Jerusalem as a Disgraced Woman
(21) Alas, she has become a harlot, the faithful city that was filled with justice, where righteousness dwelt — But now: murderers.
(1) Alas! Lonely sits the city Once great with people! She that was great among nations has become like a widow; the princess among states has become a thrall. (2) Bitterly she weeps in the night, her cheek wet with tears. There is none to comfort her from all her friends. All her allies have betrayed her; they have become her foes.
(8) Jerusalem has greatly sinned, therefore she is become a mockery. All who admired her despise her, for they have seen her disgraced; and she can only sigh and shrink back. (9) Her uncleanness clings to her skirts. She gave no thought to her future; she has sunk appallingly, with none to comfort her.— See, O LORD, my misery; how the enemy jeers!
Parents and Children
(ב) שִׁמְע֤וּ שָׁמַ֙יִם֙ וְהַאֲזִ֣ינִי אֶ֔רֶץ כִּ֥י יי דִּבֵּ֑ר בָּנִים֙ גִּדַּ֣לְתִּי וְרוֹמַ֔מְתִּי וְהֵ֖ם פָּ֥שְׁעוּ בִֽי׃ ... (ד) ה֣וֹי ׀ גּ֣וֹי חֹטֵ֗א עַ֚ם כֶּ֣בֶד עָוֺ֔ן זֶ֣רַע מְרֵעִ֔ים בָּנִ֖ים מַשְׁחִיתִ֑ים עָזְב֣וּ אֶת־יי נִֽאֲצ֛וּ אֶת־קְד֥וֹשׁ יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל נָזֹ֥רוּ אָחֽוֹר׃
(2) Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth, For the LORD has spoken: “I reared children and brought them up — and they have rebelled against Me! ... (4) Ah, sinful nation! Laden with iniquity! Brood of evildoers! Depraved children! They have forsaken the LORD, spurned the Holy One of Israel, turned their backs.
(20) See, O LORD, and behold, to whom You have done this! Alas, women eat their own fruit, their new-born babes! Alas, priest and prophet are slain in the Sanctuary of the Lord!
Everything Turned Upside-Down
(22) Your silver has turned to dross; your wine is cut with water. (23) Your rulers are rogues and cronies of thieves, every one avid for presents and greedy for gifts; they do not judge the case of the orphan, and the widow’s cause never reaches them.
(5) Her enemies are now the masters, her foes are at ease, because the LORD has afflicted her for her many transgressions; her infants have gone into captivity before the enemy.
(ו) מִצְרַ֙יִם֙ נָתַ֣נּוּ יָ֔ד אַשּׁ֖וּר לִשְׂבֹּ֥עַֽ לָֽחֶם׃ (ז) אֲבֹתֵ֤ינוּ חָֽטְאוּ֙ אינם [וְאֵינָ֔ם] אנחנו [וַאֲנַ֖חְנוּ] עֲוֺנֹתֵיהֶ֥ם סָבָֽלְנוּ׃ (ח) עֲבָדִים֙ מָ֣שְׁלוּ בָ֔נוּ פֹּרֵ֖ק אֵ֥ין מִיָּדָֽם׃ ... (יב) שָׂרִים֙ בְּיָדָ֣ם נִתְל֔וּ פְּנֵ֥י זְקֵנִ֖ים לֹ֥א נֶהְדָּֽרוּ׃ (יג) בַּחוּרִים֙ טְח֣וֹן נָשָׂ֔אוּ וּנְעָרִ֖ים בָּעֵ֥ץ כָּשָֽׁלוּ׃ (יד) זְקֵנִים֙ מִשַּׁ֣עַר שָׁבָ֔תוּ בַּחוּרִ֖ים מִנְּגִינָתָֽם׃ (טו) שָׁבַת֙ מְשׂ֣וֹשׂ לִבֵּ֔נוּ נֶהְפַּ֥ךְ לְאֵ֖בֶל מְחֹלֵֽנוּ׃ (טז) נָֽפְלָה֙ עֲטֶ֣רֶת רֹאשֵׁ֔נוּ אֽוֹי־נָ֥א לָ֖נוּ כִּ֥י חָטָֽאנוּ׃
(6) We hold out a hand to Egypt; to Assyria, for our fill of bread. (7) Our fathers sinned and are no more; and we must bear their guilt. (8) Slaves rule over us, with none to rescue us from them. ... (12) Princes have been hanged; no respect has been shown to elders. (13) Young men must carry millstones, and youths stagger under loads of wood. (14) The old men are gone from the gate, the young men from their music. (15) Gone is the joy of our hearts; our dancing is turned into mourning. (16) The crown has fallen from our head; woe that we have sinned!
