耶利米哀歌 4
1 怎麼! 黃金竟暗淡無光，純金竟變了色! 聖所的石頭都散亂在街頭!
Oh how is the gold become dim! how is the most fine gold changed! how are the stones of the sanctuary poured out at the corners of every street.
2 熙雍的子女，原比純金尊貴，怎麼現在竟被看作瓦器，被看作陶人的出品!
The precious sons of Zion, valued equal to pure gold, how are they now esteemed as earthen pitchers, the work of the hands of the potter!
3 豺狼尚且露出乳房，哺養自己的幼兒；我的女兒──人民，竟然殘暴不仁，好似曠野中的鴕鳥!
Even wild beasts offer the breast, they give suck to their young ones: the daughter of my people is become cruel, like the ostriches in the wilderness.
4 嬰兒的舌頭，乾渴得緊貼上顎；幼童飢餓求食，卻無人分給他們。
The tongue of the suckling cleaveth to its palate by reason of thirst: babes ask for bread, there is not one to break it for them.
5 昔日飽享山珍海味，今日竟餓死街頭；一向衣飾華麗，而今卻滿身糞土。
Those that used to eat dainty food are desolate in the streets: they that were reared up on scarlet now embrace dunghills.
6 我的女兒──人民的罪罰，比索多瑪的還重，索多瑪頃刻間傾覆了，並非假手於人。
For greater is the iniquity of the daughter of my people than the sin of Sodom, that was overthrown as it were in a moment, and no human hands were laid on her.
7 昔日，她的少年，比雪還潔白，比乳還皎潔；他們的皮膚，比珊瑚還紅潤，他們的身體好似一片青玉。
Her crowned princes were purer than snow, they were whiter than milk, they were more brilliant in body than pearls, more than the sapphire, their countenance:
8 而今，他們的容貌，比炭還黑，在街上已辨認不出，皮包骨頭，枯瘦如柴；
Darker than black is now their visage; they are not to be recognized in the streets: their skin is shriveled fast upon their bones; it is dry, it is become like wood.
9 死於刀下的，比死於饑餓的，即因缺乏田產，日漸衰弱而死的，更為幸運。
Happier are those slain by the sword than those slain by hunger; for those poured forth their blood, being pierced through, —[these perished] without the fruits of the field.
10 柔情的婦女竟要親手烹食自己的子女；在我的女兒──人民遭受浩劫時，子女竟成了母親的食物。
The hands of merciful women cooked their own children: they became food unto them in the downfall of the daughter of my people.
11 上主大發震怒，傾洩了他的怒火，火燒熙雍，焚毀了他的基礎。
The Lord hath let loose all his fury: he hath poured out the fierceness of his anger: and he hath kindled a fire in Zion, which hath devoured her foundations.
12 地上的君王和世上的居民，誰也不相信：仇敵能進入耶路撒冷的城門。
The kings of the earth, and all the inhabitants of the world, would not believe that an adversary or an enemy could ever enter within the gates of Jerusalem.
13 這是由於她先知們的罪惡，和她司祭們的過犯：他們在城中心，傾流了義人的血；
[But it hath happened] because of the sins of her prophets, the iniquities of her priests, that had shed in the midst of her the blood of the righteous.
14 他們身染血污，像瞎子一樣，徘徊街頭，叫人不能觸摸他們的衣服。「
They wandered about blindly in the streets, they became defiled with blood; so that men were not able to touch their garments.
15 不潔! 退避! 」人們喊說：「退避! 不可接近! 」如果他們逃亡，漂流異邦，異邦人又說：「不要讓他們留居此地。」
Depart, ye unclean, they called out unto them: depart, depart, touch not. So they flee away and also wander about: men say among the nations, They shall no more sojourn there.
16 上主的怒容驅散他們，不再垂顧他們；人也不再尊敬司祭，不再敬重長老。
The anger of the Lord hath divided them; he will no more look at them: the faces of the priests they respected not, and the elders they spared not.
17 我們還在望眼欲穿，幻想著我們的救援；我們仍在瞭望台上，期望著那不能施救的異邦。
Even now our eyes anxiously wait for our valueless help: in our waiting have we waited for a nation that cannot help.
18 敵人正在追蹤我們的足跡，阻止我們在街上行走；我們的結局已近，我們的日子已滿；的確，我們的終期已到。
They hunt our steps, that we cannot walk in our streets: our end is near, our days are full: for our end is come.
19 追捕我們的人，比凌空的飛鳥還要快速；他們在山上搜索我們，在曠野裏窺伺我們。
Swifter were our pursuers than the eagles of heaven: upon the mountains did they hotly follow us: in the wilderness did they lie in wait for us.
20 連我們的氣息──上主的受傅者，也落在他們的陷阱中：我們原希望在他的福蔭下，生活在異邦人中。
The breath of our nostrils, the anointed of the Lord, was caught in their pits, he, of whom we said, Under his shadow shall we live among the nations.
21 住在胡茲地的厄東女郎! 你歡欣喜樂罷! 苦爵也要輪到你喝，你將要醉倒，而赤身裸體。
Be glad and rejoice, O daughter of Edom, that dwellest in the land of 'Uz: also unto thee shall the cup pass; thou wilt be drunken, and make thyself naked.
22 熙雍女郎! 你的罪債已經償還，上主不再使你流徙；厄東女郎! 他必要懲罰你的過犯，揭露你的罪惡。
Brought to an end is thy iniquity, O daughter of Zion; He will no more carry thee away into exile: He visiteth thy iniquity, O daughter of Edom; He layeth open thy sins.
