Lonely Jerusalem
The Prophet Speaks:
1 Jerusalem, once so crowded,
lies deserted and lonely.
This city that was known
all over the world
is now like a widow.
This queen of the nations
has been made a slave.
2 Each night, bitter tears
flood her cheeks.
None of her former lovers
are there to offer comfort;
her friends have betrayed her
and are now her enemies.
3 The people of Judah are slaves,
suffering in a foreign land,
with no rest from sorrow.
Their enemies captured them
and were terribly cruel.
4 The roads to Zion mourn
because no one travels there
to celebrate the festivals.
The city gates are deserted;
priests are weeping.
Young women are raped;
Zion is in sorrow!
5 Enemies now rule the city
and live as they please.
The Lord has punished Jerusalem
because of her awful sins;
he has let her people
be dragged away.
6 Zion's glory has disappeared.
Her leaders are like deer
that cannot find pasture;
they are hunted down
till their strength is gone.
7 Her people recall the good life
that once was theirs;
now they suffer
and are scattered.
No one was there to protect them
from their enemies who sneered
when their city was taken.
8 Jerusalem's horrible sins
have made the city a joke.
Those who once admired her
now hate her instead—
she has been disgraced;
she groans and turns away.
9 Her sins had made her filthy,
but she wasn't worried
about what could happen.
And when Jerusalem fell,
it was so tragic.
No one gave her comfort
when she cried out,
“Help! I'm in trouble, Lord!
The enemy has won.”
10 Zion's treasures were stolen.
Jerusalem saw foreigners
enter her place of worship,
though the Lord
had forbidden them
to belong to his people.
11 Everyone in the city groans
while searching for food;
they trade their valuables
for barely enough scraps
to stay alive.
Jerusalem Speaks:
Jerusalem shouts to the Lord,
“Please look and see
how miserable I am!”
12 No passerby even cares.
Why doesn't someone notice
my terrible sufferings?
You were fiercely angry, Lord,
and you punished me
worst of all.
13 From heaven you sent a fire
that burned in my bones;
you set a trap for my feet
and made me turn back.
All day long you leave me
in shock from constant pain.
14 You have tied my sins
around my neck,
and they weigh so heavily
that my strength is gone.
You have put me in the power
of enemies too strong for me.
15 You, Lord, have turned back
my warriors and crushed
my young heroes.
Judah was a woman untouched,
but you let her be trampled
like grapes in a wine pit.
16 Because of this, I mourn,
and tears flood my eyes.
No one is here to comfort
or to encourage me;
we have lost the war—
my people are suffering.
The Prophet Speaks:
17 Zion reaches out her hands,
but no one offers comfort.
The Lord has turned
the neighboring nations
against Jacob's descendants.
Jerusalem is merely a filthy rag
to her neighbors.
Jerusalem Speaks:
18 The Lord was right,
but I refused to obey him.
Now I ask all of you to look
at my sufferings—
even my young people
have been dragged away.
19 I called out to my lovers,
but they betrayed me.
My priests and my leaders died
while searching the city
for scraps of food.
20 Won't you look and see
how upset I am, our Lord?
My stomach is in knots,
and my heart is broken
because I betrayed you.
In the streets and at home,
my people are slaughtered.
21 Everyone heard my groaning,
but no one offered comfort.
My enemies know of the trouble
that you have brought on me,
and it makes them glad.
Hurry and punish them,
as you have promised.
22 Don't let their evil deeds
escape your sight.
Punish them as much
as you have punished me
because of my sins.
I never stop groaning—
I've lost all hope!
Tusu Yerusalema ro
1 Yerusalema se kyenona lidri amba be ono,
ka ori te awi!
Se kyenona orivoya liku tawi 'bädri azii lako ono;
yauono labate oso ävuzi ronye;
se kyenona orivoya 'desi ro 'bakici azi lako 'do te orivoya iyeäṛi ro.
2 Anya kate liyi rritiro ŋgäkyi si;
miendre kate idi biṛi anyaro yasi.
Bereazii se kyeno anyaro iyi, alona aza e'be kote anya i'dwene.
Oriazii anyaro yeyi anya te koziro ago yauono 'di cini
a'do ṛo kpeye kyila'baazi ro anyari.
3 Lidri Yuda ro ärute iyeäṛii ro ta takozi ànyaro rota,
ago ànya kayite rueza losi oyebe mbara si.
Ànya kayi te ori wari to azaka yasi, oko usuyi loli kote-
Lidri se kabe ànya lanja iyi tayivo ànyaro te tu rriti ànyaro rosi.
4 Liti se kabe oyi Zaiona ya te awi,
tana 'diaza ikyi kote mätune Yekalu ya tu alokado si.
Dereŋwa cini 'bakici ro te uŋbo
ago kohanii kayite toto leri ayani.
Äru ndiriŋwa Zaiona rote ago Zaiona kate rueza rritiro.
