Lamentations 4
1 [Previously our people were like] [MET] pure gold, but now they are worthless. [Like] [MET] the sacred stones in the temple have been scattered, [our young men have been scattered].
¡CÓMO se ha oscurecido el oro! ¡[Cómo] el buen oro se ha demudado! Las piedras del santuario están esparcidas por las encrucijadas de todas las calles.
2 The young men of Jerusalem were as valuable as [MET] large amounts of gold, but now people consider that they are as worthless as [ordinary] clay pots.
Los hijos de Sión, preciados y estimados más que el oro puro, ¡cómo son tenidos por vasos de barro, obra de manos de alfarero!
3 Even the [female] jackals/wolves feed their pups, but my people act cruelly [toward their children]; they are like [SIM] ostriches in the desert [that abandon their eggs].
Aun los monstruos marinos sacan la teta, dan de mamar á sus chiquitos: la hija de mi pueblo es cruel, como los avestruces en el desierto.
4 [My people’s] infants’ tongues cling to the roofs/tops of their mouths because they are [extremely] thirsty; the children plead for some food, but no one gives them [any].
La lengua del niño de teta, de sed se pegó á su paladar: los chiquitos pidieron pan, y no hubo quien se lo partiese.
5 People who [previously] ate fine food are [now] starving in the streets; those who previously lived luxuriously [MTY] [now] paw/dig through rubbish heaps [to find some food].
Los que comían delicadamente, asolados fueron en las calles; los que se criaron en carmesí, abrazaron los estercoleros.
6 [The people of] Sodom were struck with a disaster very suddenly, and there was no one to rescue them; but my people have been punished more severely than [the people of] Sodom were punished.
Y aumentóse la iniquidad de la hija de mi pueblo más que el pecado de Sodoma, que fué trastornada en un momento, y no asentaron sobre ella compañías.
7 Our leaders’ [behavior] was [previously] very pure, whiter [and brighter] than snow and milk; their bodies were redder than [red] coral/stones; they were very strong and healthy [MET].
Sus Nazareos fueron blancos más que la nieve, más lustrosos que la leche, su compostura más rubicunda que los rubíes, más bellos que el zafiro:
8 But now their faces are blacker than soot, and no one recognizes them in the streets. Their skin has shriveled on their bones, and it has become as dry as [SIM] a wooden [stick].
Oscura más que la negrura es la forma de ellos; no los conocen por las calles: su piel está pegada á sus huesos, seca como un palo.
9 It is better to die in a battle [MTY] than to die of hunger. There was no food to harvest in the fields, so the people slowly starved until they died.
Más dichosos fueron los muertos á cuchillo que los muertos del hambre; porque éstos murieron poco á poco por falta de los frutos de la tierra.
10 Women who [usually/previously] were very kind have [killed and] cooked their own children; they ate them [when there was no other food], when Jerusalem was surrounded [by enemy soldiers].
Las manos de las mujeres piadosas cocieron á sus hijos; fuéronles comida en el quebrantamiento de la hija de mi pueblo.
11 Yahweh has shown that he was extremely angry; [it is as though] he started/ignited a fire in Jerusalem that burned everything to ashes.
Cumplió Jehová su enojo, derramó el ardor de su ira; y encendió fuego en Sión, que consumió sus fundamentos.
12 None of the kings on the earth or anyone else believed that any of our enemies could enter the gates of Jerusalem.
Nunca los reyes de la tierra, ni todos los que habitan en el mundo, creyeron que el enemigo y el adversario entrara por las puertas de Jerusalem.
13 [But that is what happened]; it happened because the prophets sinned; and the priests [also] sinned by causing innocent people to be executed [MTY].
[Es] por los pecados de sus profetas, por las maldades de sus sacerdotes, que derramaron en medio de ella la sangre de los justos.
14 The prophets and priests wandered through the streets [as though they were] blind. No one would touch them because their clothes were stained with the blood [of people who had been killed].
Titubearon como ciegos en las calles, fueron contaminados en sangre, de modo que no pudiesen tocar á sus vestiduras.
15 The people [who were alive] shouted, “Stay away [from us] [DOU]! You are defiled/untouchable! Do not touch us!” So the prophets and priests fled [from Israel], and they wandered around from one country to another, because people [in each country] kept saying to them, “You cannot stay here!”
Apartaos ¡inmundos!, les gritaban, Apartaos, apartaos, no toquéis. Cuando huyeron y fueron dispersos, dijeron entre las gentes: Nunca más morarán [aquí].
16 It is Yahweh himself who has scattered them; he no longer is concerned about them. People do not respect [our] priests or leaders.
La ira de Jehová los apartó, no los mirará más: no respetaron la faz de los sacerdotes, ni tuvieron compasión de los viejos.
17 We [SYN] continued to look for someone to help [us], but it was useless. We continued to watch to see if one of our allies would save us, but none of the nations that we were waiting for could help [us].
Aun nos han desfallecido nuestros ojos tras nuestro vano socorro: en nuestra esperanza aguardamos gente que no puede salvar.
18 [Our] enemies were hunting for us, so we could not [even] walk in our streets [lest they seize us]. We were about to be captured; it was time for us to be killed.
Cazaron nuestros pasos, que no anduviésemos por nuestras calles: acercóse nuestro fin, cumpliéronse nuestros días; porque nuestro fin vino.
19 Those who pursued us were faster than eagles [flying] in the sky. Even if we fled to the mountains or hid in the desert, they [went there ahead of us and] waited [to attack] us.
Ligeros fueron nuestros perseguidores más que las águilas del cielo: sobre los montes nos persiguieron, en el desierto nos pusieron emboscadas.
20 [Our king, ] whom Yahweh appointed, was the one who enabled us to remain alive [MTY]; he was the one whom we trusted to protect us [IDM] from [the armies of] other nations. But he was [captured] [like animals are] [MET] caught in a pit.
El resuello de nuestras narices, el ungido de Jehová, de quien habíamos dicho: A su sombra tendremos vida entre las gentes: fué preso en sus hoyos.
21 You people of [IDM] Edom and Uz, [you may] be happy [about what is happening to us now], but [Yahweh] will be punishing [MTY] you [also]. You will become drunk and will be ashamed [because your enemies] will have stripped off your clothes.
Gózate y alégrate, hija de Edom, la que habitas en tierra de Hus: aun hasta ti pasará el cáliz; embriagarte has, y vomitarás.
22 You [people of] [APO] Jerusalem, the time of your being punished will end; Yahweh will not allow you to continue to live in (exile/foreign countries). But [you people of] [APO] Edom, Yahweh will punish [you]; he will reveal the wicked things that you have done.
Cumplido es tu castigo, oh hija de Sión: nunca más te hará trasportar. Visitará tu iniquidad, oh hija de Edom; descubrirá tus pecados.
