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.
Dieva dusmas pār Israēlu
1 Ak, vai!
Aptumšo dusmās Kungs Ciānas meitu,
met zemē no debesīm Israēla spožumu,
savu kājsolu neatmin dusmu dienā.
2 Bez žēluma aprij Kungs Jēkaba mājokļus,
niknumā sagrauj Jūdas meitas mūrbalstus,
sviež zemē un apgāna valsti un augstmaņus.
3 Aplauž dusmu kvēlē Israēla ragu,
atrauj savu labo roku,
naidniekiem nākot,
Jēkabā deg viņš kā uguns, rijot visapkārt.
4 Velk loku kā naidnieks,
kā pretinieks ceļ savu labo roku,
nokauj visus, kas acij tīk,
Ciānas meitas teltī kā uguni lej savas dusmas.
5 Kungs top kā naidnieks, aprij Israēlu,
aprij pilis, sagrauj mūrbalstus,
liek Jūdas meitu vaimanu vaimanās.
6 Gāž savu telti kā dārza slietni, grauj svētku vietu,
liek aizmirst Kungs Ciānā svētkus un sabatu,
dusmu bardzībā atstumj ķēniņu, priesteri.
7 Atmet Kungs savu altāri, gāna svētnīcu,
dod naidnieka rokā tās mūrmūru pilis,
tie klaigā Kunga namā kā svētku dienā.
8 Sagraut grib Kungs Ciānas meitas mūri,
liek mēru, neattur savu grāvēju roku,
sērot liek valnim un mūrim, noslīgst tie kopā.
9 Grimst zemē tās vārti, viņš salauž, satriec to aizšaujamos,
starp tautu ķēniņiem un augstmaņiem nav bauslības,
pat pravieši nerod atklāsmi no Kunga.
10 Sēž zemē klusi Ciānas meitas vecie,
ber pīšļus uz galvas, apjož maisus,
Jeruzālemes jaunavas zemu liec galvas.
11 Manas acis dēd asarās, rūgst manas iekšas,
manas aknas izgāztas zemē manas tautmeitas posta dēļ,
jo nobeidzas bērni un zīdaiņi pilsētas ielās.
12 Savām mātēm tie saka: kur maize un vīns? –
kad kā ievainoti nobeidzas pilsētas ielās,
kad izlaiž dvēseles mātēm pie krūts.
13 Ko lai tev saku, kam lai līdzinu tevi, Jeruzālemes meita,
kam lai līdzinu tevi, kā lai mierinu,
jaunava, Ciānas meita,
jo liels kā jūra tavs posts, kas dziedinās tevi?
14 Tavi pravieši redz māņus, melš niekus
un neatklāj tavu grēku, lai tavu likteni novērstu,
viņi pravieto tev māņus un maldus.
15 Sit plaukstas visi ejošie ceļu,
svilpj, krata galvas par Jeruzālemes meitu,
vai šī ir pilsēta, ko saka jaukuma pilnu
un visas zemes prieku?
16 Viņi atpleš muti pret tevi, tavi naidnieki,
svilpj, griež zobus, sauc: aprijām,
jā! – še gaidītā diena, nu ir, nu redzam!
17 Kā domāja – darīja Kungs, pildīja sacīto,
kā sendienās nolicis, noplēš – un nav viņam žēl,
ļauj naidniekam līksmot par tevi
un ceļ tava pretinieka ragu.
18 Ciānas meitas mūri, kliedziet no sirds uz Kungu,
lieciet asarām triekties kā strautam dienu un nakti,
nesnaudiet, neļaujiet acij rimt.
19 Celies, kliedz naktī, nakts sardzes sākumā,
izlej kā ūdeni sirdi Kunga vaiga priekšā,
pacel uz viņu delnas tavu bērnu dvēseles dēļ,
badā tie vārgst uz katra stūra.
20 Redzi, Kungs, skaties, kam darīji pāri,
vai lai sievas ēd savas miesas augli – auklētos bērnus?
Vai lai tiek nokauti Kunga svētnīcā priesteri, pravieši?
21 Guļ zemē uz stūriem – vecis un zēns,
manas jaunavas, jaunekļi krita no zobena,
tu kāvi dusmu dienā, slaktēji, nežēloji.
22 Kā uz svētkiem tu sasauc man briesmas visapkārt,
Kunga dusmu dienā ne izbēga kāds, ne izdzīvoja,
ko auklēju, audzināju – to nobeidza naidnieks.
