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In my experience, every time we tried to replace SQL with something else (last time it was Zend Framework with its SQL request builder), the entire project code base turned into a heap of mysteries... Since then, in every project, no matter how complex or simple it is, we try to stay with plain old SQL queries.

Try jOOQ, it's a nice wrapper of SQL

It sucks when you don't understand it, like any other language/technology :) When you understand SQL, it is a powerful implementation of a relational calculus

The syntax is a bit sucky. The relational model is not.

Been writing SQL for 10 years. I definitely understand it.

The problem is that it's rigid, and constructing queries based on filters or user input is painful. It disrupts the flow of your code.

That's why I now use query builders, which aren't ideal, but they at least allow me to build my queries in a logical order (adding additional ORDER BY conditions, adding/removing JOINs depending on my needs, etc.)

The problem is that no query builder that I've used flows as well as SQL or "gets out of the way".