Klagesangene 1

1 Kor sit ho då so einsleg, borgi den folkerike! Ho er vorti som ei enkja. Ho den velduge millom folki, fyrstinna millom byarne er trælkvinna vorti.

How desolate sits the city of Jerusalem, once filled with people! She has become like a widow, she who was once great among the nations. The queen of all the world has become a slave-laborer.

2 Ho græt so sårt um natti, og hennar tåror trillar på kinn. Ho hev ingen trøystar millom alle sine elskarar. Alle hennar vener hev svike henne, dei er vortne hennar fiendar.

She cries bitterly through the night, tears rolling down her cheeks. Despite all her many lovers, no one comes to comfort her. Betrayed by all her friends, they are now her enemies.

3 Land laut Juda fly, utor trengsla og stor træling. Ho bur millom folki, finn ingen kvildarstad. Alle hennar forfylgjarar nådde henne på trongstigarne.

Judah has been dragged off into captivity, suffering miserably under brutal slavery; she lives among the nations but has no place of her own where she can rest. Those chasing her have brought her down and she cannot escape.

4 Vegarne til Sion syrgjer av di ingen kjem til høgtiderne. Alle hennar portar er aude, hennar prestar sukkar. Hennar ungmøyar er sorgtyngde, og for henne sjølv er det beiskt.

Even the roads to Zion are in mourning because no one travels on them to go to the religious festivals. All her gates are empty. Her priests groan in sadness. Her girls are suffering. She herself is in bitter distress.

5 Hennar uvener er vortne dei fremste, hennar fiendar er velnøgde. For Herren hev lagt sorgi på henne for hennar mange misgjerningar skuld. Hennar småborn for fangar burt framfor fiendens åsyn.

Those who hated her now control her; her enemies enjoy life, because the Lord has made her suffer due to all her sins of rebellion. Her children have been taken away as prisoners of the enemy.

6 So hev kvorve for Sions dotter all hennar pryda. Hennar hovdingar vart som hjortar som ikkje finn beite, og magtstolne gjekk dei der for forfylgjarens åsyn.

All the glory has left the Daughter of Zion. Her leaders are like deer that can't find any grass to eat. They don't even have the strength to run away when the hunter comes after them!

7 Og i sin vesaldoms dagar, med ho flakkar ikring, kjem Jerusalem i hug sine hugnads-ting, som ho hadde i forne dagar. Då hennar folk fall i fiendehand, og ingen hjelpte henne, då såg fiendarne henne; dei log åt hennar tjon.

As she wanders around in her misery, Jerusalem thinks back to all the wonderful things she once had in the old days. When her enemies conquered her people, she didn't receive any help. Her enemies gloated over her, and laughed at her downfall.

8 Storleg hev Jerusalem synda, difor hev ho vorte eit styggje. Alle dei som æra henne, vanvyrder henne, for dei såg hennar skam. Ja, ho sjølv sukka og snudde seg ifrå.

Jerusalem sinned terribly which is why she is now treated as someone unclean. Everyone who used to honor her now despise her, because they've seen her naked and ashamed. She herself groans as she turns away.

9 Utsulka er hennar klæde av hennar ureinska; ho tenkte ikkje på endelykti. Hennar fall var reint som eit under; ingen trøysta henne. Sjå, Herre, min stakarsdom, for fienden gjer seg stor.

Her uncleanness contaminates her skirts. She didn't think about what would happen. Her fall was a shock, and no one was there to comfort her. “Please, Lord, see how much I'm suffering, because the enemy has won!” she says.

10 Si hand rette fienden ut etter alle hennar hugnads-ting; ja, ho såg heidningar koma inn i hennar heilagdom, dei som var forbodne å koma i di samling.

The invader has stolen all her treasures. She even had to watch as heathen nations went into her sanctuary, people you had forbidden to enter.

11 Alt hennar folk sukkar med dei vil finna seg brød; dei gjev sine hugnads-ting for mat til å kveikja sjæli. Sjå, Herre, og skoda etter! for eg hev vorti svivyrd.

