Lamentations 4
1 Oh how is the gold become dim! how is the most fine gold changed! how are the stones of the sanctuary poured out at the corners of every street.
| אֵיכָה יוּעַם זָהָב יִשְׁנֶא הַכֶּתֶם הַטּוֹב תִּשְׁתַּפֵּכְנָה אַבְנֵי־קֹדֶשׁ בְּרֹאשׁ כָּל־חוּצֽוֹת׃ |
2 The precious sons of Zion, valued equal to pure gold, how are they now esteemed as earthen pitchers, the work of the hands of the potter!
| בְּנֵי צִיּוֹן הַיְקָרִים הַמְסֻלָּאִים בַּפָּז אֵיכָה נֶחְשְׁבוּ לְנִבְלֵי־חֶרֶשׂ מַעֲשֵׂה יְדֵי יוֹצֵֽר׃ |
3 Even wild beasts offer the breast, they give suck to their young ones: the daughter of my people is become cruel, like the ostriches in the wilderness.
| גַּם־תנין תַּנִּים חָלְצוּ שַׁד הֵינִיקוּ גּוּרֵיהֶן בַּת־עַמִּי לְאַכְזָר כי ענים כַּיְעֵנִים בַּמִּדְבָּֽר׃ |
4 The tongue of the suckling cleaveth to its palate by reason of thirst: babes ask for bread, there is not one to break it for them.
| דָּבַק לְשׁוֹן יוֹנֵק אֶל־חִכּוֹ בַּצָּמָא עֽוֹלָלִים שָׁאֲלוּ לֶחֶם פֹּרֵשׂ אֵין לָהֶֽם׃ |
5 Those that used to eat dainty food are desolate in the streets: they that were reared up on scarlet now embrace dunghills.
| הָאֹֽכְלִים לְמַעֲדַנִּים נָשַׁמּוּ בַּחוּצוֹת הָאֱמֻנִים עֲלֵי תוֹלָע חִבְּקוּ אַשְׁפַּתּֽוֹת׃ |
6 For greater is the iniquity of the daughter of my people than the sin of Sodom, that was overthrown as it were in a moment, and no human hands were laid on her.
| וַיִּגְדַּל עֲוֺן בַּת־עַמִּי מֵֽחַטַּאת סְדֹם הַֽהֲפוּכָה כְמוֹ־רָגַע וְלֹא־חָלוּ בָהּ יָדָֽיִם׃ |
7 Her crowned princes were purer than snow, they were whiter than milk, they were more brilliant in body than pearls, more than the sapphire, their countenance:
| זַכּוּ נְזִירֶיהָ מִשֶּׁלֶג צַחוּ מֵחָלָב אָדְמוּ עֶצֶם מִפְּנִינִים סַפִּיר גִּזְרָתָֽם׃ |
8 Darker than black is now their visage; they are not to be recognized in the streets: their skin is shriveled fast upon their bones; it is dry, it is become like wood.
| חָשַׁךְ מִשְּׁחוֹר תָּֽאֳרָם לֹא נִכְּרוּ בַּחוּצוֹת צָפַד עוֹרָם עַל־עַצְמָם יָבֵשׁ הָיָה כָעֵֽץ׃ |
9 Happier are those slain by the sword than those slain by hunger; for those poured forth their blood, being pierced through, —[these perished] without the fruits of the field.
| טוֹבִים הָיוּ חַלְלֵי־חֶרֶב מֵֽחַלְלֵי רָעָב שֶׁהֵם יָזוּבוּ מְדֻקָּרִים מִתְּנוּבֹת שָׂדָֽי׃ |
10 The hands of merciful women cooked their own children: they became food unto them in the downfall of the daughter of my people.
| יְדֵי נָשִׁים רַחֲמָנִיּוֹת בִּשְּׁלוּ יַלְדֵיהֶן הָיוּ לְבָרוֹת לָמוֹ בְּשֶׁבֶר בַּת־עַמִּֽי׃ |
11 The Lord hath let loose all his fury: he hath poured out the fierceness of his anger: and he hath kindled a fire in Zion, which hath devoured her foundations.
| כִּלָּה יְהוָה אֶת־חֲמָתוֹ שָׁפַךְ חֲרוֹן אַפּוֹ וַיַּצֶּת־אֵשׁ בְּצִיּוֹן וַתֹּאכַל יְסוֹדֹתֶֽיהָ׃ |
12 The kings of the earth, and all the inhabitants of the world, would not believe that an adversary or an enemy could ever enter within the gates of Jerusalem.
