unfoldingWord_en_tn/lam/03/44.md

# Connecting Statement:

The prayer that began in [Lamentations 3:42](./40.md) continues.

# You have covered yourself with a cloud so that no prayer can pass through

This represents God refusing to listen to the people's prayer. AT: "You refuse to listen to our prayers. It is as though you put a cloud between us and you so that our prayers cannot get to you" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]])

# You have made us like filthy scum and refuse among the nations

The people of Israel are compared to filthy scum and refuse. Possible meanings are 1) God has caused the nations to think of his people as worthless. AT: "You have made the nations think of us as scum and garbage" or 2) God's forcing his people to live among the nations is like throwing them away as garbage. AT: "You have thrown us away like filthy garbage among the nations" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-simile]])

# panic and pitfall have come upon us, ruin and destruction

The abstract nouns "panic," "pitfall," "ruin" and "destruction" can be expressed with verbs. AT: "we are panicking. We are trapped, and we are being ruined and destroyed" or "we are terrified and trapped. We are being completely destroyed" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-abstractnouns]])

# pitfall

This refers to falling into a pit. Here it represents being trapped in any way.

# have come upon us

"have happened to us"

# ruin and destruction

These two words share similar meanings and refer to the destruction of Jerusalem. AT: "total destruction" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-doublet]])