איכה 1

1 איכה ישבה בדד העיר רבתי עם--היתה כאלמנה רבתי בגוים שרתי במדינות--היתה למס

Jerusalem was [once] full of people, but now it is deserted. [Once] it was honored by people all over the world, but now it is [grieving/abandoned] like [SIM] a widow. [Once] it was [honored like] [MET] a princess [is honored] among the nations, but now [we who live here] have become slaves.

2 בכו תבכה בלילה ודמעתה על לחיה--אין לה מנחם מכל אהביה כל רעיה בגדו בה היו לה לאיבים

We [PRS] weep bitterly [all] night long, with tears flowing down our cheeks. Among [the people in] all [the nations] that loved Jerusalem there are none that comfort us [now]. All [the rulers of those nations that were previously] our allies have betrayed us, and they are all now enemies [of the people of Jerusalem].

3 גלתה יהודה מעני ומרב עבדה--היא ישבה בגוים לא מצאה מנוח כל רדפיה השיגוה בין המצרים

[The people of] Judah have been (exiled/forced to go to other countries) and caused to suffer greatly as slaves. They live in [other] nations where they do not have peace/safety. Their enemies seized them, and there was no way for them to escape.

4 דרכי ציון אבלות מבלי באי מועד--כל שעריה שוממין כהניה נאנחים בתולתיה נוגות והיא מר לה

The roads to Zion [Hill] are empty [PRS] because no one comes [here] to [celebrate] the sacred festivals. The city gates are deserted, and the priests groan. The young women [of Jerusalem] cry [because] they are suffering greatly.

5 היו צריה לראש איביה שלו כי יהוה הוגה על רב פשעיה עולליה הלכו שבי לפני צר

Our enemies have conquered the city, and [now] they prosper. Yahweh has punished [the people of] Jerusalem because of all the sins that they have committed. The children [of Jerusalem] have been captured and taken [to other countries].

6 ויצא מן בת (מבת) ציון כל הדרה היו שריה כאילים לא מצאו מרעה וילכו בלא כח לפני רודף

Jerusalem was a beautiful city, but it is not beautiful now. The leaders [of the city] are like [SIM] deer that are starving because of being unable to find any grass [to eat]. They are very weak, with the result that they are unable to run from their enemies.

7 זכרה ירושלם ימי עניה ומרודיה--כל מחמדיה אשר היו מימי קדם בנפל עמה ביד צר ואין עוזר לה--ראוה צרים שחקו על משבתה

[The people of] Jerusalem are sad and scattered, and they think about the previous greatness of the city. [But now] our enemies have captured the city, and there is no one to help the people. Our enemies destroyed the city and laughed while they were doing that.

8 חטא חטאה ירושלם על כן לנידה היתה כל מכבדיה הזילוה כי ראו ערותה גם היא נאנחה ותשב אחור

[The people of] [PRS] Jerusalem have sinned very much; [it is as though] [MET] the city has become [like] a filthy [rag]. All those who [previously] honored the city [now] despise it, because they see that it has become very disgraced [MET]. Now [the people of] the city groan, and they cover their faces [because they are very ashamed].

9 טמאתה בשוליה לא זכרה אחריתה ותרד פלאים אין מנחם לה ראה יהוה את עניי כי הגדיל אויב

The city has become filthy because of [PRS] the sins that the people have committed; they did not think about what could happen to the city. [Now] the city has been destroyed, and there is no one to comfort [the people]. [The people cry out saying], “Yahweh, look at how we are suffering because our enemies have defeated us!”

10 ידו פרש צר על כל מחמדיה כי ראתה גוים באו מקדשה--אשר צויתה לא יבאו בקהל לך

Our enemies have taken away all our treasures, all the valuable things that we owned. We have seen [soldiers from other] nations, [men who do not worship Yahweh], enter our sacred temple, [the place] where foreigners/non-Israelis were (forbidden/not allowed) to enter.

11 כל עמה נאנחים מבקשים לחם נתנו מחמודיהם (מחמדיהם) באכל להשיב נפש ראה יהוה והביטה כי הייתי זוללה

The people of the city groan while they search for food; they have given their treasures to get food [to eat] to remain alive. [They say], “Yahweh, look [at us], and see that we are despised!”

