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2:1  Look how the Lord in his anger has ·brought Jerusalem to shame [L treated the daughter of Zion with contempt; or brought a cloud over the daughter of Zion]. He has thrown down the ·greatness [splendor; beauty] of Israel from the ·sky [heavens] to the earth; he did not remember his footstool [C the Temple; Ps. 99:5; 132:7], on the day of his anger.
2:2  The Lord swallowed up without ·mercy [pity] all the ·houses [homes; dwellings] of the people of Jacob; in his anger he ·pulled down [demolished] the strong places of [L the daughter of] Judah. He threw her kingdom and its rulers down to the ground in dishonor.
2:3  In his anger he has ·removed [cut to pieces] all the ·strength [L horn; C a symbol of pride and power] of Israel; he took away his ·power [L right hand] from Israel when the enemy came. He burned against the people of Jacob [C another name for Israel] like a flaming fire that burns up everything around it.
2:4  Like an enemy, he ·prepared to shoot [bent; drew] his bow, and his right hand was against us [Ps. 7:12–13]. Like an ·enemy [foe], he killed all ·the good-looking people [L which eye desired]; he poured out his anger like fire on the tents of ·Jerusalem [L the daughter of Zion; C the location of the Temple].
2:5  The Lord was like an enemy; he swallowed up Israel. He swallowed up all her palaces and destroyed all her strongholds. He has ·caused more [multiplied] moaning and groaning for ·Judah [L the daughter of Judah].
2:6  He ·cut down [laid waste to; violently treated] his ·Temple [L booth] like a ·garden [vineyard]; he destroyed the meeting place. The Lord has made ·Jerusalem [L Zion; C the location of the Temple] forget the ·set feasts [or meeting place] and Sabbath days. He has ·rejected [despised] the king and the priest in his great anger.
2:7  The Lord has rejected his altar and ·abandoned [disavowed] his ·Temple [L Holy Place; Ezek. 9–11]. He has ·handed over to [L delivered into the hand of] the enemy the walls of its [C probably Jerusalem’s] palaces. ·Their uproar [L They gave forth voice] in the Lord’s ·Temple [L house] was like that of a feast day.
2:8  The Lord planned to destroy the wall around ·Jerusalem [L the daughter of Zion; C the location of the Temple]. He ·measured the wall [L extended a measuring line; C usually used in construction but here in demolition] and did not stop himself from ·destroying [L swallowing] it. He made the walls and ·defenses [ramparts] ·sad [mourn]; together they have ·fallen [languished].
2:9  ·Jerusalem’s [L Its] gates have ·fallen [sunk] to the ground; he destroyed and smashed the bars [C of the gates; Ps. 107:16; Is. 45:2; Jer. 51:30; Nah. 3:13]. Her king and her princes are among the nations. The ·teaching [law; instruction; C God’s law] has stopped, and the prophets do not have visions from the Lord.
2:10  The elders of ·Jerusalem [L the daughter of Zion; C the location of the Temple] sit on the ground in silence. They throw dust on their heads and put on ·rough cloth [sackcloth; burlap; signs of grief or repentance]. The young women of Jerusalem bow their heads to the ground [C in sorrow].
2:11  My eyes ·have no more tears [L are exhausted from tears], and ·I am sick to my stomach [L my innards/stomach/bowels are agitated]. ·I feel empty inside [L My bile/gall is poured out on the ground], because ·my people [L the daughter of my people] have been ·destroyed [shattered; broken]. Children and ·babies [nurslings] are fainting in the ·streets [public areas] of the city.
2:12  They ask their mothers, “Where is the grain and wine?” They faint like wounded soldiers in the ·streets [public areas] of the city and ·die [L pour out their lives] in their mothers’ ·arms [L bosom].
2:13  What can I ·say [testify] about you, [L daughter] Jerusalem? What can I compare you to? What can I say you are like? How can I comfort you, ·Jerusalem [L virgin daughter Zion; C location of the Temple]? Your ·ruin [wound] is as ·deep [great] as the sea. ·No one [L Who…?] can heal you.
2:14  Your prophets saw visions, but they were ·false [empty] and ·worth nothing [insipid; nonsense; Ezek. 10:10–12]. They did not ·point out [expose] your ·sins [guilt] to ·keep you from being captured [or restore your fortunes]. They ·preached what was [L saw oracles for you that were] ·false [empty] and ·led you wrongly [fraudulent].
2:15  All who pass by on the road clap their hands at you [C in approval of Jerusalem’s destruction; Ezek. 25:6]; they ·make fun of [hiss at; C in scorn; 1 Kin. 9:8; Jer. 19:8; Zeph. 2:15] [L the daughter of] Jerusalem and shake their heads. They ask, “Is this the city that people called the most beautiful city, the ·happiest place on [joy of the whole] earth [Ps. 48:2]?”
2:16  All your enemies ·open [L crack] their mouths to speak against you. They make fun and ·grind [gnash] their teeth [C in anger]. They say, “We have swallowed you up. This is the day we were ·waiting [hoping] for! We have finally seen it happen.”
2:17  The Lord has done what he planned; he has ·kept [fulfilled] his ·word [threat; C the covenant curses; Deut. 28:45–50] that he commanded ·long ago [L in days of old]. He has ·destroyed [demolished] without ·mercy [pity], and he has let your enemies laugh at you [C such as Edom; Obad. 1–21]. He has ·strengthened [L exalted the horn of; C symbol of pride and power] your enemies.
2:18  ·The people [L Their hearts] cry out to the Lord. Wall of ·Jerusalem [L the daughter of Zion; C the location of the Temple], let your tears flow like a ·river [torrent; wadi] day and night. Do not ·stop [L allow yourself relaxation] or let your eyes rest.
2:19  Get up, cry out in the night, ·even as the night begins [L at the beginning of the night watches; C the night was divided into three four-hour watches]. Pour out your heart like water ·in prayer to [L before the presence/face of] the Lord. Lift up your hands in prayer to him for the life of your children who are ·fainting [growing weak] with hunger ·on every street corner [L at the head of every street].
2:20  Jerusalem says: “Look, Lord, and see to whom you have done this. ·Women [L Should women…?] eat their own ·babies [L fruit; C short for “fruit of their womb”], the children ·they have cared for [they have nursed/borne; or which are well-formed; Deut. 28:53–55; Jer. 19:6–9]. ·Priests and prophets are [L Should priests and prophets be…?] killed in the ·Temple [L holy place] of the Lord.
2:21  “People young and old lie outside on the ground. My young women and young men have ·been killed [L fallen] by the sword. You killed them on the day of your anger; you ·killed [slaughtered] them without ·mercy [pity].
2:22  “You invited ·terrors [or enemies] to come against me on every side, as if ·you were inviting them to a feast [L on an appointed/feast day]. No one escaped or remained alive on the day of the Lord’s anger. My enemy has ·killed [annihilated] those I ·cared for [nursed; bore] and brought up.”