Lamentations 4
1 ALEPH. How will the gold be tarnished, [and] the fine silver changed! the sacred stones have been poured forth at the top of all the streets.
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!
2 BETH. The precious sons of Zion, who were equalled in value with gold, how are they counted as earthen vessels, the works of the hands of the potter!
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!
3 GIMEL. Nay, serpents have drawn out the breasts, they give suck to their young, the daughters of my people are incurably cruel, as an ostrich in a desert.
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!
4 DALETH. The tongue of the sucking child cleaves to the roof of its mouth for thirst: the little children ask for bread, [and] there is none to break [it] to them.
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。
5 HE. They that feed on dainties are desolate in the streets: they that used to be nursed in scarlet have clothed themselves with dung.
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。
6 VAU. And the iniquity of the daughter of my people has been increased beyond the iniquities of Sodoma, [the city] that was overthrown very suddenly, and none laboured against her [with their] hands.
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。
7 ZAIN. Her Nazarites were made purer than snow, they were whiter than milk, they were purified [as] with fire, their polishing was superior to sapphire stone.
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。
8 HETH. Their countenance is become blacker than smoke; they are not known in the streets: their skin has cleaved to their bones; they are withered, they are become as a stick.
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；
9 TETH. The slain with the sword were better than they that were slain with hunger: they have departed, pierced through from [lack of] the fruits of the field.
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。
10 JOD. The hands of tender-hearted women have sodden their own children: they became meat for them in the destruction of the daughter of my people.
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。
11 CHAPH. The Lord has accomplished his wrath; he has poured out fierce anger, and has kindled a fire in Sion, and it has devoured her foundations.
上主大發震怒，傾洩了他的怒火，火燒熙雍，焚毀了他的基礎。
12 LAMED. The kings of the earth, [even] all that dwell in the world, believed not that an enemy and oppressor would enter through the gates of Jerusalem.
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。
13 MEM. For the sins of her prophets, [and] iniquities of her priests, who shed righteous blood in the midst of her,
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；
14 NUN. her watchmen staggered in the streets, they were defiled with blood in their weakness, they touched their raiment [with it].
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。「
15 SAMECH. Depart you from the unclean ones: call you them: depart, depart, touch [them] not: for they are on fire, yes, they stagger: say you amongst the nations, They shall no more sojourn [there].
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。」
16 AIN. The presence of the Lord [was] their portion; [but] he will not again look upon them: they regarded not the person of the priests, they pitied not the prophets.
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。
17 PHE. While we yet lived our eyes failed, while we looked in vain for our help. TSADE. We looked to a nation that could not save.
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。
18 We have hunted [for] our little ones, that they should not walk in our streets. KOPH. Our time has drawn near, our days are fulfilled, our time is come.
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。
19 Our pursuers were swifter than the eagles of the sky, they flew on the mountains, in the wilderness they laid wait for us.
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。
20 RECHS. The breath of our nostrils, [our] anointed Lord, was taken in their destructive snares, of whom we said, In his shadow we shall live amongst the Gentiles.
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。
21 CHSEN. Rejoice and be glad, O daughter of Idumea, that dwell in the land: yet the cup of the Lord shall pass through to you: you shall be drunken, and pour forth.
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。
22 THAU. O daughter of Sion, your iniquity has come to an end; he shall no more carry you captive: he has visited your iniquities, O daughter of Edom; he has discovered your sins.
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。
