The Lord Was Like an Enemy
The Prophet Speaks:
1 The Lord was angry!
So he disgraced Zion
though it was Israel's pride
and his own place of rest.
In his anger he threw Zion down
from heaven to earth.
2 The Lord had no mercy!
He destroyed the homes
of Jacob's descendants.
In his anger he tore down
every walled city in Judah;
he toppled the nation
together with its leaders,
leaving them in shame.
3 The Lord was so furiously angry
that he wiped out
the whole army of Israel
by not supporting them
when the enemy attacked.
He was like a raging fire
that swallowed up
the descendants of Jacob.
4 He attacked like an enemy
with a bow and arrows,
killing our loved ones.
He has burned to the ground
the homes on Mount Zion.
5 The Lord was like an enemy!
He left Israel in ruins
with its palaces
and fortresses destroyed,
and with everyone in Judah
moaning and weeping.
6 He shattered his temple
like a hut in a garden;
he completely wiped out
his meeting place,
and did away with festivals
and Sabbaths
in the city of Zion.
In his fierce anger he rejected
our king and priests.
7 The Lord abandoned his altar
and his temple;
he let Zion's enemies
capture her fortresses.
Noisy shouts were heard
from the temple,
as if it were a time
of celebration.
8 The Lord had decided
to tear down the walls of Zion
stone by stone.
So he started destroying
and did not stop
until walls and fortresses
mourned and trembled.
9 Zion's gates have fallen
facedown on the ground;
the bars that locked the gates
are smashed to pieces.
Her king and royal family
are prisoners
in foreign lands.
Her priests don't teach,
and her prophets don't have
a message from the Lord.
10 Zion's leaders are silent.
They just sit on the ground,
tossing dirt on their heads
and wearing sackcloth.
Her young women can do nothing
but stare at the ground.
11 My eyes are red from crying,
my stomach is in knots,
and I feel sick all over.
My people are being wiped out,
and children lie helpless
in the streets of the city.
12 A child begs its mother
for food and drink,
then blacks out
like a wounded soldier
lying in the street.
The child slowly dies
in its mother's arms.
13 Zion, how can I comfort you?
How great is your pain?
Lovely city of Jerusalem,
how can I heal your wounds,
gaping as wide as the sea?
14 Your prophets deceived you
with false visions
and lying messages—
they should have warned you
to leave your sins
and be saved from disaster.
15 Those who pass by
shake their heads and sneer
as they make fun and shout,
“What a lovely city you were,
the happiest on earth,
but look at you now!”
16 Zion, your enemies curse you
and snarl like wild animals,
while shouting,
“This is the day
we've waited for!
At last, we've got you!”
17 The Lord has done everything
that he had planned
and threatened long ago.
He destroyed you without mercy
and let your enemies boast
about their powerful forces.
18 Zion, deep in your heart
you cried out to the Lord.
Now let your tears overflow
your walls day and night.
Don't ever lose hope
or let your tears stop.
19 Get up and pray for help
all through the night.
Pour out your feelings
to the Lord,
as you would pour water
out of a jug.
Beg him to save your people,
who are starving to death
at every street crossing.
Jerusalem Speaks:
20 Think about it, Lord!
Have you ever been this cruel
to anyone before?
Is it right for mothers
to eat their children,
or for priests and prophets
to be killed in your temple?
21 My people, both young and old,
lie dead in the streets.
Because you were angry,
my young men and women
were brutally slaughtered.
22 When you were angry, Lord,
you invited my enemies
like guests for a party.
No one survived that day;
enemies killed my children,
my own little ones.
Maariyo ye jaraboo meŋ laa Yerusalaamu kaŋ
1 Ayiwaalii! Maariyo la kamfaa kamma la,
a ye tawali dibiriŋo le wanka Siyoni* moolu kunto.
A ye Banisirayila darajoo jindi bankoo to le,
ka bo naŋ saŋo santo.
