1 H ow empty is the city that was once full of people! She was once great among the nations. But now she has become like a woman whose husband has died. She who was once a queen among the cities has become a servant made to work.

Eh quoi! elle est assise solitaire, cette ville si peuplée! Elle est semblable à une veuve! Grande entre les nations, souveraine parmi les états, Elle est réduite à la servitude!

2 S he cries hard in the night, with tears on her face. She has no one to comfort her among all her lovers. All her friends have not been faithful to her. They have turned against her.

Elle pleure durant la nuit, et ses joues sont couvertes de larmes; De tous ceux qui l'aimaient nul ne la console; Tous ses amis lui sont devenus infidèles, Ils sont devenus ses ennemis.

3 J udah has been taken away to a strange land where she suffers much and is made to work hard as a servant. She lives among the nations, but has no rest. All those who went after her have taken her in her trouble.

Juda est en exil, victime de l'oppression et d'une grande servitude; Il habite au milieu des nations, Et il n'y trouve point de repos; Tous ses persécuteurs l'ont surpris dans l'angoisse.

4 T he roads of Zion are filled with sorrow, because no one comes to the special suppers. All her gates are laid waste. Her religious leaders are crying in sorrow. Her pure young women are troubled, and she herself is in bitter suffering.

Les chemins de Sion sont dans le deuil, car on ne va plus aux fêtes; Toutes ses portes sont désertes, Ses sacrificateurs gémissent, Ses vierges sont affligées, et elle est remplie d'amertume.

5 T hose who hate her have power over her, and all goes well for them. For the Lord has made her suffer for her many sins. Her children have been taken away in front of those who hate her.

Ses oppresseurs triomphent, ses ennemis sont en paix; Car l'Éternel l'a humiliée, A cause de la multitude de ses péchés; Ses enfants ont marché captifs devant l'oppresseur.

6 T he people of Zion have lost all her great power. Her princes are like deer that find no field where they can eat. They are weak as they run away from those who are after them.

La fille de Sion a perdu toute sa gloire; Ses chefs sont comme des cerfs Qui ne trouvent point de pâture, Et qui fuient sans force devant celui qui les chasse.

7 I n the days of her trouble and when she had no home, Jerusalem remembers all the things of much worth that were hers in days long ago, when her people fell into the hands of those who hated her. No one helped her. Those who hated her saw her and made fun of her when she was destroyed.

Aux jours de sa détresse et de sa misère, Jérusalem s'est souvenue De tous les biens dès longtemps son partage, Quand son peuple est tombé sans secours sous la main de l'oppresseur; Ses ennemis l'ont vue, et ils ont ri de sa chute.

8 J erusalem sinned very much, so she is unclean. All who honored her hate her, because they have seen her put to shame. Even she herself cries in sorrow and turns away.

Jérusalem a multiplié ses péchés, C'est pourquoi elle est un objet d'aversion; Tous ceux qui l'honoraient la méprisent, en voyant sa nudité; Elle-même soupire, et détourne la face.

9 S he was unclean in her clothing. She did not think about her future. She came to nothing. She had no one to comfort her. “O Lord, see my suffering, for those who hate me have won!”

La souillure était dans les pans de sa robe, et elle ne songeait pas à sa fin; Elle est tombée d'une manière étonnante, et nul ne la console. -Vois ma misère, ô Éternel! Quelle arrogance chez l'ennemi! -

10 T hose who hate her have laid their hands on all her things of much worth. For she has seen the nations go into her holy place, those whom You said must not gather with Your people.

L'oppresseur a étendu la main Sur tout ce qu'elle avait de précieux; Elle a vu pénétrer dans son sanctuaire les nations Auxquelles tu avais défendu d'entrer dans ton assemblée.

11 A ll her people cry inside themselves as they look for bread. They have traded their things of much worth for food to have strength. “Look and see, O Lord, for I am hated.

Tout son peuple soupire, il cherche du pain; Ils ont donné leurs choses précieuses pour de la nourriture, Afin de ranimer leur vie. -Vois, Éternel, regarde comme je suis avilie!