Religious Crisis
(11) “What need have I of all your sacrifices?” says the LORD. “I am sated with burnt offerings of rams, and suet of fatlings, and blood of bulls; and I have no delight in lambs and he-goats. (12) That you come to appear before Me — who asked that of you? Trample My courts (13) no more; bringing oblations is futile, incense is offensive to Me. New moon and sabbath, proclaiming of solemnities, assemblies with iniquity, I cannot abide. (14) Your new moons and fixed seasons fill Me with loathing; they have become a burden to Me, I cannot endure them. (15) And when you lift up your hands, I will turn My eyes away from you; Though you pray at length, I will not listen. Your hands are filled with blood.
(4) Zion’s roads are in mourning, empty of festival pilgrims; all her gates are deserted. Her priests sigh, her maidens are unhappy— She is utterly disconsolate!
(א) אֵיכָה֩ יָעִ֨יב בְּאַפּ֤וֹ ׀ אדושם אֶת־בַּת־צִיּ֔וֹן הִשְׁלִ֤יךְ מִשָּׁמַ֙יִם֙ אֶ֔רֶץ תִּפְאֶ֖רֶת יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וְלֹא־זָכַ֥ר הֲדֹם־רַגְלָ֖יו בְּי֥וֹם אַפּֽוֹ׃ (ס) (ב) בִּלַּ֨ע אדושם לא [וְלֹ֣א] חָמַ֗ל אֵ֚ת כָּל־נְא֣וֹת יַעֲקֹ֔ב הָרַ֧ס בְּעֶבְרָת֛וֹ מִבְצְרֵ֥י בַת־יְהוּדָ֖ה הִגִּ֣יעַ לָאָ֑רֶץ חִלֵּ֥ל מַמְלָכָ֖ה וְשָׂרֶֽיהָ׃ (ס)... (ס) (ו) וַיַּחְמֹ֤ס כַּגַּן֙ שֻׂכּ֔וֹ שִׁחֵ֖ת מוֹעֲד֑וֹ שִׁכַּ֨ח יי ׀ בְּצִיּוֹן֙ מוֹעֵ֣ד וְשַׁבָּ֔ת וַיִּנְאַ֥ץ בְּזַֽעַם־אַפּ֖וֹ מֶ֥לֶךְ וְכֹהֵֽן׃ (ס) (ז) זָנַ֨ח אדושם ׀ מִזְבְּחוֹ֙ נִאֵ֣ר מִקְדָּשׁ֔וֹ הִסְגִּיר֙ בְּיַד־אוֹיֵ֔ב חוֹמֹ֖ת אַרְמְנוֹתֶ֑יהָ ק֛וֹל נָתְנ֥וּ בְּבֵית־יי כְּי֥וֹם מוֹעֵֽד׃ (ס)
(1) Alas! The Lord in His wrath has shamed Fair Zion, has cast down from heaven to earth the majesty of Israel. He did not remember His Footstool on His day of wrath. (2) The Lord has laid waste without pity all the habitations of Jacob; He has razed in His anger fair Judah’s strongholds. He has brought low in dishonor the kingdom and its leaders. ... (6) He has stripped His Booth like a garden, He has destroyed His Tabernacle; The LORD has ended in Zion festival and sabbath; in His raging anger He has spurned King and priest. (7) The Lord has rejected His altar, disdained His Sanctuary. He has handed over to the foe the walls of its citadels; they raised a shout in the House of the LORD as on a festival day.
A Hopeful Epilogue
(26) I will restore your magistrates as of old, and your counselors as of yore. After that, you shall be called "City of Righteousness, Faithful City." (27) Zion shall be saved in the judgment; her repentant ones, in the retribution.
[השיבנו יי אליך ונשובה חדש ימינו כקדם]
(22) For truly, You have rejected us, bitterly raged against us. Take us back, O LORD, to Yourself, and let us come back; renew our days as of old!