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.”
11:1 Alaw 26:43; Isa 47:8Hĩ! Kaĩ itũũra rĩu inene nĩrĩikarĩte rĩtiganĩirio,
o rĩu rĩratũire rĩiyũrĩte andũ-ĩ!
Kaĩ rĩĩkũhaana o ta mũtumia wa ndigwa,
ũcio ũraarĩ mũnene gatagatĩ ka ndũrĩrĩ-ĩ!
O we ũratũire arĩ mũthamaki-mũndũ-wa-nja ngʼongo-inĩ cia bũrũri-rĩ,
rĩu atuĩkĩte ngombo.
2Ũtukũ araaraga akĩrĩra na ruo,
maithori makanyũrũrũkĩra makai-inĩ make.
Arĩa othe marendanĩte nake-rĩ,
hatirĩ o na ũmwe wa kũmũhooreria.
Arata ake othe nĩmamũkunyanĩire;
othe matuĩkĩte thũ ciake.
31:3 Jer 13:19; Thaam 15:9Thuutha wa thĩĩna na mawĩra maritũ,
Juda nĩatwarĩtwo ithaamĩrio.
Atũũraga gatagatĩ ka ndũrĩrĩ;
agakĩaga handũ ha kũhurũka.
Arĩa othe mamũingatithagia nĩmamũkinyĩrĩire
arĩ hatĩka-inĩ ciake.
41:4 Thab 137:1; Joel 1:8-13Njĩra cia gũthiĩ Zayuni no macakaya,
nĩ ũndũ gũtirĩ andũ mookaga ciathĩ ciake iria njathane.
Matoonyero make mothe makirĩte ihooru,
athĩnjĩri-Ngai ake no gũcaaya maracaaya,
airĩtu ake no kũgirĩka,
nake arĩ na ruo rũnene.
51:5 Isa 22:5; Jer 10:20Amuku ake matuĩkĩte nĩo mamwathaga;
thũ ciake nĩcio igaacĩire.
Jehova nĩamũrehithĩirie kĩeha
nĩ ũndũ wa mehia make maingĩ.
Ciana ciake itahĩtwo igatwarwo bũrũri ũngĩ,
igatuĩka mĩgwate ya thũ.
61:6 Jer 13:18; Alaw 26:36Mwarĩ wa Zayuni nĩehereirwo nĩ riiri wake.
Anene ake mahaanĩte ta thwariga ciagĩte ũrĩithio;
moorĩte matarĩ na hinya,
moimĩtwo thuutha nĩ arĩa mamaingatithĩtie.
71:7 2Ath 14:26; Jer 37:7Matukũ-inĩ ma thĩĩna na kũũrũũra gwake-rĩ,
Jerusalemu aririkanaga igĩĩna ciothe
iria ciarĩ ciake matukũ ma tene.
Rĩrĩa andũ ake maagũire moko-inĩ ma thũ-rĩ,
gũtiarĩ mũndũ o na ũmwe wa kũmũteithia.
Thũ ciake ikĩmũrora,
igĩthekerera mwanangĩko wake.
81:8 Jer 13:22, 26; Thab 6:6Jerusalemu nĩehĩtie mũno,
na nĩ ũndũ ũcio akanyiitwo nĩ thaahu.
Arĩa othe maamũtĩĩte-rĩ, rĩu nĩmamũnyararĩte,
nĩ ũndũ nĩmonete njaga yake;
we mwene no gũcaaya aracaaya,
na akamahutatĩra.
91:9 Gũcook 32:28-29; Koh 4:11Gĩko gĩake nĩkĩnyiitĩte nguo ciake;
nake ndaigana gwĩcũũrania mũtũũrĩre wake wa thuutha.
Kũgũa gwake kwarĩ gwa kũmakania;
gũtiarĩ mũndũ o na ũmwe wa kũmũhooreria.
“Wee Jehova, ta kĩone mathĩĩna makwa,
nĩgũkorwo thũ yakwa nĩhootanĩte.”
101:10 Isa 64:11; Gũcook 23:3Thũ ĩyo nĩyegwatĩire
igĩĩna-inĩ ciake ciothe;
nake akĩĩonera ndũrĩrĩ iria itooĩ Ngai
igĩtoonya handũ harĩa hake haamũre:
o arĩa wee wathanĩte
matikanatoonye kĩũngano-inĩ gĩaku.1:10 Andũ a ndũrĩrĩ matietĩkĩrĩtio gũtoonya hekarũ matikamĩthaahie (Ezek 44:7-9).
111:11 Jer 52:6Andũ ake othe nĩgũcaaya maracaaya
magĩetha gĩa kũrĩa;
magagĩkũũrania igĩĩna ciao
na irio nĩguo matũũre muoyo.
