Lamentations 4
1 Aleph. How is the gold become dim, the finest colour is changed, the stones of the sanctuary are scattered in the top of every street?
[ALEPH-BET] How the gold has become dim, Changed the best—the pure gold! Stones of the sanctuary are poured out At the head of all out-places.
2 Beth. The noble sons of Sion, and they that were clothed with the best gold: how are they esteemed as earthen vessels, the work of the potter’s hands?
The precious sons of Zion, Who are comparable with fine gold, How they have been reckoned earthen bottles, Work of the hands of a potter.
3 Ghimel. Even the sea monsters have drawn out the breast, they have given suck to their young: the daughter of my people is cruel, like the ostrich in the desert.
Even dragons have drawn out the breast, They have suckled their young ones, The daughter of my people has become cruel, Like the ostriches in a wilderness.
4 Daleth. The tongue of the sucking child hath stuck to the roof of his mouth for thirst: the little ones have asked for bread, and there was none to break it unto them.
The tongue of a suckling has cleaved to his palate with thirst, Infants asked for bread, they have no dealer [of it] out.
5 He. They that were fed delicately have died in the streets; they that were brought up in scarlet have embraced the dung.
Those eating of delicacies have been desolate in out-places, Those supported on scarlet have embraced dunghills.
6 Vau. And the iniquity of the daughter of my people is made greater than the sin of Sodom, which was overthrown in a moment, and hands took nothing in her.
And greater is the iniquity of the daughter of my people, Than the sin of Sodom, That was overturned as [in] a moment, And no hands were stayed on her.
7 Zain. Her Nazarites were whiter than snow, purer than milk, more ruddy than the old ivory, fairer than the sapphire.
Purer were her Nazarites than snow, Whiter than milk, ruddier of body than rubies, Of sapphire their form.
8 Heth. Their face is now made blacker than coals, and they are not known in the streets: their skin hath stuck to their bones, it is withered, and is become like wood.
Their face has been darker than blackness, They have not been known in out-places, Their skin has cleaved to their bone, It has withered—it has been as wood.
9 Teth. It was better with them that were slain by the sword, than with them that died with hunger: for these pined away being consumed for want of the fruits of the earth.
Better have been the pierced of a sword Than the pierced of famine, For these flow away, pierced through, Without the increase of the field.
10 Jod. The hands of the pitiful women have sodden their own children: they were their meat in the destruction of the daughter of my people.
The hands of merciful women have boiled their own children, They have been for food to them, In the destruction of the daughter of my people.
11 Caph. The Lord hath accomplished his wrath, he hath poured out his fierce anger: and he hath kindled a fire in Sion, and it hath devoured the foundations thereof.
YHWH has completed His fury, He has poured out the fierceness of His anger, And He kindles a fire in Zion, And it devours her foundations.
12 Lamed. The kings of the earth, and all the inhabitants of the world would not have believed, that the adversary and the enemy should enter in by the gates of Jerusalem.
The kings of earth did not believe, And any of the inhabitants of the world, That an adversary and enemy would come Into the gates of Jerusalem.
13 Mem. For the sins of her prophets, and the iniquities of her priests, that have shed the blood of the just in the midst of her.
Because of the sins of her prophets, The iniquities of her priests, Who are shedding in her midst the blood of the righteous,
14 Nun. They have wandered as blind men in the streets, they were defiled with blood: and when they could not help walking in it, they held up their skirts.
They have wandered naked in out-places, They have been defiled with blood, Without [any] being able to touch their clothing,
15 Samech. Depart you that are defiled, they cried out to them: Depart, get ye hence, touch not: for they quarrelled, and being removed, they said among the Gentiles: He will no more dwell among them.
“Turn aside—unclean,” they called to them, “Turn aside, turn aside, do not touch,” For they fled—indeed, they have wandered, They have said among nations: “They do not add to sojourn.”
16 Phe. The face of the Lord hath divided them, he will no more regard them: they respected not the persons of the priests, neither had they pity on the ancient.
The face of YHWH has divided them, He does not add to behold them, They have not lifted up the face of priests, They have not favored [the] old and elderly.
17 Ain. While we were yet standing, our eyes failed, expecting help for us in vain, when we looked attentively towards a nation that was not able to save.
While we exist—consumed are our eyes for our vain help, In our watchtower we have watched for a nation [that] does not save.
18 Sade. Our steps have slipped in the way of our streets, our end draweth near: our days are fulfilled, for our end is come.
They have hunted our steps from going in our broad-places, Near has been our end, fulfilled our days, For our end has come.
19 Coph. Our persecutors were swifter than the eagles of the air: they pursued us upon the mountains, they lay in wait for us in the wilderness.
Swifter have been our pursuers, Than the eagles of the heavens, On the mountains they have burned [after] us, In the wilderness they have laid wait for us.
20 Res. The breath of our mouth, Christ the Lord, is taken in our sins: to whom we said: Under thy shadow we shall live among the Gentiles.
The breath of our nostrils—the anointed of YHWH, Has been captured in their pits, of whom we said: “We live among nations in his shadow.”
21 Sin. Rejoice, and be glad, O daughter of Edom, that dwellest in the land of Hus: to thee also shall the cup come, thou shalt be made drunk, and naked.
Rejoice and be glad, O daughter of Edom, Dwelling in the land of Uz, Even to you a cup passes over, You are drunk, and make yourself naked.
22 Thau. Thy iniquity is accomplished, O daughter of Sion, he will no more carry thee away into captivity: he visited thy iniquity, O daughter of Edom, he hath discovered thy sins. The Prayer of Jeremias the Prophet.
Completed [is] your iniquity, daughter of Zion, He does not add to remove you, He has inspected your iniquity, O daughter of Edom, He has removed [you] because of your sins!
