Lamentations 4
1 How the gold has become tarnished, the pure gold has become dull! The gems of the temple lie scattered on every street corner.
| אֵיכָה יוּעַם זָהָב יִשְׁנֶא הַכֶּתֶם הַטּוֹב תִּשְׁתַּפֵּכְנָה אַבְנֵי־קֹדֶשׁ בְּרֹאשׁ כׇּל־חוּצֽוֹת׃ |
2 How the precious sons of Zion, once worth their weight in pure gold, are now esteemed as jars of clay, the work of a potter’s hands!
| בְּנֵי צִיּוֹן הַיְקָרִים הַמְסֻלָּאִים בַּפָּז אֵיכָה נֶחְשְׁבוּ לְנִבְלֵי־חֶרֶשׂ מַעֲשֵׂה יְדֵי יוֹצֵֽר׃ |
3 Even jackals offer their breasts to nurse their young, but the daughter of my people has become cruel, like an ostrich in the wilderness.
| גַּם־[תַּנִּים] (תנין) חָלְצוּ שַׁד הֵינִיקוּ גּוּרֵיהֶן בַּת־עַמִּי לְאַכְזָר (כי ענים) [כַּיְעֵינִים] בַּמִּדְבָּֽר׃ |
4 The nursing infant’s tongue clings in thirst to the roof of his mouth. Little children beg for bread, but no one gives them any.
| דָּבַק לְשׁוֹן יוֹנֵק אֶל־חִכּוֹ בַּצָּמָא עֽוֹלָלִים שָׁאֲלוּ לֶחֶם פֹּרֵשׂ אֵין לָהֶֽם׃ |
5 Those who once ate delicacies are destitute in the streets; those brought up in crimson huddle in ash heaps.
| הָאֹֽכְלִים לְמַעֲדַנִּים נָשַׁמּוּ בַּחוּצוֹת הָאֱמֻנִים עֲלֵי תוֹלָע חִבְּקוּ אַשְׁפַּתּֽוֹת׃ |
6 The punishment of the daughter of my people is greater than that of Sodom, which was overthrown in an instant without a hand turned to help her.
| וַיִּגְדַּל עֲוֺן בַּת־עַמִּי מֵֽחַטַּאת סְדֹם הַֽהֲפוּכָה כְמוֹ־רָגַע וְלֹא־חָלוּ בָהּ יָדָֽיִם׃ |
7 Her dignitaries were brighter than snow, whiter than milk; their bodies were more ruddy than rubies, their appearance like sapphires.
| זַכּוּ נְזִירֶיהָ מִשֶּׁלֶג צַחוּ מֵחָלָב אָדְמוּ עֶצֶם מִפְּנִינִים סַפִּיר גִּזְרָתָֽם׃ |
8 But now their appearance is blacker than soot; they are not recognized in the streets. Their skin has shriveled on their bones; it has become as dry as a stick.
| חָשַׁךְ מִשְּׁחוֹר תׇּֽאֳרָם לֹא נִכְּרוּ בַּחוּצוֹת צָפַד עוֹרָם עַל־עַצְמָם יָבֵשׁ הָיָה כָעֵֽץ׃ |
9 Those slain by the sword are better off than those who die of hunger, who waste away, pierced with pain because the fields lack produce.
| טוֹבִים הָיוּ חַלְלֵי־חֶרֶב מֵֽחַלְלֵי רָעָב שֶׁהֵם יָזֻבוּ מְדֻקָּרִים מִתְּנוּבֹת שָׂדָֽי׃ |
10 The hands of compassionate women have cooked their own children, who became their food in the destruction of the daughter of my people.
| יְדֵי נָשִׁים רַחֲמָנִיּוֹת בִּשְּׁלוּ יַלְדֵיהֶן הָיוּ לְבָרוֹת לָמוֹ בְּשֶׁבֶר בַּת־עַמִּֽי׃ |
11 The LORD has exhausted His wrath; He has poured out His fierce anger; He has kindled a fire in Zion, and it has consumed her foundations.
| כִּלָּה יְהֹוָה אֶת־חֲמָתוֹ שָׁפַךְ חֲרוֹן אַפּוֹ וַיַּצֶּת־אֵשׁ בְּצִיּוֹן וַתֹּאכַל יְסֹדֹתֶֽיהָ׃ |
12 The kings of the earth did not believe, nor any people of the world, that an enemy or a foe could enter the gates of Jerusalem.
| לֹא הֶאֱמִינוּ מַלְכֵי־אֶרֶץ (וכל) [כֹּל] יֹשְׁבֵי תֵבֵל כִּי יָבֹא צַר וְאוֹיֵב בְּשַׁעֲרֵי יְרוּשָׁלָֽ͏ִם׃ |
13 But this was for the sins of her prophets and the guilt of her priests, who shed the blood of the righteous in her midst.
| מֵֽחַטֹּאות נְבִיאֶיהָ עֲוֺנֹת כֹּהֲנֶיהָ הַשֹּׁפְכִים בְּקִרְבָּהּ דַּם צַדִּיקִֽים׃ |
14 They wandered blind in the streets, defiled by this blood, so that no one dared to touch their garments.
| נָעוּ עִוְרִים בַּֽחוּצוֹת נְגֹֽאֲלוּ בַּדָּם בְּלֹא יֽוּכְלוּ יִגְּעוּ בִּלְבֻשֵׁיהֶֽם׃ |
15 “Go away! Unclean!” men shouted at them. “Away, away! Do not touch us!” So they fled and wandered. Among the nations it was said, “They can stay here no longer.”
| סוּרוּ טָמֵא קָרְאוּ לָמוֹ סוּרוּ סוּרוּ אַל־תִּגָּעוּ כִּי נָצוּ גַּם־נָעוּ אָֽמְרוּ בַּגּוֹיִם לֹא יוֹסִפוּ לָגֽוּר׃ |
16 The presence of the LORD has scattered them; He regards them no more. The priests are shown no honor; the elders find no favor.
| פְּנֵי יְהֹוָה חִלְּקָם לֹא יוֹסִיף לְהַבִּיטָם פְּנֵי כֹהֲנִים לֹא נָשָׂאוּ (זקנים) [וּזְקֵנִים] לֹא חָנָֽנוּ׃ |
17 All the while our eyes were failing as we looked in vain for help. We watched from our towers for a nation that could not save us.
| (עודינה) [עוֹדֵינוּ] תִּכְלֶינָה עֵינֵינוּ אֶל־עֶזְרָתֵנוּ הָבֶל בְּצִפִּיָּתֵנוּ צִפִּינוּ אֶל־גּוֹי לֹא יוֹשִֽׁעַ׃ |
18 They stalked our every step, so that we could not walk in our streets. Our end drew near, our time ran out, for our end had come!
| צָדוּ צְעָדֵינוּ מִלֶּכֶת בִּרְחֹבֹתֵינוּ קָרַב קִצֵּנוּ מָלְאוּ יָמֵינוּ כִּי־בָא קִצֵּֽנוּ׃ |
19 Those who chased us were swifter than the eagles in the sky; they pursued us over the mountains and ambushed us in the wilderness.
| קַלִּים הָיוּ רֹדְפֵינוּ מִנִּשְׁרֵי שָׁמָיִם עַל־הֶהָרִים דְּלָקֻנוּ בַּמִּדְבָּר אָרְבוּ לָֽנוּ׃ |
20 The LORD’s anointed, the breath of our life, was captured in their pits. We had said of him, “Under his shadow we will live among the nations.”
| רוּחַ אַפֵּינוּ מְשִׁיחַ יְהֹוָה נִלְכַּד בִּשְׁחִיתוֹתָם אֲשֶׁר אָמַרְנוּ בְּצִלּוֹ נִֽחְיֶה בַגּוֹיִֽם׃ |
21 So rejoice and be glad, O Daughter of Edom, you who dwell in the land of Uz. Yet the cup will pass to you as well; you will get drunk and expose yourself.
| שִׂישִׂי וְשִׂמְחִי בַּת־אֱדוֹם (יושבתי) [יוֹשֶׁבֶת] בְּאֶרֶץ עוּץ גַּם־עָלַיִךְ תַּעֲבׇר־כּוֹס תִּשְׁכְּרִי וְתִתְעָרִֽי׃ |
22 O Daughter of Zion, your punishment is complete; He will not prolong your exile. But He will punish your iniquity, O Daughter of Edom; He will expose your sins.
| תַּם־עֲוֺנֵךְ בַּת־צִיּוֹן לֹא יוֹסִיף לְהַגְלוֹתֵךְ פָּקַד עֲוֺנֵךְ בַּת־אֱדוֹם גִּלָּה עַל־חַטֹּאתָֽיִךְ׃ |