A ye Siyoni muta le ko, a siŋ looraŋo le mu nuŋ,
bari saayiŋ a ye a hakiloo bo a kaŋ ne,
a la kamfaa waatoo la.
2 Balafaabaliyaa niŋ kasaaroo,
Maariyo ye wo le laa Yaakuba siidulaalu bee kaŋ.
A ye Dimmusuriŋ* Yahuuda boyinkaŋ,
a ye a saatee tatariŋolu bee le teyi,
a la kamfaa baa kaŋ.
A ye a la mansayaa boyindi duuma,
aniŋ a maralilaalu,
ì niŋ maloo tuta.
3 Biriŋ ì jawoolu naata ì kele,
a ye a bulubaa buloo bo a la moolu koto.
A la kamfaa saŋaroo kaŋ,
a ye Banisirayila binoo bee kati.
A la kamfaa malata Yaakuba kaŋ ne ko dimbaa wuleŋo,
a ye feŋo bee kasaara taariŋ.
4 Dimmusuriŋ Siyoni ko, “Yerusalaamu kono jaŋ,
a ye ǹ ñaabo moolu bee le faa.
A ye a la kaloo ŋaaji ǹ kamma le ko jawoo,
a ye a bulubaa buloo teeka ko ǹ konnantewo.
A ye a la kamfaa jindi naŋ ne,
a malata ko dimbaa.”
5 Ee, ayiwaalii nte! Maariyo keta le ko jawoo,
a ye Banisirayila kunuŋ.
A ye a maralilaalu la buŋolu kasaara,
a ye a tatoolu tumbuŋ.
Saŋakumboo niŋ woosiyo,
a ye wo le juruma Yahuuda moolu ye.
6 Juuraloolu niŋ Loobula Luŋolu,
Yaawe* ye wolu ke ñina kuwo le ti Siyoni.
A ye a Batudulaa janjaŋ ne
ko naakikono jembereŋo,
a ye a la juurali dulaa kasaara.
A la jusukandoo kono,
a ye a koo dii mansakewo la le,
aniŋ piriisoolu.
7 Hee, Maariyo ñoorita a la sadaajanidulaa* la le,
a ye a koo dii a Batudulaa Senuŋo la.
A tata sansaŋolu,
a ye ì duŋ jawoolu bulu.
Ì wuurita Yaawe Batudulaa kono ì la ì noo kaŋ,
komeŋ juurali maakaŋ baa.
8 Ite Yaawe le hameta ñiŋ na,
ka Siyoni saatee tata sansaŋolu boyi.
I ye a sumaŋ wo kamma le,
i maŋ hani i buloo talaa ka a kasaara,
i ye a boyinkaŋ.
Hani a tatoolu niŋ a sansaŋolu bee le kumboota,
ì bee koririŋo ye i laa ñoo ti.
9 Jee dundaŋ daa tawundaŋolu jurumita bankoo to,
Yaawe ye ì nee bantambiloolu kati, ka ì janjaŋ.
A mansakewo niŋ maralilaalu be mutoo kono
banku koteŋolu kaŋ.
Yaawe la yaamaroolu buka karandi kotenke,
annabiyomoolu buka jeroo soto a bulu fanaa.
10 Kooroo keta, Siyoni saatewo alifaalu siita
bankoo le to deyoo kono,
ka buutoo fayi ì kuŋolu kaŋ,
ì ye booto funtoolu duŋ niikuyaa kamma.
Yerusalaamu sunkutoolu ñoyita,
ì ye ì foŋo loo bankoo to.
11 Labaŋo la, n ñaa korita kumboo la,
n niyo dewunta n kono,
niikuyaa faata n kono fo a ka boŋ,
ì ye n na saatee moolu kasaara ñaameŋ,
dindiŋolu niŋ deenaanoolu ka ketu ñaameŋ,
saatewo mbeedoolu kaŋ taariŋ.
12 Maasiiboo keta!
Dindiŋolu ka a fo ì baañolu ye ko,
“M̀ be muŋ ne domo la,
aniŋ m̀ be muŋ ne miŋ na?”
