Lamentations 1 – NIV & CCL

New International Version

Lamentations 1:1-22

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.”

Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero

Maliro 1:1-22

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.”