淒慘的耶路撒冷
1從前人煙稠密的城，
現在何其荒涼！
從前揚威列邦的強國，
現在竟像寡婦！
從前在諸省貴為公主，
現在卻淪為奴婢！
2她在夜間痛哭，淚流滿面。
情人中沒有一個前來安慰。
朋友都出賣她，與她為敵。
3猶大飽受苦難和奴役，
被擄往遠方，流落異邦，
找不到安居之所。
她在走投無路之際被追敵擒獲。
4通往錫安的道路滿目淒涼，
因為無人前去過節。
她的城門冷落，
她的祭司悲歎，
她的少女哀傷，她痛苦不已。
5仇敵做了她的主人，
她的敵人安逸發達。
因為她作惡多端，
耶和華叫她飽受困苦，
她的孩子被敵人擄去。
6少女錫安的尊榮消逝，
她的首領像找不到草吃的鹿，
無力逃脫敵人的追趕。
7在困苦流離中，
耶路撒冷想起昔日的榮華。
如今，她的人民落在敵人手中，
無人援救。
她的仇敵幸災樂禍，嘲笑她的滅亡。
8耶路撒冷罪大惡極，
淪為污穢之物。
從前尊重她的人看見她赤身裸體，就蔑視她。
她只能哀歎、退避。
9她的裙子沾滿污穢，
她未曾想過自己的結局。
她的敗落令人震驚，
無人安慰。
她哭喊道：「耶和華啊，
仇敵已經獲勝，
求你垂顧我的苦難！」
10敵人伸手奪去她的一切珍寶。
她目睹外族人闖入聖殿，
耶和華禁止他們進入祂的會眾。
11她的人民呻吟著四處覓食，
用珍寶換取糧食維生。
耶路撒冷的哀歎
她說：「耶和華啊，求你垂顧我，
因為我被人蔑視。
12「路人啊，你們都無動於衷嗎？
你們看看，
耶和華向我發烈怒，降禍於我，
還有誰比我更痛苦呢？
13「祂從高天降下火來，
使火在我骨中燃燒；
祂在我腳前設下網羅，
使我返回；
祂使我淒涼孤寂，終日痛苦。
14「我的罪惡連接成軛，
祂親手把它們綁在一起，
繫在我的頸項上，
使我精疲力盡。
主把我交給我無力抵擋的敵人。
15「主棄絕我所有的勇士，
召集軍隊攻擊我，
打垮我的青年。
主踐踏處女猶大，
如同在榨酒池中踩踏。
16「我為此哭泣，
淚流滿面，
卻無人安慰、鼓勵我。
我的兒女淒涼孤苦，
因為仇敵已經得勝。」
17錫安伸手求助，卻無人安慰她。
耶和華已命四周鄰國與雅各為敵。
耶路撒冷在他們當中成了污穢之物。
18「但耶和華是公義的，
因為我違背了祂的命令。
萬國啊，請聽我的話，
看看我的痛苦！
我的少男少女都被擄去。
19「我向情人們求助，
他們卻欺騙我。
我的祭司和長老在覓食求生時，
倒斃在城中。
20「耶和華啊，
看看我是多麼痛苦！
我愁腸百結，
我的心靈翻騰，
因為我極其悖逆。
街上有刀劍奪命，
家中有死亡籠罩。
21「人們聽見我的哀歎，
卻無人安慰我。
敵人聽說你降給我的災難，
都幸災樂禍。
願你宣告的審判之日來臨，
叫他們像我一樣受苦！
22「願他們的惡行都擺在你眼前！
你怎樣因我一切的罪惡而懲罰我，
願你也照樣懲罰他們！
我歎息不絕，心中哀傷。」
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.”