All her people groan, looking for bread. They have spent what they value the most to buy food so they can stay alive. “Please, Lord, look and see what's happening to me,” she says. “It's as if I'm worthless!

12 Tek det dykk ikkje, alle de som fer vegen framum? Skoda etter og sjå, um ein lagnad var so tung som min - den sorgi Herren hev etla meg på sin brennande vreide-dag.

Don't you care anything about it, all you people passing by? Take a look and see! Is there any suffering as bad as mine, punished by the Lord when he became angry?

13 Frå høgdi sende han eld i mine bein og trakka deim sund. Han breidde ut eit garn for mine føter, han støytte meg undan, han gjorde meg aud, sjuk all dagen.

He sent down fire from heaven that destroyed my bones. He spread out a net to catch my feet, tripping me over. He abandoned me, leaving me sick all day long.

14 Mitt synde-ok batt han saman med si hand; ihopknytt er det lagt på min hals - tok magti ifrå meg. Herren hev gjeve meg i henderne på deim eg ikkje kann standa meg for.

He took my rebellious sins and twisted them together into a yoke that he tied to my neck. He took away all my strength, and handed me over defenseless to my enemies.

15 Herren agta for inkje alle dei velduge hjå meg; han hev kalla i hop ei samling mot meg til å krasa mine gutar. Herren trødde vinpersa for møyi dotteri Juda.

The Lord brushed aside all my strong soldiers defending me. He called up an army to attack me, to crush my young men. The Lord has trampled down the virgin Daughter of Judah like grapes in a winepress.

16 Yver dette græt eg; mitt auga, mitt auga let tårorne renna; langt burte frå meg er trøystaren som skulde kveikja mi sjæl. Mine born er tynte, for fienden vart den sterkaste.

This is why I'm weeping, tears flowing from my eyes, because there's is no one here to comfort me, no one to make me feel better. There's nothing left for my children because the enemy has conquered us.”

17 Sion retter ut sine hender; ingen trøystar hev ho. Herren baud ut imot Jakob hans fiendar rundt ikring; Jerusalem byd deim imot som eitkvart ureint.

Zion holds out her hands in distress, but there's no one to comfort her. The Lord issued orders against Jacob, and his neighbors became his enemies. Jerusalem is to them something disgusting.

18 Rettferdig er han, Herren; for eg gjorde meg hard mot hans munns ord. Høyr no, alle folk, og sjå min tunge lagnad; mine møyar og gutar for fangar burt.

“The Lord has done what's right, because I rebelled against his instructions. Listen, everyone everywhere; look at what I'm suffering. My young women and young men have been taken off into captivity.

19 Eg kalla på mine elskarar; dei sveik meg. Mine prestar og styresmenner let livet i byen, med dei leita etter mat til å metta seg med.

I called out for help to my lovers, but they betrayed me. My priests and elders starved to death in the city as they tried to find food to keep themselves alive.

20 Sjå, Herre, eg er i trengsla! Det syd inni bringa og barm, hjarta snur seg i mitt brjost, for eg var so tråssug. Ute hev sverdet gjort meg barnlaus, inne er det som dauden.

Can't you see, Lord, how upset I am? inside I am in turmoil; my heart is breaking because I've been so rebellious. Outside, the sword kills those I love; inside, it's like I'm living in the house of death.

21 Dei høyrde kor eg sukka, eg; åt meg var der ingen trøystar. Alle mine fiendar høyrde um mi ulukka; dei gledde seg yver at du hadde gjort det. Men du let koma ein dag du hev forkynt; og då skal dei verta som eg.

People hear me groaning, but no one comes to comfort me. All my enemies have heard about the bad things that have happened to me, and they're delighted that it was you who did it. Please bring about the day of judgment that you promised so they can end up like me.

22 Lat all deira vondskap koma for di åsyn, og gjer mot deim som du hev gjort mot meg for alle mine synder skuld. For mine sukkar er mange, og hjarta mitt er sjukt.

May you see all the evil things they've done! Treat them the same way as you've treated me as a result of all my rebellious sins, for I'm groaning all the time, and I'm sick at heart.”