SIL Translator’s Notes on Lamentations 2020 – Page 2

SIL Translator’s Notes on Lamentations 4:4

4:4a The nursing infant’s tongue clings in thirst

Babies are so thirsty that their tongues (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
The nursing babies are so thirsty that their tongues (FBV)

4:4b to the roof of his mouth.

are stuck to the roof of their mouths.
-or-
stick to the roof of their mouths. (FBV)

4:4c Little children beg for bread,

Little children ask for bread (Easy English Bible)
-or-
Children go begging for food, (Contemporary English Version)

4:4d but no one gives them any.

but no one gives them so much as a crust. (Easy English Bible)
-or-
but no one gives them even a little bit.

© 2020 by SIL International®
Made available under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License (CC BY-SA) creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0.
All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible.
BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Lamentations 5:14

5:14a The elders have left the city gate;

Our elders no longer sit at the city gates ⌊to make important decisions⌋ .
-or-
Wise old men don’t meet in public places ⌊to give advice and decide things⌋ anymore.

5:14b the young men have stopped their music.

The young men no longer play their musical instruments.
-or-
Our young men have stopped making music.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Lamentations 2:7

2:7a The Lord has rejected His altar

The Lord stopped using his altar
-or-
He rejected his own altar

2:7b He has abandoned His sanctuary

and moved out of his holy place.
-or-
and disowned the sacred place where he lived ⌊in the temple⌋ .

2:7c He has delivered the walls of her palaces

He let the beautiful buildings ⌊in Jerusalem⌋
-or-

⌊Instead of protecting the city,⌋ he allowed ⌊Zion’s⌋ fortresses

2:7d into the hand of the enemy.

be destroyed by enemies.
-or-
to be captured by Israel’s enemies.

2:7e They have raised a shout in the house of the LORD

They shouted in Yahweh’s holy house
-or-
The enemies shouted in the temple of Yahweh,

2:7f as on the day of an appointed feast.

as people ⌊in former times⌋ shouted on a special holy day.
-or-
like we (incl.) previously shouted during our sacred festivals.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Lamentations 3:17

3:17a My soul has been deprived of peace;

I cannot find peace (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
Things no longer go well for me. (Translation for Translators)

3:17b I have forgotten what prosperity is.

or remember happiness. (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
I’ve forgotten what good times are like. (New International Reader’s Version)
-or-
It has been so very long since I was happy.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Lamentations 3:49

3:49a My eyes overflow unceasingly,

Tears come like a river from my eyes (Easy English Bible)
-or-
My eyes flow day and night with never-ending streams of tears (TLB)

3:49b without relief,

and they will not stop, (Easy English Bible)
-or-
and they won’t stop. (Contemporary English Version)

SIL Translator’s Notes on Lamentations 4:15

4:15a “Go away! Unclean!”

“Get out of here! You are defiled,”
-or-
They were told to go away because they were unclean.

4:15b men shouted at them.

men shouted at them.
-or-
Other people kept their distance and shouted to them,

4:15c “Away, away! Do not touch us!”

“Keep away! Do not touch us(exl) !”
-or-
to leave and not to touch anyone.

4:15d So they fled and wandered.

So the priests and prophets left and went away
-or-
So they ran away and wandered from country to country.

4:15e Among the nations it was said,

to other nations. But those people told them,
-or-
But the people in those countries

4:15f “They can stay here no longer.”

“You cannot stay here!”
-or-
would not let them stay.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Lamentations 1:8

1:8a Jerusalem has sinned greatly

Jerusalem sinned terribly, (FBV)
-or-

⌊The people of⌋ Jerusalem have sinned very much.

1:8b therefore she has become an object of scorn.

which is why she is now treated as someone unclean. (FBV)
-or-
Therefore they all are not pure ritually.
-or-
and are not allowed to attend worship ceremonies.

1:8a-b (combined)

Jerusalem became unclean because she sinned very much.

1:8c All who honored her now despise her,

Everyone who used to honor her now despise her,
-or-
People who thought that this city was noble, now hate her.

1:8d for they have seen her nakedness;

because they’ve seen her naked and ashamed. (FBV)
-or-
They saw her stripped naked and humiliated.
-or-
Jerusalem is naked and dishonored like an unfaithful woman.

1:8e she herself groans and turns away.

⌊Now the people of the⌋ city groan. They cover their faces ⌊because they are very ashamed⌋ .
-or-
Jerusalem’s people make sad noises and they want to hide themselves away. (EEB)

SIL Translator’s Notes on Lamentations 2:18

2:18a The hearts of the people cry out to the Lord.

The people ⌊of Jerusalem⌋ cry to the Lord from their hearts!
-or-
The people cry out to the Lord from the bottom of their hearts.

2:18b O wall of the Daughter of Zion,

Jerusalem, let your walls cry ⌊to the Lord, as people cry when in grief⌋ .
-or-
People of Jerusalem let your ⌊destroyed⌋ walls mourn ⌊as people mourn for their dead⌋ .

2:18c let your tears run down like a river day and night.

Cry day and night! Let your tears flow like rivers. (Translation for Translators)
-or-
Weep all the time. Let your tears run down your face like a waterfall.

2:18d Give yourself no relief,

Don’t stop crying (English Easy-to-Read Version)
-or-
Do not rest. (Easy English Bible)

2:18e and your eyes no rest.

or let your eyes dry. (English Easy-to-Read Version)
-or-
Do not let your eyes stop crying. (Easy English Bible)

Step into the multitudes of languages of the Bible and join the worldwide conversation!

Source: SIL Translator’s Notes on Lamentations 2020