Lamentations 4
1 [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.
How is the gold become dim! [how] is the most pure gold changed! the stones of the sanctuary are poured out at the top of every street.
2 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.
The precious sons of Zion, comparable to fine gold, how are they esteemed as earthen pitchers, the work of the hands of the potter!
3 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.
Even the jackals draw out the breast, they give suck to their young ones: the daughter of my people is become cruel, like the ostriches in the wilderness.
4 The tongue of a suckling has cleaved to his palate with thirst, Infants asked for bread, they have no dealer [of it] out.
The tongue of the sucking child cleaveth to the roof of his mouth for thirst: the young children ask bread, and no man breaketh it unto them.
5 Those eating of delicacies have been desolate in out-places, Those supported on scarlet have embraced dunghills.
They that did feed delicately are desolate in the streets: they that were brought up in scarlet embrace dung-hills.
6 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.
For the iniquity of the daughter of my people is greater than the sin of Sodom, that was overthrown as in a moment, and no hands were laid upon her.
7 Purer were her Nazarites than snow, Whiter than milk, ruddier of body than rubies, Of sapphire their form.
Her nobles were purer than snow, they were whiter than milk, they were more ruddy in body than rubies, their polishing was as of sapphire:
8 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.
Their visage is blacker than a coal; they are not known in the streets: their skin cleaveth to their bones; it is withered, it is become like a stick.
9 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.
They that be slain with the sword are better than they that be slain with hunger; for these pine away, stricken through, for want of the fruits of the field.
10 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.
The hands of the pitiful women have sodden their own children; they were their meat in the destruction of the daughter of my people.
11 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.
The LORD hath accomplished his fury, he hath poured out his fierce anger; and he hath kindled a fire in Zion, which hath devoured the foundations thereof.
12 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.
The kings of the earth believed not, neither all the inhabitants of the world, that the adversary and the enemy should enter into the gates of Jerusalem.
13 Because of the sins of her prophets, The iniquities of her priests, Who are shedding in her midst the blood of the righteous,
[It is] because of the sins of her prophets, [and] the iniquities of her priests, that have shed the blood of the just in the midst of her.
14 They have wandered naked in out-places, They have been defiled with blood, Without [any] being able to touch their clothing,
They wander as blind men in the streets, that are polluted with blood, so that men cannot touch their garments.
15 “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.”
Depart ye, they cried unto them, Unclean! depart, depart, touch not: when they fled away and wandered, men said among the nations, They shall no more sojourn [here].
16 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.
The anger of the LORD hath divided them; he will no more regard them: they respected not the persons of the priests, they favoured not the elders.
17 While we exist—consumed are our eyes for our vain help, In our watchtower we have watched for a nation [that] does not save.
Our eyes do yet fail [in looking] for our vain help; in our watching we have watched for a nation that could not save.
18 They have hunted our steps from going in our broad-places, Near has been our end, fulfilled our days, For our end has come.
They hunt our steps, that we cannot go in our streets: our end is near, our days are fulfilled; for our end is come.
19 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.
Our pursuers were swifter than the eagles of the heaven: they chased us upon the mountains, they laid wait for us in the wilderness.
20 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.”
The breath of our nostrils, the anointed of the LORD, was taken in their pits; of whom we said, Under his shadow we shall live among the nations.
21 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.
Rejoice and be glad, O daughter of Edom, that dwellest in the land of Uz: the cup shall pass through unto thee also; thou shalt be drunken, and shalt make thyself naked.
22 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!
The punishment of thine iniquity is accomplished, O daughter of Zion; he will no more carry thee away into captivity: he will visit thine iniquity, O daughter of Edom; he will discover thy sins.
