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!
How is the gold become dim, Changed the best — the pure gold? Poured out are stones of the sanctuary At the head of all out-places.
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, Who are comparable with fine gold, How have they been reckoned earthen bottles, Work of the hands of a 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 dragons have drawn out the breast, They have suckled their young ones, The daughter of my people is become cruel, Like the ostriches in a 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。
Cleaved hath the tongue of a suckling unto his palate with thirst, Infants asked bread, a dealer out they have none.
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 eating of dainties have been desolate in out-places, Those supported on scarlet have embraced 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。
And greater is the iniquity of the daughter of my people, Than the sin of Sodom, That was overturned as [in] a moment, And no hands were stayed 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。
Purer were her Nazarites than snow, Whiter than milk, ruddier of body than rubies, Of sapphire their form.
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 blackness hath been their visage, They have not been known in out-places, Cleaved hath their skin unto their bone, It hath withered — it hath been as 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。
Better have been the pierced of a sword Than the pierced of famine, For these flow away, pierced through, Without the increase 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 have boiled their own children, They have been for food to them, In the destruction 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。
Completed hath Jehovah His fury, He hath poured out the fierceness of His anger, And he kindleth a fire in Zion, And it devoureth 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。
Believe not did the kings of earth, And any of the inhabitants of the world, That come would an adversary and enemy Into 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；
Because of the sins of her prophets, The iniquities of her priests, Who are shedding in her midst 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 have wandered naked in out-places, They have been polluted with blood, Without [any] being able to touch their clothing,
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。」
'Turn aside — unclean,' they called to them, 'Turn aside, turn aside, touch not,' For they fled — yea, they have wandered, They have said among nations: 'They do not add to sojourn.'
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 face of Jehovah hath divided them, He doth not add to behold them, The face of priests they have not lifted up, Elders they have not favoured.
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。
While we exist — consumed are our eyes for our vain help, In our watch-tower we have watched for a nation [that] saveth not.
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 have hunted our steps from going in our broad-places, Near hath been our end, fulfilled our days, For come hath our end.
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 have been our pursuers, Than the eagles of the heavens, On the mountains they have burned [after] us, In the wilderness they have laid 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 Jehovah, Hath been captured in their pits, of whom we said: 'In his shadow we do live among 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。
Joy and rejoice, O daughter of Edom, Dwelling in the land of Uz, Even unto thee pass over doth a cup, Thou art drunk, and makest 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。
Completed [is] thy iniquity, daughter of Zion, He doth not add to remove thee, He hath inspected thy iniquity, O daughter of Edom, He hath removed [thee] because of thy sins!
