איכה 4
| איכה יועם זהב ישנא הכתם הטוב תשתפכנה אבני קדש בראש כל חוצות | 1 |
The gold has become tarnished; how the purest gold has changed! The holy stones are scattered at the corner of every street.
| בני ציון היקרים המסלאים בפז--איכה נחשבו לנבלי חרש מעשה ידי יוצר | 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!
| גם תנין (תנים) חלצו שד היניקו גוריהן בת עמי לאכזר כי ענים (כיענים) במדבר | 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.
| דבק לשון יונק אל חכו בצמא עוללים שאלו לחם פרש אין להם | 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.
| האכלים למעדנים נשמו בחוצות האמנים עלי תולע חבקו אשפתות | 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.
| ויגדל עון בת עמי מחטאת סדם ההפוכה כמו רגע ולא חלו בה ידים | 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.
| זכו נזיריה משלג צחו מחלב אדמו עצם מפנינים ספיר גזרתם | 7 |
Her leaders were purer than snow, whiter than milk; their bodies were more ruddy than coral, their form was like sapphire.
| חשך משחור תארם לא נכרו בחוצות צפד עורם על עצמם יבש היה כעץ | 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.
| טובים היו חללי חרב מחללי רעב שהם יזבו מדקרים מתנובת שדי | 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.
| ידי נשים רחמניות--בשלו ילדיהן היו לברות למו בשבר בת עמי | 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.
| כלה יהוה את חמתו שפך חרון אפו ויצת אש בציון ותאכל יסדתיה | 11 |
Yahweh showed all his wrath; he poured out his fierce anger. He kindled a fire in Zion that consumed her foundations.
| לא האמינו מלכי ארץ וכל (כל) ישבי תבל כי יבא צר ואויב בשערי ירושלם | 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.
| מחטאות נביאיה עונת כהניה השפכים בקרבה דם צדיקים | 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.
| נעו עורים בחוצות נגאלו בדם בלא יוכלו יגעו בלבשיהם | 14 |
They wandered, blind, through the streets. They were so defiled by that blood that no one was allowed to touch their clothes.
| סורו טמא קראו למו סורו סורו אל תגעו--כי נצו גם נעו אמרו בגוים לא יוספו לגור | 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.”
| פני יהוה חלקם לא יוסיף להביטם פני כהנים לא נשאו זקנים (וזקנים) לא חננו | 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.
| עודינה (עודינו) תכלינה עינינו אל עזרתנו הבל בצפיתנו צפינו אל גוי לא יושע | 17 |
Our eyes failed, looking in vain for help; from our watchtowers we watched for a nation that could not rescue us.
| צדו צעדינו מלכת ברחבתינו קרב קצנו מלאו ימינו כי בא קצנו | 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.
| קלים היו רדפינו מנשרי שמים על ההרים דלקנו במדבר ארבו לנו | 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.
| רוח אפינו משיח יהוה נלכד בשחיתותם אשר אמרנו בצלו נחיה בגוים | 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.”
| שישי ושמחי בת אדום יושבתי (יושבת) בארץ עוץ גם עליך תעבר כוס--תשכרי ותתערי | 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.
| תם עונך בת ציון--לא יוסיף להגלותך פקד עונך בת אדום גלה על חטאתיך | 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.
