Lamentations 4

1 How the gold has become dim! The most pure gold has changed! The stones of the sanctuary are poured out at the head 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 The precious sons of Zion, comparable to fine gold, how they are esteemed as earthen pitchers, the work of the hands of the potter!

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 Even the jackals offer their breast. They nurse their young ones. But the daughter of my people has become cruel, like the ostriches in the wilderness.

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 The tongue of the nursing child clings to the roof of his mouth for thirst. The young children ask for bread, and no one breaks it for 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 Those who ate delicacies are desolate in the streets. Those who were brought up in purple embrace dunghills.

Those eating of delicacies have been desolate in out-places, Those supported on scarlet have embraced dunghills.

6 For the iniquity of the daughter of my people is greater than the sin of Sodom, which was overthrown as in a moment. No hands were laid on 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 Her Nazirites were purer than snow. They were whiter than milk. They were more ruddy in body than rubies. Their polishing was like sapphire.

Purer were her Nazarites than snow, Whiter than milk, ruddier of body than rubies, Of sapphire their form.

8 Their appearance is blacker than a coal. They are not known in the streets. Their skin clings to their bones. It is withered. It has 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 Those who are killed with the sword are better than those who are killed with hunger; for these pine away, stricken through, for lack of the fruits of the field.

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 The hands of the pitiful women have boiled their own children. They were their food 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 The LORD has accomplished his wrath. He has poured out his fierce anger. He has kindled a fire in Zion, which has devoured its foundations.

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 The kings of the earth didn’t believe, neither did all the inhabitants of the world, that the adversary and the enemy would enter into 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 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 middle 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 They wander as blind men in the streets. They are polluted with blood, So that men can’t touch their garments.

They have wandered naked in out-places, They have been defiled with blood, Without [any] being able to touch their clothing,

15 “Go away!” they cried to them. “Unclean! Go away! Go away! Don’t touch! When they fled away and wandered, men said amongst the nations, “They can’t live here any more.”

“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 The LORD’s anger has scattered them. He will not pay attention to them any more. They didn’t respect the persons of the priests. They didn’t favour the elders.

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 Our eyes still fail, looking in vain for our help. In our watching we have watched for a nation that could not 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 They hunt our steps, so that we can’t go in our streets. Our end is near. Our days are fulfilled, for our end has 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 Our pursuers were swifter than the eagles of the sky. They chased us on the mountains. They set an ambush 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 The breath of our nostrils, the anointed of the LORD, was taken in their pits; of whom we said, under his shadow we will live amongst the nations.

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 Rejoice and be glad, daughter of Edom, who dwells in the land of Uz. The cup will pass through to you also. You will be drunken, and will make yourself 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 The punishment of your iniquity is accomplished, daughter of Zion. He will no more carry you away into captivity. He will visit your iniquity, daughter of Edom. He will uncover your sins.

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!