耶利米哀歌 4
1 黃金何其失光！ 純金何其變色！ 聖所的石頭倒在各市口上。
[Previously our people were like] [MET] pure gold, but now they are worthless. [Like] [MET] the sacred stones in the temple have been scattered, [our young men have been scattered].
2 錫安寶貴的眾子好比精金， 現在何竟算為窯匠手所做的瓦瓶？
The young men of Jerusalem were as valuable as [MET] large amounts of gold, but now people consider that they are as worthless as [ordinary] clay pots.
3 野狗尚且把奶乳哺其子， 我民的婦人倒成為殘忍， 好像曠野的鴕鳥一般。
Even the [female] jackals/wolves feed their pups, but my people act cruelly [toward their children]; they are like [SIM] ostriches in the desert [that abandon their eggs].
4 吃奶孩子的舌頭因乾渴貼住上膛； 孩童求餅，無人擘給他們。
[My people’s] infants’ tongues cling to the roofs/tops of their mouths because they are [extremely] thirsty; the children plead for some food, but no one gives them [any].
5 素來吃美好食物的， 現今在街上變為孤寒； 素來臥朱紅褥子的， 現今躺臥糞堆。
People who [previously] ate fine food are [now] starving in the streets; those who previously lived luxuriously [MTY] [now] paw/dig through rubbish heaps [to find some food].
6 都因我眾民的罪孽比所多瑪的罪還大； 所多瑪雖然無人加手於她， 還是轉眼之間被傾覆。
[The people of] Sodom were struck with a disaster very suddenly, and there was no one to rescue them; but my people have been punished more severely than [the people of] Sodom were punished.
7 錫安的貴冑素來比雪純淨， 比奶更白； 他們的身體比紅寶玉更紅， 像光潤的藍寶石一樣。
Our leaders’ [behavior] was [previously] very pure, whiter [and brighter] than snow and milk; their bodies were redder than [red] coral/stones; they were very strong and healthy [MET].
8 現在他們的面貌比煤炭更黑， 以致在街上無人認識； 他們的皮膚緊貼骨頭， 枯乾如同槁木。
But now their faces are blacker than soot, and no one recognizes them in the streets. Their skin has shriveled on their bones, and it has become as dry as [SIM] a wooden [stick].
9 餓死的不如被刀殺的， 因為這是缺了田間的土產， 就身體衰弱，漸漸消滅。
It is better to die in a battle [MTY] than to die of hunger. There was no food to harvest in the fields, so the people slowly starved until they died.
10 慈心的婦人，當我眾民被毀滅的時候， 親手煮自己的兒女作為食物。
Women who [usually/previously] were very kind have [killed and] cooked their own children; they ate them [when there was no other food], when Jerusalem was surrounded [by enemy soldiers].
11 耶和華發怒成就他所定的， 倒出他的烈怒； 在錫安使火着起， 燒毀錫安的根基。
Yahweh has shown that he was extremely angry; [it is as though] he started/ignited a fire in Jerusalem that burned everything to ashes.
12 地上的君王和世上的居民都不信 敵人和仇敵能進耶路撒冷的城門。
None of the kings on the earth or anyone else believed that any of our enemies could enter the gates of Jerusalem.
13 這都因她先知的罪惡和祭司的罪孽； 他們在城中流了義人的血。
[But that is what happened]; it happened because the prophets sinned; and the priests [also] sinned by causing innocent people to be executed [MTY].
14 他們在街上如瞎子亂走， 又被血玷污， 以致人不能摸他們的衣服。
The prophets and priests wandered through the streets [as though they were] blind. No one would touch them because their clothes were stained with the blood [of people who had been killed].
15 人向他們喊着說： 不潔淨的，躲開，躲開！ 不要挨近我！ 他們逃走飄流的時候， 列國中有人說： 他們不可仍在這裏寄居。
The people [who were alive] shouted, “Stay away [from us] [DOU]! You are defiled/untouchable! Do not touch us!” So the prophets and priests fled [from Israel], and they wandered around from one country to another, because people [in each country] kept saying to them, “You cannot stay here!”
16 耶和華發怒，將他們分散， 不再眷顧他們； 人不重看祭司，也不厚待長老。
It is Yahweh himself who has scattered them; he no longer is concerned about them. People do not respect [our] priests or leaders.
17 我們仰望人來幫助， 以致眼目失明，還是枉然； 我們所盼望的，竟盼望一個不能救人的國！
We [SYN] continued to look for someone to help [us], but it was useless. We continued to watch to see if one of our allies would save us, but none of the nations that we were waiting for could help [us].
18 仇敵追趕我們的腳步像打獵的， 以致我們不敢在自己的街上行走。 我們的結局臨近； 我們的日子滿足； 我們的結局來到了。
[Our] enemies were hunting for us, so we could not [even] walk in our streets [lest they seize us]. We were about to be captured; it was time for us to be killed.
19 追趕我們的比空中的鷹更快； 他們在山上追逼我們， 在曠野埋伏，等候我們。
Those who pursued us were faster than eagles [flying] in the sky. Even if we fled to the mountains or hid in the desert, they [went there ahead of us and] waited [to attack] us.
20 耶和華的受膏者好比我們鼻中的氣， 在他們的坑中被捉住； 我們曾論到他說： 我們必在他蔭下， 在列國中存活。
[Our king, ] whom Yahweh appointed, was the one who enabled us to remain alive [MTY]; he was the one whom we trusted to protect us [IDM] from [the armies of] other nations. But he was [captured] [like animals are] [MET] caught in a pit.
21 住烏斯地的以東民哪，只管歡喜快樂； 苦杯也必傳到你那裏； 你必喝醉，以致露體。
You people of [IDM] Edom and Uz, [you may] be happy [about what is happening to us now], but [Yahweh] will be punishing [MTY] you [also]. You will become drunk and will be ashamed [because your enemies] will have stripped off your clothes.
22 錫安的民哪，你罪孽的刑罰受足了， 耶和華必不使你再被擄去。 以東的民哪，他必追討你的罪孽， 顯露你的罪惡。
You [people of] [APO] Jerusalem, the time of your being punished will end; Yahweh will not allow you to continue to live in (exile/foreign countries). But [you people of] [APO] Edom, Yahweh will punish [you]; he will reveal the wicked things that you have done.
