Lamentations 2
1 Yahweh was extremely angry [with us]; as a result, [it was as though] [MET] he covered Jerusalem with a dark cloud. Previously it was a beautiful/glorious city, but he has caused it to become a ruins. At the time he punished [MET] Israel, he [even] abandoned his temple [MET] [in Jerusalem].
Aleke Aƒetɔ la tsɔ eƒe dzikulilikpo tsyɔ Zion vinyɔnu dzi nye esi! Etsɔ Israel ƒe atsyɔ̃ tso dziƒo xlã ɖe anyigba dzi eye meɖo ŋku eƒe afɔɖodzinu dzi le eƒe dzikudogbe o.
2 Yahweh destroyed the homes of [the people of] [PRS] Judah; he did not act mercifully. Because he was very angry, he broke down the fortresses of Judah. He has caused our kingdom and our rulers to become disgraced, and he has gotten rid of them.
Aƒetɔ la gblẽ Yakob ƒe nɔƒewo katã nublanuimakpɔmakpɔtɔe. Eye le eƒe dziku me wògbã Yuda vinyɔnu ƒe mɔ sesẽwo ƒu anyi. Egbã eƒe fiaɖuƒe kple eƒe dumegãwo ƒu anyi le vlododo me.
3 Because he was extremely angry, he has caused Israel to not be powerful [MET] any more. He has refused to assist us when our enemies attacked us. He has destroyed Israel like [SIM] a raging fire destroys everything.
Etsɔ dziku helĩhelĩ helã Israel ƒe dzo ɖe sia ɖe ɖa. Esi futɔwo gbɔna mía gbɔ la, eɖe eƒe nuɖusibɔ ɖa. Ebi le Yakob me abe dzo bibi si fia nu sia nu si ƒo xlãe la ene.
4 He bent his bow [to prepare to shoot us, his people], as though we were his enemies. He [prepared to] kill the people whom we love the most [MET], members of our own families. He is extremely angry [MTY] with us people of Jerusalem; his anger is like [SIM] a fire.
Ehe eƒe da me abe futɔ ene eye eƒe nuɖusibɔ le klalo. Ewu ame siwo katã nyo na eƒe ŋku abe ale si futɔ wɔnɛ ene. Etrɔ eƒe dziku kɔ ɖe Zion vinyɔnu ƒe agbadɔ dzi abe dzo ene.
5 Yahweh has become like an enemy to [us] Israelis; he has destroyed our palaces and caused our fortresses to become ruins. He has gotten rid of many people in Jerusalem, and caused us to mourn and weep [for those who were killed].
Aƒetɔ la zu futɔ eye wòtsrɔ̃ Israel. Etsrɔ̃ eƒe fiasãwo katã eye wògbã eƒe mɔ sesẽwo ƒu anyi. Edzi Yuda vinyɔnu ƒe nuxaxa kple konyifafa ɖe edzi.
6 He has caused his temple to be smashed [as easily] as [SIM] if it was a shelter in a garden. He has caused [us, his people], to forget all our sacred festivals and Sabbath days. He has caused [our] kings and priests to be rejected because he was extremely angry with them.
Ekaka eƒe nɔƒe abe ale si wokakaa kpɔ le abɔ ŋu ene hegblẽ eƒe takpeƒe. Yehowa na Zion ŋlɔ eƒe ŋkekenyuiwo kple Dzudzɔgbewo be eye le eƒe dziku helĩhelĩ me wòdo vlo fia la kple nunɔla siaa.
7 Yahweh has rejected his own altar and abandoned his temple. He has allowed [our] enemies to tear down the walls of [our temple and] our palaces. They shout [victoriously] in the temple of Yahweh, like we [previously shouted] during our sacred festivals.
Aƒetɔ la gbe nu le eƒe vɔsamlekpui kple eƒe kɔkɔeƒe la gbɔ. Etsɔ eƒe fiasãwo ƒe gliwo de asi na eƒe futɔwo eye wodo ɣli sesĩe le Yehowa ƒe gbedoxɔ me abe le ŋkekenyuiɖugbe ene.
8 Yahweh was determined to cause the walls of our city [MTY] to be torn down. [It was as though] he measured the walls and [then he completely] destroyed [MTY] them. [It was as though] he caused the towers and walls to lament/weep, [because they were now ruins].
