Lamentations 4
1 The gold has become tarnished; how the purest gold has changed! The holy stones are scattered at the corner of every street.
| איכה יועם זהב ישנא הכתם הטוב תשתפכנה אבני קדש בראש כל חוצות׃ |
2 The precious sons of Zion were worth their weight in pure gold, but now they are worth no more than clay jars, the work of the potter's hands!
| בני ציון היקרים המסלאים בפז איכה נחשבו לנבלי חרש מעשה ידי יוצר׃ |
3 Even the jackals offer the breast to nurse their cubs, but the daughter of my people has become cruel, like the ostriches in the desert.
| גם תנין חלצו שד היניקו גוריהן בת עמי לאכזר כי ענים במדבר׃ |
4 The tongue of the nursing baby sticks to the roof of his mouth by thirst; the children ask for food, but there is none for them.
| דבק לשון יונק אל חכו בצמא עוללים שאלו לחם פרש אין להם׃ |
5 Those who used to feast on the finest food now starve in the streets. Those who were brought up wearing scarlet clothing now lie on piles of ashes.
| האכלים למעדנים נשמו בחוצות האמנים עלי תולע חבקו אשפתות׃ |
6 The punishment of the daughter of my people is greater than that of Sodom, which was overthrown in a moment and no hands were wrung for her.
| ויגדל עון בת עמי מחטאת סדם ההפוכה כמו רגע ולא חלו בה ידים׃ |
7 Her leaders were purer than snow, whiter than milk; their bodies were more ruddy than coral, their form was like sapphire.
| זכו נזיריה משלג צחו מחלב אדמו עצם מפנינים ספיר גזרתם׃ |
8 Their appearance now is darker than soot; they are not recognized in the streets. Their skin has shriveled on their bones; it has become as dry as wood.
| חשך משחור תארם לא נכרו בחוצות צפד עורם על עצמם יבש היה כעץ׃ |
9 Those who have been killed by the sword were happier than those killed by hunger, who wasted away, pierced by the lack of any harvest from the field.
| טובים היו חללי חרב מחללי רעב שהם יזובו מדקרים מתנובת שדי׃ |
10 The hands of compassionate women have boiled their own children; they became their food during the time when the daughter of my people was being destroyed.
| ידי נשים רחמניות בשלו ילדיהן היו לברות למו בשבר בת עמי׃ |
11 Yahweh showed all his wrath; he poured out his fierce anger. He kindled a fire in Zion that consumed her foundations.
| כלה יהוה את חמתו שפך חרון אפו ויצת אש בציון ותאכל יסודתיה׃ |
12 The kings of the earth did not believe, nor did any of the inhabitants of the world believe, that enemies or opponents could enter the gates of Jerusalem.
| לא האמינו מלכי ארץ וכל ישבי תבל כי יבא צר ואויב בשערי ירושלם׃ |
13 This happened because of the sins of her prophets and the iniquities of her priests who have shed the blood of the righteous in her midst.
| מחטאת נביאיה עונות כהניה השפכים בקרבה דם צדיקים׃ |
14 They wandered, blind, through the streets. They were so defiled by that blood that no one was allowed to touch their clothes.
| נעו עורים בחוצות נגאלו בדם בלא יוכלו יגעו בלבשיהם׃ |
15 “Away! Unclean!” people cried at them. “Away! Away! Do not touch!” So they wandered about; people said among the nations, “They can stay here no longer.”
| סורו טמא קראו למו סורו סורו אל תגעו כי נצו גם נעו אמרו בגוים לא יוסיפו לגור׃ |
16 Yahweh himself scattered them; he does not watch over them anymore. They do not honor the priests, and they did not show any favor to the elders.
| פני יהוה חלקם לא יוסיף להביטם פני כהנים לא נשאו זקנים לא חננו׃ |
17 Our eyes failed, looking in vain for help; from our watchtowers we watched for a nation that could not rescue us.
| עודינה תכלינה עינינו אל עזרתנו הבל בצפיתנו צפינו אל גוי לא יושע׃ |
18 They followed our steps, we could not walk in our streets. Our end was near and our days were numbered, our end had come.
| צדו צעדינו מלכת ברחבתינו קרב קצינו מלאו ימינו כי בא קצינו׃ |
19 Our pursuers were swifter than the eagles in the sky. They chased us to the mountains and lay in wait for us in the wilderness.
| קלים היו רדפינו מנשרי שמים על ההרים דלקנו במדבר ארבו לנו׃ |
20 The breath in our nostrils—Yahweh's anointed one—he was the one who was captured in their pits; of whom it was said, “Under his shadow we will live among the nations.”
| רוח אפינו משיח יהוה נלכד בשחיתותם אשר אמרנו בצלו נחיה בגוים׃ |
21 Rejoice and be glad, daughter of Edom, you who live in the land of Uz. But to you also the cup will be passed; you will be drunk and strip yourself naked.
| שישי ושמחי בת אדום יושבתי בארץ עוץ גם עליך תעבר כוס תשכרי ותתערי׃ |
22 Daughter of Zion, your punishment will come to an end; he will not extend your exile. But daughter of Edom, he will punish; he will uncover your sins.
| תם עונך בת ציון לא יוסיף להגלותך פקד עונך בת אדום גלה על חטאתיך׃ |
