some of lamentations ....

25-LAM/01.usfm

@@ -2,9 +2,9 @@
 \c 1
 \p
 \q
-\v 1 The city that once was full of people is now sitting all alone!
+\v 1 The city that once was full of people is now sitting all alone.
-\q She has become like a widow, though she was a mighty nation!
+\q She has become like a widow, though she was a mighty nation.
-\q She was a princess among the nations, but is now forced into slavery!
+\q She was a princess among the nations, but is now forced into slavery.
 \q
 \v 2 She weeps and wails in the night, and her tears cover her cheeks.
 \q None of her lovers comfort her.
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@
 \q
 \v 4 The roads of Zion mourn because none come to the appointed feasts.
 \q All her gates are desolate. Her priests groan.
-\q Her virgins are sorrowful, and she herself is in complete distress.
+\q Her virgins are sorrowful and she herself is in complete distress.
 \q
 \v 5 Her adversaries have become her master; her enemies prosper.
 \q Yahweh has afflicted her for her many sins.
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@
 
 \s5
 \q
-\v 8 Jerusalem sinned greatly; therefore, she has become scorned as something filthy.
+\v 8 Jerusalem sinned greatly, therefore, she has become scorned as something that is filthy.
 \q All who honored her now despise her since they have seen her nakedness.
 \q She groans and tries to turn away.
 \q
@@ -105,16 +105,16 @@
 
 \s5
 \q
-\v 20 Look, Yahweh, for I am in distress; my innermost parts churn about.
+\v 20 Look, Yahweh, for I am in distress; my stomach churns, 
-\q My heart is turned within me for I have grievously rebelled.
+\q my heart is disturbed within me, for I have very rebellious.
-\q From outside the sword cuts off life. It has become like death in the house.
+\q Outside, the sword bereaves a mother, inside the house there is only death.
 
 \s5
 \q
-\v 21 Hear me groan. There is no one to comfort me.
+\v 21 They have heard my groaning, but there is no one to comfort me.
-\q All my enemies have heard of my adversity. They rejoice that you have done it.
+\q All my enemies have heard of my trouble and they are glad that you have done it.
-\q Bring on the day you have promised, that they may become like me.
+\q You have brought the day you promised; now let them become like me.
 \q
 \v 22 Let all their wickedness come before you.
-\q Torment them as you have tormented me for all my transgressions; 
+\q deal with them as you have dealt with me because of all my transgressions. 
-\q for my groans are many, and my heart is weak.
+\q My groans are many and my heart is faint.

25-LAM/02.usfm

@@ -3,29 +3,29 @@
 \c 2
 \p
 \q
-\v 1 The Lord has completely covered the daughter of Zion with a dark cloud in his anger!
+\v 1 The Lord has covered the daughter of Zion under the cloud of his anger.
-\q He has cast down the beauty of Israel from heaven to the earth;
+\q He has from heaven to earth the splendor of Israel.
-\q he has ignored his footstool on the day of his anger.
+\q He has not remembered his footstool on the day of his anger.
 \q
 \v 2 The Lord has swallowed up and has had no compassion on all the towns of Jacob.
-\q He has thrown down the fortified cities of the daughter of Judah in his wrath;
+\q In the days of his anger he has thrown down the fortified cities of the daughter of Judah;
-\q he has struck them down to the ground in dishonor and disgraced the kingdom and her princes.
+\q in dishonor he has brought down to the ground the kingdom and its rulers.
 
 \s5
 \q
 \v 3 With fierce anger he has cut off all the strength of Israel.
-\q He has drawn back his right hand from before the enemy. 
+\q He has withdrawn his right hand from before the enemy. 
 \q He has burned up Jacob like a blazing fire that devours everything around it.
 \q
-\v 4 He has strung his bow at us like an enemy.
+\v 4 Like an enemy he has bent his bow toward us, 
-\q He has stood in battle position as an adversary with his hand ready to shoot.
+\q with his right is ready to shoot.
-\q He has slaughtered all the people most precious .
+\q He has slaughtered all who had been so pleasing to him in the tent of the daughter of Zion;
-\q In the tent of the daughter of Zion he has poured out his wrath like fire.
+\q he has poured out his wrath like fire.
 
