52 Heb “between the vestibule and the altar.” The vestibule was located at the entrance of the temple and the altar was located at the other end of the building. So “between the vestibule and the altar” is a merism referring to the entire structure. The priestly lament permeates the entire house of worship.
53 For the reading לִמְשָׁל (limshol, an infinitive, “to rule”), one should instead read לְמָשָׁל (lémashal, a noun, “to a byword”). While the consonantal Hebrew text permits either, the context suggests that the concern here is more one of not wanting to appear abandoned by God to ongoing economic depression rather than one of concern over potential political subjection of Israel (cf. v. 19). The possibility that the form in the is an infinitive construct of the denominative verb II מָשַׁל (mashal, “to utter a proverb”) does not seem likely because of the following preposition (Hebrew בְּ [bé], rather than עַל [’al]).
54 Heb “Why will they say?”

In other versions

Between the vestibule and the altar

let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep

and say, “Spare your people, O Lord,

and make not your heritage a reproach,

a byword among the nations.

Why should they say among the peoples,

‘Where is their God?’ ”

Let the priests, who minister before the Lord,

weep between the portico and the altar.

Let them say, “Spare your people, Lord.

Do not make your inheritance an object of scorn,

a byword among the nations.

Why should they say among the peoples,

‘Where is their God?’ ”

Let the priests, the Lord’s ministers,

weep between the portico and the altar.

Let them say,

“Have pity on your people, Lord,

and do not make your inheritance a disgrace,

an object of scorn among the nations.

Why should it be said among the peoples,

‘Where is their God?’ ”

Let the priests, who minister in the Lord’s presence,

stand and weep between the entry room to the Temple and the altar.

Let them pray, “Spare your people, Lord!

Don’t let your special possession become an object of mockery.

Don’t let them become a joke for unbelieving foreigners who say,

‘Has the God of Israel left them?’ ”

Between the colonnade and the altar,

let the priests, the ministers of Yahweh, weep.

And let them say, “Take pity, Yahweh, on your people.

Do not make your inheritance a reproach,

a byword among the nations.

Why should they say among the nations,

‘Where is their God?’ ”

Let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep between the porch and the altar,

And let them say, Spare thy people, O Lord,

And give not thine heritage to reproach,

That the heathen should rule over them:

Wherefore should they say among the people, Where is their God?

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