Yehowa ɖoe kplikpaa be yeagbã gli le Zion vinyɔnu ŋu. Etsɔ nudzidzeka ɖo eŋu eye mehe eƒe asi ɖe megbe o, ke boŋ egbãe gudugudu. Ena be kpoƒuƒuwo kple gliwo siaa xa nu eye wo kple eve la siaa mu dze anyi.
9 The city gates have collapsed; the bars that fastened the gates shut have been smashed. The king and his officials have [been forced to] go to other countries. No longer does anyone teach the people the laws [that God gave to Moses]. The prophets do not receive any visions [because] Yahweh does not give them any.
Eƒe agbowo ɖo do ɖe anyigba eye wòŋe eƒe gametiwo kple gakpo siwo ŋu wobla wo ɖo. Woɖe aboyo eƒe fia kple dumegãwo ɖo ɖe dukɔwo dome, se la megali o eye eƒe Nyagblɔɖilawo hã megaxɔa ɖeɖefia tso Yehowa gbɔ o.
10 The old men of Jerusalem [MTY] sit on the ground, and they say nothing. They wear rough sackcloth and throw dust on their heads [to show that they are sad]. The young girls of Jerusalem bow down [sorrowfully], their faces touching the ground.
Zion vinyɔnu ƒe dumegãwo nɔ anyi ɖe anyigba le ɖoɖoezizi gã me. Wolɔ dzofi kɔ ɖe tame eye wota akpanya. Ke Yerusalem ɖetugbiwo ya de mo to.
11 My eyes are very tired because of my tears; I am very grieved in my soul. Because [very many of] my people have been killed, I grieve and am exhausted. [Even] children and babies are fainting [and dying] in the streets [because they have no food].
Avifafa na nu te nye ŋkuwo ŋu, nye lãme katã ʋu dzo ɖe menye, nye dzi lolõ hekɔ ɖe anyigba, elabena wotsrɔ̃ nye amewo, eye nu ti kɔ na ɖeviwo kple vidzĩwo siaa le dua ƒe kpɔdomewo.
12 They cry out to their mothers, “We need [RHQ] something to eat and drink!” They faint like wounded men in the streets of the city. They slowly die in the arms of their mothers.
Wobia wo dadawo be, “Afi ka abolo kple wain le?” Elabena nu te wo ŋu le dua ƒe kpɔdomewo abe ame siwo ŋu wode abi ene eye woƒe agbe nu tso le wo dadawo ƒe akɔnu.
13 You people of Jerusalem [MTY, DOU], (what can I/there is nothing that I can) say [to help you]. No people have [RHQ] suffered like you are suffering; I do not know what I can do to comfort you. The disaster [MET] that you have experienced is as great as the ocean is deep; there is no one [RHQ] who can restore your [city].
Nya ka magblɔ na wò? O Yerusalem vinyɔnu, nu ka matsɔ asɔ kpli wò? Nu ka magblɔ be ele abe wò ene, ne mafa akɔ na wò, O Zion vinyɔnu si menya ŋutsu o? Wò abiwo goglo abe atsiaƒu ene, ame ka ate ŋu ayɔ dɔ wò?
14 The prophets among you claimed that they had seen visions [from Yahweh], but what they said was false and worthless. They did not save you from being (exiled/forced to go to other countries), because they did not proclaim that you had sinned. Instead, the messages that they gave you deceived you [because] they were not true.
Wò nyagblɔɖilawo ƒe ɖeɖefiawo nye alakpa kple yakanyawo, womeɖe wò nu vɔ̃wo fia wò, be womagaɖo wò ɖe aboyo me o. Ke gbedeasi si wona mi la nye aʋatso eye wòkplɔ mi trae.
15 All those who pass by you make fun of [IDM] you; they shake their heads and they hiss/sneer at you. [They say], “Is this that great city of Jerusalem? Is it the city that was the most beautiful city in the world, the city that caused all [the people on] the earth to be joyful?”
Ame siwo katã va toa wò mɔ dzi yina la si akpe ɖe ŋuwò, woɖua fewu heʋuʋua ta ɖe wò Yerusalem vinyɔnu ŋu be, “Du siae woyɔna be tugbefia kple anyigba blibo la ƒe dzidzɔa?”