Ì ka lamfu ko kelediŋ baramariŋolu
saatewo mbeedoolu kaŋ taariŋ,
ì niyo be domaŋ-domaŋ bo kaŋ,
ì baañolu karoo koto.
13 N Dimmusuriŋ Yerusalaamu, n kanuntewo,
n si muŋ ne fo noo i ye, ka i la kuwo misaali?
Ite Dimmusuriŋ Siyoni,
n si i la kuwo niŋ muŋ ne laa ka i sabarindi?
I la baramoo diinonta le ko fankaasoo,
jumaa le si i jaara noo?
14 Ñiŋ loŋ ko, i la annabiyomoolu ko ì ye meŋ je,
faniyaa kenseŋo niŋ neeneeri kumoolu le mu.
Ì maŋ i la junuboo yita i la, ka i dandalaa,
fo i kana taa mutoo kono,
bari ì ye jeroo meŋ bankee i ye,
faniyaa kenseŋo niŋ filindiroo le mu.
15 Ŋa a je, mennu ka tambi siloo kaŋ
ka buloo kosi i ma le,
ì ka ciipuroo ke ka ì kuŋo jiijaa,
ka Dimmusuriŋ Yerusalaamu ñaawali ko,
“Fo ñiŋ ne maŋ ke saatewo ti ì ka a fo meŋ na,
a la ñiiñaa timmata,
a ka bankoolu bee seewoo le?”
16 “Ŋà a kasaara le!”
I jawoolu ka wo le fo.
Ì bee ka ì daa loo i kaŋ.
Ì ka i ciipu, ka ì ñiŋolu jaa i kaŋ,
ka wuuri i ma ko,
“Allaŋ, ǹ ka ñiŋ luŋo le batu nuŋ!
A futata le, ŋà a je!”
17 Paree ka soŋ ñiŋ na ko,
Yaawe la natoo keta i la le,
a ye a la kumoo timmandi le.
A ye kaŋo meŋ dii biriŋ koomanto,
a ye i kasaara niŋ balafaabaliyaa le la.
A ye i jawoolu sawoo londi i ma le,
a ye ì binoo wulindi ka ì semboo warandi.
18 Rip, a duuta le!
Moolu ka wuuri santo Maariyo ye.
Hee, Siyoni tata sansaŋo,
i ñaajiyo ye woyi ko baajiyo,
suutoo niŋ tiloo!
Kana i foño fereŋ,
sako i ñaakesoo si dahaa.
19 Suutoo la, suutoo tuma-wo-tuma la,
wuli, i ye kumboo santo!
I sondomoo kono kuwolu yelema ko jiyo
Maariyo ñaatiliŋo la.
I buloolu wulindi a ye ka duwaa,
i diŋolu niyo ye,
mennu ka ketu konkoo la,
mbeedi kuŋolu kaŋ taariŋ.
20 Tiñaaroo keta! Yaawe, a juubee baŋ!
I nene ye ñiŋ laa jumaa le kaŋ?
Muna fo musoolu ñanta ì diŋolu domo la le baŋ,
ì faŋolu ye diŋolu mennu bambaane?
Muna fo ì ñanta piriisoolu faa la le baŋ,
aniŋ annabiyomoolu,
Maariyo la Batudulaa Senuŋo kono?
21 Woyi muna! Dindiŋolu niŋ keebaalu furewolu
be laariŋ bankoo le to, mbeedoolu kaŋ taariŋ.
N na sunkutoolu niŋ fondinkewolu,
ì ye ì faa niŋ hawusaroo* la.
I la kamfaa waatoo la,
i ye ì faa niŋ balafaabaliyaa le la.
22 Yaawe ye n jawoolu kumandi n kaŋ karoo bee la,
ko mennu ka naa feeti luŋo le to.
A la kamfaa waatoo la,
moo maŋ kana ka tu baluuriŋ.
Ŋa diŋolu mennu yeŋyeŋ, ka ì kuluu,
n jawoo naata a ye ì faa.
