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.”
1 Sura hii imetungwa kila beti likianzia, na pia kila mstari katika lile beti, na herufi ya alfabeti ya Kiebrania zikifuatana tangu Aleph (A) hadi Taw (T); zote ni 22. 11:1 Isa 47:7-8; Ezr 4:20; Eze 5:5; Isa 3:26; Yer 42:2; Law 26:43; Mao 1:9Tazama jinsi mji ulivyoachwa ukiwa,
mji ambao zamani ulikuwa umejaa watu!
Jinsi ambavyo umekuwa kama mama mjane,
ambaye wakati fulani alikuwa maarufu miongoni mwa mataifa!
Yule ambaye alikuwa malkia miongoni mwa majimbo
sasa amekuwa mtumwa.
21:2 Za 6:6; Yer 4:30; Mik 7:5; Yer 30:14; 13:17; Mao 1:16; Ay 7:3Kwa uchungu, hulia sana usiku,
machozi yapo kwenye mashavu yake.
Miongoni mwa wapenzi wake wote
hakuna yeyote wa kumfariji.
Rafiki zake wote wamemsaliti,
wamekuwa adui zake.
31:3 Yer 13:19; Kum 28:64-65; Kut 15:9; Law 26:14, 32, 33Baada ya mateso na kufanyishwa kazi kikatili,
Yuda amekwenda uhamishoni.
Anakaa miongoni mwa mataifa,
hapati mahali pa kupumzika.
Wote ambao wanamsaka wamemkamata
katikati ya dhiki yake.
41:4 Isa 27:10; Yer 9:11; Yoe 1:8-13Barabara zielekeazo Sayuni zaomboleza,
kwa kuwa hakuna yeyote anayekuja
kwenye sikukuu zake zilizoamriwa.
Malango yake yote yamekuwa ukiwa,
makuhani wake wanalia kwa uchungu,
wanawali wake wanahuzunika,
naye yuko katika uchungu wa maumivu makuu.
51:5 Isa 22:5; Yer 10:20; 39:9; 30:14; Mao 3:39; Yer 30:15; 52:28-30; Za 5:10; Mao 2:17Adui zake wamekuwa mabwana zake,
watesi wake wana raha.
Bwana amemletea huzuni
kwa sababu ya dhambi zake nyingi.
Watoto wake wamekwenda uhamishoni,
mateka mbele ya adui.
61:6 Yer 13:18; Za 9:14; Law 26:36Fahari yote imeondoka
kutoka kwa Binti Sayuni.
Wakuu wake wako kama ayala
ambaye hapati malisho,
katika udhaifu wamekimbia
mbele ya anayewasaka.
71:7 2Fal 14:26; Yer 37:7; Mik 4:11; Mao 4:17; Yer 2:26Katika siku za mateso yake na kutangatanga,
Yerusalemu hukumbuka hazina zote
ambazo zilikuwa zake siku za kale.
Wakati watu wake walipoanguka katika mikono ya adui,
hapakuwepo na yeyote wa kumsaidia.
Watesi wake walimtazama
na kumcheka katika maangamizi yake.
81:8 Isa 59:2-13; Za 38:8; Yer 13:22-26; 2:22Yerusalemu ametenda dhambi sana
kwa hiyo amekuwa najisi.
Wote waliomheshimu wanamdharau,
kwa maana wameuona uchi wake.
Yeye mwenyewe anapiga kite
na kugeukia mbali.
91:9 Isa 47:7; Eze 24:13; Yer 13:18; Mhu 4:1; Yer 16:7; Za 25:18; Kum 32:29Uchafu wake umegandamana na nguo zake;
hakuwaza juu ya maisha yake ya baadaye.
Anguko lake lilikuwa la kushangaza,
hapakuwepo na yeyote wa kumfariji.
“Tazama, Ee Bwana, teso langu,
kwa maana adui ameshinda.”
101:10 Neh 13:1; Kum 23:3; Yer 51:51; Isa 64:11; Za 74:7-8Adui ametia mikono
juu ya hazina zake zote,
aliona mataifa ya kipagani
wakiingia mahali patakatifu pake,
wale uliowakataza kuingia
kwenye kusanyiko lako.
111:11 Za 38:8; Yer 38:9; 37:21; 52:6Watu wake wote wanalia kwa uchungu
watafutapo chakula;
wanabadilisha hazina zao kwa chakula
ili waweze kuendelea kuishi.