| לֹא הֶאֱמִינוּ מַלְכֵי־אֶרֶץ וכל כֹּל יֹשְׁבֵי תֵבֵל כִּי יָבֹא צַר וְאוֹיֵב בְּשַׁעֲרֵי יְרוּשָׁלָֽ͏ִם׃ |
13 [But it hath happened] because of the sins of her prophets, the iniquities of her priests, that had shed in the midst of her the blood of the righteous.
| מֵֽחַטֹּאת נְבִיאֶיהָ עֲוֺנוֹת כֹּהֲנֶיהָ הַשֹּׁפְכִים בְּקִרְבָּהּ דַּם צַדִּיקִֽים׃ |
14 They wandered about blindly in the streets, they became defiled with blood; so that men were not able to touch their garments.
| נָעוּ עִוְרִים בַּֽחוּצוֹת נְגֹֽאֲלוּ בַּדָּם בְּלֹא יֽוּכְלוּ יִגְּעוּ בִּלְבֻשֵׁיהֶֽם׃ |
15 Depart, ye unclean, they called out unto them: depart, depart, touch not. So they flee away and also wander about: men say among the nations, They shall no more sojourn there.
| סוּרוּ טָמֵא קָרְאוּ לָמוֹ סוּרוּ סוּרוּ אַל־תִּגָּעוּ כִּי נָצוּ גַּם־נָעוּ אָֽמְרוּ בַּגּוֹיִם לֹא יוֹסִיפוּ לָגֽוּר׃ |
16 The anger of the Lord hath divided them; he will no more look at them: the faces of the priests they respected not, and the elders they spared not.
| פְּנֵי יְהוָה חִלְּקָם לֹא יוֹסִיף לְהַבִּיטָם פְּנֵי כֹהֲנִים לֹא נָשָׂאוּ זקנים וּזְקֵנִים לֹא חָנָֽנוּ׃ |
17 Even now our eyes anxiously wait for our valueless help: in our waiting have we waited for a nation that cannot help.
| עודינה עוֹדֵינוּ תִּכְלֶינָה עֵינֵינוּ אֶל־עֶזְרָתֵנוּ הָבֶל בְּצִפִּיָּתֵנוּ צִפִּינוּ אֶל־גּוֹי לֹא יוֹשִֽׁעַ׃ |
18 They hunt our steps, that we cannot walk in our streets: our end is near, our days are full: for our end is come.
| צָדוּ צְעָדֵינוּ מִלֶּכֶת בִּרְחֹבֹתֵינוּ קָרַב קִצֵּינוּ מָלְאוּ יָמֵינוּ כִּי־בָא קִצֵּֽינוּ׃ |
19 Swifter were our pursuers than the eagles of heaven: upon the mountains did they hotly follow us: in the wilderness did they lie in wait for us.
| קַלִּים הָיוּ רֹדְפֵינוּ מִנִּשְׁרֵי שָׁמָיִם עַל־הֶהָרִים דְּלָקֻנוּ בַּמִּדְבָּר אָרְבוּ לָֽנוּ׃ |
20 The breath of our nostrils, the anointed of the Lord, was caught in their pits, he, of whom we said, Under his shadow shall we live among the nations.
| רוּחַ אַפֵּינוּ מְשִׁיחַ יְהוָה נִלְכַּד בִּשְׁחִיתוֹתָם אֲשֶׁר אָמַרְנוּ בְּצִלּוֹ נִֽחְיֶה בַגּוֹיִֽם׃ |
21 Be glad and rejoice, O daughter of Edom, that dwellest in the land of 'Uz: also unto thee shall the cup pass; thou wilt be drunken, and make thyself naked.
| שִׂישִׂי וְשִׂמְחִי בַּת־אֱדוֹם יושבתי יוֹשֶׁבֶת בְּאֶרֶץ עוּץ גַּם־עָלַיִךְ תַּעֲבָר־כּוֹס תִּשְׁכְּרִי וְתִתְעָרִֽי׃ |
22 Brought to an end is thy iniquity, O daughter of Zion; He will no more carry thee away into exile: He visiteth thy iniquity, O daughter of Edom; He layeth open thy sins.
| תַּם־עֲוֺנֵךְ בַּת־צִיּוֹן לֹא יוֹסִיף לְהַגְלוֹתֵךְ פָּקַד עֲוֺנֵךְ בַּת־אֱדוֹם גִּלָּה עַל־חַטֹּאתָֽיִךְ׃ |