16 [Now] all our enemies scoff [IDM] at you; they hiss/sneer [at you] and gnash their teeth [to show that they hate you]. They say, “We have destroyed them! This is what we longed/waited for, and now it has happened!”
Wò futɔwo katã ke woƒe nuwo baa ɖe ŋuwò, woɖua fewu eye woɖua aɖukli ɖe ŋuwò be, “Míemi eya amea agbagbe. Esiae nye ŋkeke si míele mɔ kpɔm na, enyo be míele agbe kpɔ eteƒe.”
17 Yahweh has done what he planned; long ago he threatened to destroy you, and [now] he has done it. He has destroyed [your city] without acting mercifully [toward you]; he has enabled your enemies to he happy about defeating you; he has enabled your enemies to [continually] become stronger.
Yehowa wɔ nu si wòɖo, ena eƒe nya si wògblɔ ɖi gbe aɖe gbe ʋĩi la va eme. Etsɔ mi ƒu gbe nublanuimakpɔmakpɔtɔe, ena futɔwo kpɔ dzidzɔ le miaƒe anyidzedze ta eye wòkɔ míaƒe futɔwo ƒe dzo ɖe dzi bobobo.
18 I wish/desire that the walls of Jerusalem [APO] would cry out to Yahweh! You people of Jerusalem [MET], Cry day and night! Let your tears flow like rivers. Do not stop grieving; do not stop crying.
Ameawo ƒe dzi le ɣli dom na Aƒetɔ la. O Zion vinyɔnu ƒe gli, na be wò aɖatsiwo nasi abe tɔsisi ene zã kple keli, mègana gbɔdzɔe ɖokuiwò alo ana dzudzɔ wò ŋkuwo o.
19 Get up [every] night and cry out; tell Yahweh what you are feeling. Raise your arms to plead to him to act mercifully to prevent our children from dying; they are fainting on the street corners because they have no food to eat.
Fɔ, fa avi le zã me, dze egɔme ne zãdzɔɣi ƒe ga ƒo, trɔ wò dzi kɔ ɖe Aƒetɔ la ƒe ŋkume abe tsi ene. Tsɔ wò abɔwo do ɖe dzi nɛ le viwòwo ƒe agbe ta, ame siwo dɔwuame na wole kukum le kpɔdomewo.
20 Yahweh, look, and think [about it]! Have you ever [RHQ] caused people to suffer like this before? [It is certainly not right that] [RHQ] women are eating the flesh of their own children, the children whom they have always taken care of! [It is not right that] [RHQ] priests and prophets are being killed in your own temple!
“O Yehowa, ɖo ŋku anyi nàkpɔ nu. Ame ka nèwɔ alea kpɔ? Ɖe nyɔnuwo aɖu woƒe dɔmevi, vi siwo dzi wokpɔa? Ɖe wòle be woawu nunɔla kple Nyagblɔɖila le Aƒetɔ la ƒe kɔkɔeƒea?
21 [The corpses of] people of all ages lie in the streets; [there are even corpses of] young men and young women who have been killed by [our enemies’] swords. Because you were very angry, you caused them to be killed; you have slaughtered them without pitying them [at all].
“Ɖeviwo kple tsitsiawo siaa ɖo baba ɖe anyigba le kpɔdomewo, nye ɖekakpuiwo kple ɖetugbiwo tsi yi nu. Ewu wo le wò dzikudogbe, etsrɔ̃ wo nublanuimakpɔmakpɔtɔe.
22 You summoned our enemies to attack us from every direction, as though you were calling/inviting them to come to a feast. At that time when [you showed that] you were very angry, no one escaped. Our enemies murdered [our little children, ] ones whom we took care of and reared/brought up.
“Abe ale si nèyɔa amewo hena ŋkekenyuiɖuɖu ene la, nenemae nèyɔ ŋɔdzi be wòaƒo xlãm godoo. Le Yehowa ƒe dzikuŋkekea dzi la, ame aɖeke mesi alo tsi agbe o. Ame siwo mehe eye menyi la nye futɔ tsrɔ̃ wo katã.”
