ɛberɛ a wɔrepɛ aduane adi
na wɔanwuwu.
20“Ao Awurade, hwɛ me mmɔborɔ!
Meredi ɛyea wɔ me mu,
na mʼakoma mu nso menni ahotɔ,
ɛfiri sɛ mayɛ otuatefoɔ kɛseɛ.
Akofena hyɛ me awerɛhoɔ wɔ abɔntene so;
efie nso yɛ owuo nko ara.
21“Nnipa ate mʼapinisie,
nanso obiara nni hɔ a ɔbɛkyekye me werɛ.
Mʼatamfoɔ nyinaa ate mʼamanehunu
wɔn ani gye deɛ woayɛ no ho.
Ma nna a woahyɛ no mmra
sɛdeɛ wɔbɛyɛ sɛ me.
22“Fa wɔn atirimuɔdensɛm nyinaa si wʼanim;
na wo ne wɔn nni
sɛdeɛ wo ne me adie
ɛsiane mʼamumuyɛ no enti.
Mʼapinisie dɔɔso
na mʼakoma aboto.”