5 Kyila'baazii anyaro teni 'desii anyaro,
ta a'dote kadoro kyila'baazii anyaro ri.
OPI 'ba anya te ruezane inye ta taenji amba anyaro rota;
äru ŋgagà anyaro te kamba'bai ro kyila'baazii ri.
6 Liŋgyi Zaiona ro tana lävute.
Dri'bai anyaro a'dote oso kaliŋga se usu ŋgaonya ko 'do ronye,
ànya riyi kote umune mbarasi äṛigo'ba ri.
7 Tu rritiro ago ruezaro ono si Yerusalema kate ŋgase cini
liŋgyiliŋgyiro ndaro se kyeno kayi tana usuna.
Ondro anya ko'dete dri kyila'baazii roya oko,
'diaza te i'do anya opane;
lidri se kope anya be ṛe iyi guyi o'de anyaro te.
8 Yerusalema ye takozi parandra te,
ta'dota anya te undiro;
'dicini se koro nda be kate nda o'da,
tana ànya ndre a'do bägyulu ro anyaro te.
Anya kate leri ago da'do militi anyaro te.
9 A'do undiro anyaro landrete dori rritiako,
anya usu ta kandrakozi anyaro tana kote.
Ta'doro o'de anyaro a'dote kozipara,
'diaza ni kote anya i'dwene.
Anya kate liyi OPI ri ta rueza anyaro rota,
tana kyila'baazi anyaro pe ŋgate ṛe.
10 Kyila'baazii anyaro topa ŋga kado para cini anyaro te.
Anya ndre atrai te ocivoya Yekalu modo ya,
vose OPI laga atrai zo ocine kigye ana.
11 Lidri cini anyaro ka leri
ŋgaonya uṛivoya onyane;
Ànya kayi lakazà ànyaro logyena ŋgaonya dri
ànyari adrizana.
'Bakici ana kate liyi ekye: “Äye OPI mindrevo mädri;
tana ma te rueza.”
12 Anya ka ata 'dise cini kayibe lävu kai ri ekye:
“Mindrevo mädri, nyùsuta maro ko ya?
Ta aza a'do kote luwuekye
'diaza ri oso maro ono ronye alona,
se OPI ezite mädri tu kyila ndaro rosi.
13 “Nda ezi asi te ni kurusi;
asi se za ya yasi maro te.
Nda 'be abari te märi
ago teri mate ndi gyini dri.
Nda ti ta maro kote ago e'be mate mbaraako kitu zwi.
14 “Nda ru takozi maro te ago embe ànya te voaloya;
embe ànya te kyembe maro ya, ago läŋgyina ba ma'dote mbaraako.
OPI ozo mate manya'baazii maro rigye,
se mbaranai te ndra mädrisi.
15 “OPI ga kyila'bai cini maro se mbaraekye iyi tezo;
nda ezi kyila'baazii te mädri agoànji maro tufune.
OPI zwa lidri maro te oso abe doŋgo kono ro
ozwana pi'di vino roya ronye.
16 “'Doni tase ko'ba mabe liyine owo.
Miendre maro idite
'Diaza te i'do ma i'dwe ne;
ago 'diaza ni kote agoago ozone märi.
E'be ŋga aza kote lidri maro ri;
tana kyila'baazi pe mate ṛe;
17 “Meŋga drii maro te kuru,
caoko 'diaza i'do ma i'dwene.
OPI ozotate kyila'baazii ri ikyine
lidri Yisaraele ro gotane lamadri cini yasi;
Ago ma'dote oso ŋgase undiro ronye ànya lako.
18 “Oko ta OPI ro ni ŋgye,
tana mogbote nda be.
Nyeri ta maro, ami lidri vo cini yasi ono;
ago mindre rueza maro.
Tana äru agoànji ndi ndiriŋwa maro yibe te
midiro kamba ya.
19 “Mäzi bereazii maro te;
oko odoyi ma te.
Kohanii maro ndi dri'bai maro be
todrayite 'bakici ya,
Ŋgaonya uṛivoya iyi adrizana.
20 “Äye OPI, mindre mate rriti ya,
lidri maro te rueza ya.
Ya maro te tusuro.
Tana mogbote mibe.
Ate 'ditufu litiŋwà drisi;
ca zo yasi odra kpa orivoya.
21 “Nyeri mabe leri ono;
'diaza i'do ma i'dwene.
Kyila'baazii maro eriyi rueza maro tana te
ànya orivoya yai'dwe si rriti se nyezi'be mädri ono tana ro.
Mi'ba tuse mi'ba tana be ono kesa teri;
tana kyila'baazii maro kezaru robe kpa oso ma ronye.
22 “Mindre taoye se cini ànyaro undiro ono;
nyeza ànya kpa oso nyeza mabe ta takozi maro rota ono ronye.
Ma te leri rriti,
ago ma te adravo ro.”