« | Lamentations 5 |
1 Remember, O LORD, what has befallen us, look, and see our disgrace:
2 Our inherited lands have been turned over to strangers, our homes to foreigners.
3 We have become orphans, fatherless; widowed are our mothers.
4 The water we drink we must buy, for our own wood we must pay.
5 On our necks is the yoke of those who drive us; we are worn out, but allowed no rest.
6 To Egypt we submitted, and to Assyria, to fill our need of bread.
7 Our fathers, who sinned, are no more; but we bear their guilt.
8 Slaves rule over us; there is no one to rescue us from their hands.
9 At the peril of our lives we bring in our sustenance, in the face of the desert heat;
10 Our skin is shriveled up, as though by a furnace, with the searing blasts of famine.
11 The wives in Zion were ravished by the enemy, the maidens in the cities of Judah;
12 Princes were gibbeted by them, elders shown no respect.
13 The youths carry the millstones, boys stagger under their loads of wood;
14 The old men have abandoned the gate, the young men their music.
15 The joy of our hearts has ceased, our dance has turned into mourning;
16 The garlands have fallen from our heads: woe to us, for we have sinned!
17 Over this our hearts are sick, at this our eyes grow dim:
18 That Mount Zion should be desolate, with jackals roaming there!
19 You, O LORD, are enthroned forever; your throne stands from age to age.
20 Why, then, should you forget us, abandon us so long a time?
21 Lead us back to you, O LORD, that we may be restored: give us anew such days as we had of old.
22 For now you have indeed rejected us, and in full measure turned your wrath against us.
The New American Standard Updated Version (NASU)
The New American Standard Updated Version (NASU) is a highly respected English translation of the Bible known for its rigorous adherence to the original languages of Scripture. First published in 1995 by the Lockman Foundation, the NASU is an update of the New American Standard Bible (NASB), which was originally completed in 1971. The NASU seeks to improve upon the NASB by enhancing readability and modernizing the language while maintaining the translation’s reputation for being one of the most literal translations available. This makes the NASU a preferred choice for serious Bible study, preaching, and teaching.
A key feature of the NASU is its commitment to formal equivalence, or a word-for-word translation philosophy. The translators aimed to produce a text that is as close as possible to the original Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek manuscripts. This approach ensures that the NASU captures the precise meaning and structure of the original texts, providing readers with a highly accurate and reliable representation of the Scriptures. The use of formal equivalence makes the NASU particularly valuable for those who desire a deep and detailed understanding of the Bible, including scholars, theologians, and students of the Word.
In updating the NASB, the NASU made several important changes to improve clarity and readability. While maintaining the accuracy and literalness of the translation, the NASU incorporates modern English expressions and smoother sentence structures. This makes the text more accessible to contemporary readers without compromising the precision that the NASB is known for. The NASU also includes updated cross-references and footnotes, which provide additional context and insights, further aiding in the study and understanding of the biblical text.
Despite its many strengths, the NASU has faced some criticism. Some readers and scholars argue that the translation’s emphasis on literalness can sometimes result in a text that feels stiff or less fluid than more dynamic translations. Additionally, while the NASU’s updated language makes it more accessible, some feel that it could go further in adapting to contemporary usage without losing its accuracy. Nevertheless, the New American Standard Updated Version remains a highly esteemed translation, valued for its fidelity to the original texts and its usefulness for in-depth study and precise interpretation of the Bible.