“Tazama, Ee Bwana, ufikiri,
kwa maana nimedharauliwa.”
121:12 Yer 18:16; Isa 10:4; Yer 30:24; Dan 9:12; Isa 13:13; Mit 24:21; Lk 21:22“Je, si kitu kwenu, ninyi nyote mpitao kando?
Angalieni kote mwone.
Je, kuna maumivu kama maumivu yangu
yale yaliyotiwa juu yangu,
yale Bwana aliyoyaleta juu yangu
katika siku ya hasira yake kali?
131:13 Ay 30:30; Za 102:3; Hab 3:16; Yer 44:6; Eze 12:13; Ay 18:8; Za 66:11; Hos 7:12“Kutoka juu alipeleka moto,
akaushusha katika mifupa yangu.
Aliitandia wavu miguu yangu
na akanirudisha nyuma.
Akanifanya mkiwa,
na mdhaifu mchana kutwa.
141:14 Isa 47:6; Yer 15:12; 32:5“Dhambi zangu zimefungwa kwenye nira,
kwa mikono yake zilifumwa pamoja.
Zimefika shingoni mwangu
na Bwana ameziondoa nguvu zangu.
Amenitia mikononi mwa wale
ambao siwezi kushindana nao.
151:15 Yer 37:10; Isa 41:2; 28:1; Yer 18:21; Ufu 14:19; Yer 14:17; Amu 6:11; Isa 63:3“Bwana amewakataa wapiganaji wa vita
wote walio kati yangu,
ameagiza jeshi dhidi yangu
kuwaponda vijana wangu wa kiume.
Katika shinikizo lake la divai Bwana amemkanyaga
Bikira Binti Yuda.
161:16 Za 119:136; Ay 7:3; Yer 16:7; 13:17; 14:17; Isa 22:4; Mao 3:48-49“Hii ndiyo sababu ninalia
na macho yangu yanafurika machozi.
Hakuna yeyote aliye karibu kunifariji,
hakuna yeyote wa kuhuisha roho yangu.
Watoto wangu ni wakiwa
kwa sababu adui ameshinda.”
171:17 Yer 4:31; Kut 23:21; Law 18:25-28Sayuni ananyoosha mikono yake,
lakini hakuna yeyote wa kumfariji.
Bwana ametoa amri kwa ajili ya Yakobo
kwamba majirani zake wawe adui zake;
Yerusalemu umekuwa
kitu najisi miongoni mwao.
181:18 1Sam 12:14; Kum 28:32; Neh 9:33; Ezr 9:15; Kut 9:27; Dan 9:7“Bwana ni mwenye haki,
hata hivyo niliasi dhidi ya amri yake.
Sikilizeni, enyi mataifa yote,
tazameni maumivu yangu.
Wavulana wangu na wasichana wangu
wamekwenda uhamishoni.
191:19 Mao 2:20; Yer 14:15; 22:20“Niliita washirika wangu
lakini walinisaliti.
Makuhani wangu na wazee wangu
waliangamia mjini
walipokuwa wakitafuta chakula
ili waweze kuishi.
201:20 Yer 4:19; Kum 32:25; Eze 7:15; Ay 20:2; Mao 2:11; Isa 16:11; Hos 11:8“Angalia, Ee Bwana, jinsi nilivyo katika dhiki!
Nina maumivu makali ndani yangu,
nami ninahangaika moyoni mwangu,
kwa kuwa nimekuwa mwasi sana.
Huko nje, upanga unaua watu,
ndani, kipo kifo tu.
211:21 Za 38:8; Mao 2:15; Yer 30:16; Isa 47:11; Za 6:6“Watu wamesikia ninavyolia kwa uchungu,
lakini hakuna yeyote wa kunifariji.
Adui zangu wote wamesikia juu ya dhiki yangu,
wanafurahia lile ulilolitenda.
Naomba uilete siku uliyoitangaza
ili wawe kama mimi.
221:22 Neh 4:5; Za 6:6“Uovu wao wote na uje mbele zako;
uwashughulikie wao
kama vile ulivyonishughulikia mimi
kwa sababu ya dhambi zangu zote.
Kulia kwangu kwa uchungu ni kwingi
na moyo wangu umedhoofika.”
