Klagesangene 4
1 Hvor Guldet blev sort, og skæmmet det ædle metal, de hellige Stene slængt hen paa Gadernes Hjørner!
[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 Zions de dyre Sønner, der opvejed Guld, kun regnet for Lerkar, Pottemagerhænders Værk!
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 Selv Sjakaler byder Brystet til, giver Ungerne Die, men mit Folks Datter blev grum som Ørkenens Strudse.
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 Den spædes Tunge hang fast ved Ganen af Tørst, Børnene tigged om Brød, og ingen gav dem.
[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 Folk, som levede lækkert, omkom paa Gaden; Folk, som var baaret paa Purpur, favnede Skarnet.
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 Mit Folks Datters Brøde var større end Synden i Sodom, som brat blev styrtet, saa Hænder ej rørtes derinde.
[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 Hendes Fyrster var renere end Sne, mer hvide end Mælk, deres Legeme rødere end Koral, som Safir deres Aarer;
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 mer sorte end Sod ser de ud, kan ej kendes paa Gaden, Huden hænger ved Knoglerne, tør som Træ.
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 Sværdets Ofre var bedre farne end Sultens, som svandt hen, dødsramte, af Mangel paa Markens Grøde.
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 Blide Kvinders Hænder kogte deres Børn; da mit Folks Datter brød sammen, blev de dem til Føde.
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 HERREN køled sin Vrede, udøste sin Harmglød, han tændte i Zion en Ild, dets Grundvolde aad den.
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 Ej troede Jordens Konger, ja ingen i Verden, at Uven og Fjende skulde staa i Jerusalems Porte.
None of the kings on the earth or anyone else believed that any of our enemies could enter the gates of Jerusalem.
13 Det var for Profeternes Synd, for Præsternes Brøde, som i dets Midte udgød retfærdiges Blod.
[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 De vanked som blinde paa Gaderne, tilsølet af Blod, rørte med Klæderne Ting, som ikke maa røres.
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 »Var jer! En uren!« raabte man; »Var jer dog for dem!« Naar de flyr og vanker, raaber man: »Bliv ikke her!«
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 HERREN spredte dem selv, han saa dem ej mer, Præster regned man ej eller ynked Profeter.
It is Yahweh himself who has scattered them; he no longer is concerned about them. People do not respect [our] priests or leaders.
17 End smægted vort Blik efter Hjælp, men kun for at skuffes, paa Varden spejded vi efter det Folk, der ej hjælper.
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 De lured paa vort Fjed, fra Torvene holdt vi os borte; Enden var nær, vore Dage var omme, ja, Enden var kommet.
[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 Mer snare end Himlens Ørne var de, som jog os, paa Bjergene satte de efter os, lured i Ørkenen,
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 vor Livsaande, HERRENS Salvede, blev fanget i deres Grave, han, i hvis Skygge vi tænkte at leve blandt Folkene.
[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 Glæd dig og fryd dig, Edom, som bor i Uz! Ogsaa dig skal Bægeret naa, du skal blotte dig drukken.
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 Din Skyld er til Ende, Zion, du forvises ej mer; han hjemsøger, Edom, din Skyld, afslører dine Synder.
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.