12 לוא אליכם כל עברי דרך--הביטו וראו אם יש מכאוב כמכאבי אשר עולל לי אשר הוגה יהוה ביום חרון אפו

You people who pass by, you do not [RHQ] seem to care at all [about what has happened to us]. Look around and see that there are no other [RHQ] people who are suffering like we are. Yahweh has caused us to suffer because he was extremely angry [with us].

13 ממרום שלח אש בעצמתי וירדנה פרש רשת לרגלי השיבני אחור--נתנני שממה כל היום דוה

[It is as though] he sent a fire from heaven [MTY] that burned in our bones; [it is as though] [MET] he has placed a trap for our feet, and has prevented us from walking any further. He has abandoned us; we are weak/miserable [every day], all day long.

14 נשקד על פשעי בידו ישתרגו עלו על צוארי--הכשיל כחי נתנני אדני בידי לא אוכל קום

He caused the sins that we have committed to be [like] a heavy load for us to carry; [it is as though] [MET] he tied them around our necks. Previously we were strong, but he has caused us to become weak. He has allowed our enemies to capture us, and we were not able to do anything to resist them.

15 סלה כל אבירי אדני בקרבי קרא עלי מועד לשבר בחורי גת דרך אדני לבתולת בת יהודה

Yahweh looked at our mighty soldiers and laughed at them. He has summoned a great army to [come and] crush our young soldiers. [It is as though] [MET] Yahweh has trampled on [us] people of Judah like [SIM] [people trample] on grapes in a pit [to make wine].

16 על אלה אני בוכיה עיני עיני ירדה מים--כי רחק ממני מנחם משיב נפשי היו בני שוממים כי גבר אויב

I weep because of [all] those things; my eyes are filled with tears. There is no one to comfort me; those who could encourage me are far away. Our enemies have conquered [us], so our children have nothing good to (hope for/expect to happen).

17 פרשה ציון בידיה אין מנחם לה--צוה יהוה ליעקב סביביו צריו היתה ירושלם לנדה ביניהם

[We people of] [PRS] Jerusalem reach out our hands [to get help], but there is no one to comfort us. Yahweh has decided concerning [us descendants of] Jacob that the people in nearby nations will become our enemies; so they consider that Jerusalem has become [like] [MET] a filthy rag.

18 צדיק הוא יהוה כי פיהו מריתי שמעו נא כל עמים (העמים) וראו מכאבי--בתולתי ובחורי הלכו בשבי

But what Yahweh has done [to us] is fair, because we have rebelled against obeying the commands that he gave [us]. You people everywhere, listen [to us]; [look and] see that we are suffering [greatly]. We had [many] sons and daughters, but they have been captured and forced to go to distant countries.

19 קראתי למאהבי המה רמוני כהני וזקני בעיר גועו כי בקשו אכל למו וישיבו את נפשם

We pleaded with our allies [to help us], but they [all] refused. Our priests and our leaders have died [from hunger] in the city while they were searching for food [to eat] to remain alive.

20 ראה יהוה כי צר לי מעי חמרמרו--נהפך לבי בקרבי כי מרו מריתי מחוץ שכלה חרב בבית כמות

Yahweh, see that we are suffering very much. [It is as though] our inner beings are tormented. We are sad [SYN] because we have rebelled [against you]. Our enemies kill people in the streets with their swords; people are dying [because they have no food to eat].

21 שמעו כי נאנחה אני אין מנחם לי--כל איבי שמעו רעתי ששו כי אתה עשית הבאת יום קראת ויהיו כמני

People have heard us while we groaned, but no one [came to] comfort us. [Yahweh, ] you caused us to experience this [disaster], and our enemies are happy to see what you have done [to us]. But cause it soon to be the time that you have promised, when our enemies will suffer like we have suffered!

22 תבא כל רעתם לפניך ועולל למו כאשר עוללת לי על כל פשעי כי רבות אנחתי ולבי דוי

[Yahweh, ] see all the evil things that they have done and punish them! [Punish them] like you have punished us for all the sins that we committed! [We say this to you] because we suffer and groan very much, and we (faint/are very sad).