“Wee Jehova, ta cũrania wone,
nĩgũkorwo ndĩ mũmeneku.”
121:12 Jer 30:24“Atĩrĩrĩ, inyuĩ mũrahĩtũka,
anga mũkuona ũndũ ũyũ ta ũtamũkoniĩ?
Ta rorai muone.
Nĩ kũrĩ thĩĩna ũiganaine na thĩĩna ũyũ wakwa,
thĩĩna ũrĩa njigĩrĩirwo,
o ũcio Jehova aandehithĩirie
mũthenya wa marakara make mahiũ?
131:13 Ayub 30:30; Jer 44:6; Ahib 3:16“We aandũmĩire mwaki uumĩte igũrũ,
akĩũikũrũkia, ũgĩtoonya nginya mahĩndĩ-inĩ makwa.
Aambĩire magũrũ makwa wabu wa kũmatega, akĩĩhũndũra.
Nake agĩtũma nyiitwo nĩ ihooru, ngĩkĩringĩka mũthenya wothe.
141:14 Gũcook 28:48; Jer 32:5“Mehia makwa mohanĩtio, magatuĩka icooki.
Moko make mamogothanĩtie hamwe.
Magagĩĩkĩrwo ngingo-inĩ yakwa,
nake Mwathani agakĩĩniina hinya.
Akaaneana moko-inĩ ma arĩa itangĩhota gwĩtiiria.
151:15 Isa 41:2; Atiir 6:11“Mwathani nĩaregete
njamba ciothe cia ita iria ndĩ nacio,
akanjĩtĩra ita nĩguo rĩnjũkĩrĩre,
rĩmemende aanake akwa.
Kĩhihĩro-inĩ gĩake kĩa ndibei-rĩ,
Mwathani nĩarangĩrĩirie
Mwarĩ Gathirange wa Juda.
161:16 Maca 2:11, 18; Koh 4:11“Maũndũ macio nĩmo maratũma ndĩre,
namo maitho makwa makanyũrũrũkia maithori.
Gũtirĩ mũndũ ũrĩ hakuhĩ wa kũũhooreria,
gũtirĩ mũndũ wa kũnyũmĩrĩria ngoro.
Ciana ciakwa ituĩkĩte cia kũnyamarĩka
tondũ thũ nĩyo ĩhootanĩte.”
171:17 Jer 4:31; Alaw 18:25-28Zayuni atambũrũkĩtie moko,
no gũtirĩ mũndũ wa kũmũhooreria.
Jehova nĩathanĩte ũhoro wa Jakubu
atĩ arĩa mariganĩtie nake matuĩke thũ ciake;
Jerusalemu nĩatuĩkĩte
kĩndũ kĩrĩ thaahu gatagatĩ-inĩ kao.
181:18 1Sam 12:14; Gũcook 28:32, 41“Jehova nĩ mũthingu,
no rĩrĩ, nĩndaremeire watho wake.
Thikĩrĩriai, inyuĩ andũ othe,
na mũrore gũthĩĩnĩka gwakwa.
Aanake akwa na airĩtu akwa
nĩmatahĩtwo magatwarwo thĩ ngʼeni.
191:19 Jer 14:15; Maca 2:20“Ndaatũmanĩire arĩa twarĩ ngwatanĩro,
no-o makĩngunyanĩra.
Athĩnjĩri-Ngai akwa, na athuuri akwa
marakuĩrĩire itũũra-inĩ rĩu inene,
o magĩcaragia irio cia kũmatũũria muoyo.
201:20 Ezek 7:15; Jer 4:19“Wee Jehova, ta rora wone ũrĩa ndĩ hatĩka-inĩ!
Nĩndĩratangĩka thĩinĩ wakwa,
na ngathĩĩnĩka thĩinĩ wa ngoro yakwa,
nĩ ũndũ ngoretwo ndĩ mũremi mũno.
Na kũu nja, hiũ cia njora nĩirooraga andũ,
nakuo thĩinĩ no gĩkuũ kũrĩ.
211:21 Maca 2:15; Jer 30:16“Andũ nĩmaiguĩte mũcaayo wakwa,
no gũtirĩ mũndũ o na ũmwe wa kũũhooreria.
Thũ ciakwa ciothe nĩciguĩte ũhoro wa hatĩka ciakwa,
nacio igakena nĩ ũndũ wa ũguo wĩkĩte.
Nawe gĩkinyie mũthenya ũrĩa wanĩrĩire
nĩguo nao mahaane ta niĩ.
22“Waganu wao wothe nĩũgĩkinye mbere yaku,
nawe ũmeke o ta ũrĩa ũnjĩkĩte
nĩ ũndũ wa mehia makwa mothe.
Mĩcaayo yakwa nĩ mĩingĩ,
nayo ngoro yakwa nĩĩringĩkĩte.”
