He does not willingly afflict is literally “does not inflict from his heart.” Bible en français courant says “It is not from a good heart….” The sense is that God does not wilfully inflict suffering. Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch translates “It gives him no happiness…,” and this is similar to Good News Translation “He takes no pleasure in….” We may also translate, for example, “The Lord takes no delight in causing people to suffer.”

Sons of men refers to people or mankind in general and is rendered by the pronoun “us” in Good News Translation.

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, William D. A Handbook on Lamentations. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1992. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .