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.
Hvor gullet blir mørkt, det edleste gull forandret, de hellige stener strødd omkring ved alle gatehjørner!
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!
Sions barn, de dyrebare, like i verd med det fineste gull, hvor de er blitt aktet som lerkrukker, et verk av en pottemakers hender!
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.
Endog sjakaler rekker bryst, gir sine unger die; mitt folks datter er blitt grusom som strutsen i ørkenen.
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.
Diebarnets tunge henger fast ved ganen av tørst; små barn ber om brød, det er ingen som deler ut til dem,
5 Those who once ate delicacies are destitute in the streets; those brought up in crimson huddle in ash heaps.
De som åt fine retter, ligger elendige på gatene; de som blev båret på skarlagen, favner møkkdynger.
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.
Så blev straffen over mitt folks datter større enn straffen over Sodoma, som blev lagt i grus i et øieblikk, uten at hender blev løftet imot det.
7 Her dignitaries were brighter than snow, whiter than milk; their bodies were more ruddy than rubies, their appearance like sapphires.
Hennes fyrster var renere enn sne, hvitere enn melk; de var rødere på legemet enn koraller; som safir var deres utseende.
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.
Mørkere enn sort er nu deres utseende, de blir ikke kjent på gatene; deres hud henger ved deres ben, den er blitt tørr som tre.
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.
Lykkeligere var de som blev drept ved sverd, enn de som blev drept ved hunger, de som tærtes bort og gikk til grunne av mangel på brød.
10 The hands of compassionate women have cooked their own children, who became their food in the destruction of the daughter of my people.
Ømhjertede kvinner kokte selv sine egne barn, de tjente dem til føde da mitt folks datter gikk under.
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.
Herren uttømte sin harme, han utøste sin brennende vrede og tendte en ild i Sion, og den fortærte dets grunnvoller.
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.
Jordens konger og alle som bodde på jorderike, trodde ikke at nogen motstander og fiende skulde komme inn gjennem Jerusalems porter.
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.
For dets profeters synder, dets presters misgjerninger, de som utøste rettferdiges blod i byen, er det skjedd.
14 They wandered blind in the streets, defiled by this blood, so that no one dared to touch their garments.
De vanket omkring på gatene som blinde, tilsølt med blod, så ingen kunde røre ved deres klær.
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.”
Vik bort! Uren! ropte folk til dem - vik bort, vik bort, rør ikke ved oss! For de har flyktet og vanker omkring; det sies blandt folkene: De skal ikke bli her lenger!
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.
Herrens åsyn har spredt dem, han ser ikke mere til dem; prester akter de ikke, over de gamle forbarmer de sig ikke.
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.
Da det ennu stod, stirret våre matte øine forgjeves efter hjelp; på vårt vakttårn speidet vi efter et folk som ikke kunde frelse oss.
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!
De lurte på våre skritt, så vi ikke kunde gå på våre gater; vår ende var kommet nær, vår tid var omme, ja, vår ende var kommet.
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.
Våre forfølgere var raskere enn himmelens ørner; på fjellene forfulgte de oss, i ørkenen lurte de på oss.
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.”
Vår livsånde, Herrens salvede, blev fanget i deres graver, han om hvem vi sa: I hans skygge vil vi leve blandt folkene.
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.
Fryd dig og gled dig bare, Edoms datter, du som bor i landet Us! Også til dig skal begeret komme; du skal bli drukken og klæ dig naken.
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.
Din straff er til ende, Sions datter! Han vil ikke mere bortføre dig. Han vil hjemsøke dig for din misgjerning, Edoms datter, åpenbare dine synder.
