SIL Translator’s Notes on Lamentations 2020 – Page 4

SIL Translator’s Notes on Lamentations 5:11

5:11a Women have been ravished in Zion,

Our wives have been raped in Jerusalem.
-or-
The enemies did what they wanted with the women in Jerusalem.

5:11b virgins in the cities of Judah.

Our daughters ⌊have been raped⌋ in every Judean village.
-or-

⌊They forced themselves on⌋ the young girls in the cities of Judah.

5:11a-b (combined)

Our enemies raped women and young girls in every town and city.
-or-
Those who invaded our land dishonored women and girls everywhere.

© 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 2:4

2:4a He has bent His bow like an enemy;

He prepared his bow like an enemy.
-or-
He attacked ⌊his people⌋ like an enemy with a bow ⌊and arrows⌋ .

2:4b His right hand is positioned.

He was ready ⌊to shoot⌋ .
-or-
He was about to ⌊shoot his arrow⌋ .

2:4c Like a foe He has killed

Like an enemy he killed
-or-
He was like our enemy. He killed

2:4d all who were pleasing to the eye;

all who were dear ⌊to us⌋ .
-or-
all our strong men that we were once so proud of.

2:4e He has poured out His wrath like fire

He let his anger fall ⌊on his people⌋ like fire.
-or-
He has shown how angry he was. (Easy English Bible)

2:4f on the tent of the Daughter of Zion.

⌊It fell⌋ on the homes of those who lived in Jerusalem ⌊and destroyed them⌋ .
-or-
He sent destruction on all of Zion’s houses.

2:4a-f (combined)

He attacked like an enemy with a bow and arrows. He killed our loved ones. He completely destroyed the homes on Mount Zion.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Lamentations 3:14

3:14a I am a laughingstock to all my people;

Now everyone laughs at me, (FBV)
-or-
My own people laugh at me.

3:14b they mock me in song all day long.

singing songs that mock me all day long. (FBV)
-or-
All day, every day they sing songs that make fun of me.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Lamentations 3:46

3:46a All our enemies open their mouths

“All our enemies open their mouths
-or-
“All our enemies have gloated

3:46b against us.

to criticize us. (FBV)
-or-
over us. (NET Bible)

SIL Translator’s Notes on Lamentations 4:12

4:12a The kings of the earth did not believe,

None of the kings on the earth (Translation for Translators)
-or-
The kings of the earth could not believe what had happened. (English Easy-to-Read Version)

4:12b nor any people of the world,

or anyone else believed (Translation for Translators)
-or-
The people of the world could not believe what had happened. (English Easy-to-Read Version)

4:12c that an enemy or a foe could enter the gates of Jerusalem.

that any of our enemies could enter the gates of Jerusalem. (Translation for Translators)
-or-
They could not believe that enemies would be able to come through the city gates of Jerusalem. (English Easy-to-Read Version)

SIL Translator’s Notes on Lamentations 5:22

5:22a unless You have utterly rejected us

Please do that, because we hope that you have not rejected us forever (Translation for Translators)
-or-
Or have you completely turned away from us? (New International Reader’s Version)
-or-
You have completely rejected us ⌊until now⌋ .

5:22b and remain angry with us beyond measure.

and that you do not continue to be extremely angry with us! (Translation for Translators)
-or-
Are you really that angry with us? (New International Reader’s Version)
-or-
You are so very angry with us.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Lamentations 1:5

1:5a Her foes have become her masters;

Jerusalem’s enemies have won. (English Easy-to-Read Version)
-or-
Our enemies have conquered the city.

1:5b her enemies are at ease.

They have an easy life. (New International Reader’s Version)
-or-
It is easy for Jerusalem’s enemies to win their battles. (UBSH)

1:5c For the LORD has brought her grief

⌊But really it was⌋ Yahweh who made her suffer
-or-
Yahweh has punished the people of Jerusalem (Translation for Translators)

1:5d because of her many transgressions.

for the many sins she committed.
-or-
because they broke the sacred agreement with him.

1:5c-d__ (combined)

She sinned many times. Therefore Yahweh punished her.

1:5e Her children have gone away as captives

The children of Jerusalem have been captured (Translation for Translators)
-or-
The citizens of Jerusalem were forced to go to foreign countries.

1:5f before the enemy.

Jerusalem’s enemies drove them.
-or-
and taken to other countries. (Translation for Translators)

SIL Translator’s Notes on Lamentations 2:15

2:15a All who pass by

All who passed by on the road (NET Bible)
-or-
Everyone who walks along the road (God’s Word)

2:15b clap their hands at you in scorn.

clapped their hands to mock you. (NET Bible)
-or-
shakes a fist at you. (God’s Word)

2:15c They hiss and shake their heads at the Daughter of Jerusalem:

They make fun of Jerusalem, shaking their heads at the sight of her. (English Easy-to-Read Version)
-or-
They have no respect for Jerusalem and shake their heads ⌊at her ruins⌋ .

2:15d “Is this the city that was called

They ask, “Is this the city that people called (English Easy-to-Read Version)
-or-
They wonder if this really is the city that was considered

2:15e the perfection of beauty,

‘The Most Beautiful City’ (English Easy-to-Read Version)
-or-
the most beautiful city in the world.

2:15f the joy of all the earth?

and ‘The Joy of all the Earth’?” (English Easy-to-Read Version) ⌊It doesn’t look like that now!⌋
-or-

⌊Could this be the city,⌋ which brought joy to everyone on earth?

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

Source: SIL Translator’s Notes on Lamentations 2020