12 I s it nothing to all you who pass this way? Look and see if there is any sorrow like my sorrow given me, which the Lord put on me in the day of His burning anger.

Je m'adresse à vous, à vous tous qui passez ici! Regardez et voyez s'il est une douleur pareille à ma douleur, A celle dont j'ai été frappée! L'Éternel m'a affligée au jour de son ardente colère.

13 H e sent fire from on high into my bones. He has spread a net for my feet and has turned me back. He has left me destroyed, and weak all day long.

D'en haut il a lancé dans mes os un feu qui les dévore; Il a tendu un filet sous mes pieds, Il m'a fait tomber en arrière; Il m'a jetée dans la désolation, dans une langueur de tous les jours.

14 T he weight of my sins is put upon me. He tied them together and put them upon my neck. He has taken away my strength. The Lord has given me over to those I cannot stand against.

Sa main a lié le joug de mes iniquités; Elles se sont entrelacées, appliquées sur mon cou; Il a brisé ma force; Le Seigneur m'a livrée à des mains auxquelles je ne puis résister.

15 T he Lord has turned away from all my strong soldiers. He has sent an army against me to crush my young men. The Lord has crushed the pure daughters of Judah like grapes are crushed to make wine.

Le Seigneur a terrassé tous mes guerriers au milieu de moi; Il a rassemblé contre moi une armée, Pour détruire mes jeunes hommes; Le Seigneur a foulé au pressoir la vierge, fille de Juda.

16 T his is why I cry. Tears flow from my eyes, because a comforter is far from me who would give strength to my soul. My children are destroyed, because those who hate me have won.”

C'est pour cela que je pleure, que mes yeux fondent en larmes; Car il s'est éloigné de moi, celui qui me consolerait, Qui ranimerait ma vie. Mes fils sont dans la désolation, parce que l'ennemi a triomphé. -

17 Z ion has put out her hands, but there is no one to comfort her. The Lord has spoken against Jacob, that his neighbors should fight against him. Jerusalem has become unclean to them.

Sion a étendu les mains, Et personne ne l'a consolée; L'Éternel a envoyé contre Jacob les ennemis d'alentour; Jérusalem a été un objet d'horreur au milieu d'eux. -

18 “ The Lord is right and good, yet I have not wanted to obey His Word. Listen now, all you people, and see my suffering. My pure young women and young men have been taken away to a strange land.

L'Éternel est juste, Car j'ai été rebelle à ses ordres. Écoutez, vous tous, peuples, et voyez ma douleur! Mes vierges et mes jeunes hommes sont allés en captivité.

19 I called to my lovers, but they were not faithful to me. My religious leaders and leaders of the people died in the city, while they looked for food to get their strength back.

J'ai appelé mes amis, et ils m'ont trompée. Mes sacrificateurs et mes anciens ont expiré dans la ville: Ils cherchaient de la nourriture, Afin de ranimer leur vie.

20 S ee how I suffer, O Lord. My spirit is very troubled. My heart has no rest within me, for I have not obeyed. The sword kills in the street. In the house there is only death.

Éternel, regarde ma détresse! Mes entrailles bouillonnent, Mon coeur est bouleversé au dedans de moi, Car j'ai été rebelle. Au dehors l'épée a fait ses ravages, au dedans la mort.

21 T hey have heard how I cry in sorrow. There is no one to comfort me. All those who hate me have heard of my trouble. They are glad for what You did. Bring the day that You have told us about, and let them become like me.

On a entendu mes soupirs, et personne ne m'a consolée; Tous mes ennemis ont appris mon malheur, Ils se sont réjouis de ce que tu l'as causé; Tu amèneras, tu publieras le jour où ils seront comme moi.

22 L et their sin come before You, and do to them what You have done to me because of all my sin. My cries are many, and my heart is weak.”

Que toute leur méchanceté vienne devant toi, Et traite-les comme tu m'as traitée, A cause de toutes mes transgressions! Car mes soupirs sont nombreux, et mon coeur est souffrant.