 \s5
 \q
 \v 5 The Lord has become like an enemy. He has swallowed up Israel.
-\q He has swallowed up all her palaces; he has destroyed her strongholds.
+\q He has swallowed up all her palaces. He has destroyed her strongholds.
 \q He has increased mourning and lamentation within the daughter of Judah.
 \q
 \v 6 He has attacked his tabernacle like a garden hut. He has destroyed the place of the solemn assembly.
@@ -34,46 +34,46 @@
 
 \s5
 \q
-\v 7 The Lord has rejected his altar; he has spurned his sanctuary.
+\v 7 The Lord has rejected his altar and disowned his sanctuary.
 \q He has given over the walls of her palaces into the hand of the enemy.
-\q They have made a sound of victory in the house of Yahweh, as on the day of a solemn assembly.
+\q They have raised a shout in the house of Yahweh, as on the day of an appointed feast.
 
 \s5
 \q
-\v 8 Yahweh has deliberately decided to destroy the city wall of the daughter of Zion.
+\v 8 Yahweh decided to destroy the city wall of the daughter of Zion.
 \q He has stretched out the measuring line and has not withheld his hand from destroying the wall.
-\q And he has made the ramparts lament and the walls become feeble.
+\q And he has made the ramparts and wall to lament; together they wasted away.
 \q
-\v 9 Her gates have sunk into the ground; he has destroyed and broken her gate bars.
+\v 9 Her gates have sunk into the ground; he has destroyed and broken the bars of her gate.
-\q Her king and her princes are among the Gentiles, where there is no law of Moses.
+\q Her king and her princes are among the nations, the law is no more
-\q Even her prophets find no vision from Yahweh.
+\q and her prophets find no vision from Yahweh.
 
 \s5
 \q
-\v 10 The elders of the daughter of Zion sit on the ground and silently grieve.
+\v 10 The elders of the daughter of Zion sit on the ground in silence.
-\q They have sprinkled dust on their heads; they dress in sackcloth.
+\q They have thrown dust on their heads and put on sackcloth.
-\q The virgins of Jerusalem lower their heads to the ground.
+\q The virgins of Jerusalem bowed their heads to the ground.
 \b
 
 \s5
 \q
-\v 11 My tears have ended; my eyes are red; my innermost parts are in turmoil. 
+\v 11 My eyes are worn out from weeping; my stomach churns;  
-\q My liver has been poured out to the ground because of the crushing of the daughter of my people,
+\q my liver is poured out to the ground because of the destruction of the daughter of my people,
-\q because the young children and the nursing babies are helplessly weak in the streets of the villages.
+\q children and infants faint in the streets of the city. 
 \q
 \v 12 They say to their mothers, "Where is grain and wine?"
-\q as they faint like wounded men in the streets of the city,
+\q as they faint like a wounded man in the streets of the city,
-\q their lives being poured out onto their mothers' laps.
+\q their lives are poured out on the bosom of their mothers.
 
 \s5
 \q
-\v 13 What can I say regarding you, daughter of Jerusalem?
+\v 13 What can I say to you, daughter of Jerusalem?
-\q What will I compare to you to comfort you, virgin daughter of Zion?
+\q To what can I compare to you, that I may comfort you, virgin daughter of Zion?
-\q Your collapse is as great as the sea. Who can heal you?
+\q Your wound is as great as the sea. Who can heal you?
 \q
-\v 14 Your prophets have seen deceitful and foolish visions for you.
+\v 14 Your prophets have seen false and worthless visions for you.
-\q They have not revealed your iniquity to restore your fortunes,
+\q They have not exposed your iniquity to restore your fortunes,
-\q but have perceived deceitful oracles and temptations for you.
+\q but for you they have seen oracles that are false and misleading. 
 
 \s5
 \q