אֵיכָה 4

1 אֵיכָה֙ יוּעַ֣ם זָהָ֔ב יִשְׁנֶ֖א הַכֶּ֣תֶם הַטֹּ֑וב תִּשְׁתַּפֵּ֙כְנָה֙ אַבְנֵי־קֹ֔דֶשׁ בְּרֹ֖אשׁ כָּל־חוּצֹֽות׃ ס

[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 בְּנֵ֤י צִיֹּון֙ הַיְקָרִ֔ים הַמְסֻלָּאִ֖ים בַּפָּ֑ז אֵיכָ֤ה נֶחְשְׁבוּ֙ לְנִבְלֵי־חֶ֔רֶשׂ מַעֲשֵׂ֖ה יְדֵ֥י יֹוצֵֽר׃ ס

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 גַּם־תַּנִּין (תַּנִּים֙) חָ֣לְצוּ שַׁ֔ד הֵינִ֖יקוּ גּוּרֵיהֶ֑ן בַּת־עַמִּ֣י לְאַכְזָ֔ר כִּי עֵנִים (כַּיְעֵנִ֖ים) בַּמִּדְבָּֽר׃ ס

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 דָּבַ֨ק לְשֹׁ֥ון יֹונֵ֛ק אֶל־חִכֹּ֖ו בַּצָּמָ֑א עֹֽולָלִים֙ שָׁ֣אֲלוּ לֶ֔חֶם פֹּרֵ֖שׂ אֵ֥ין לָהֶֽם׃ ס

The tongue of a suckling has cleaved to his palate with thirst, Infants asked for bread, they have no dealer [of it] out.

5 הָאֹֽכְלִים֙ לְמַ֣עֲדַנִּ֔ים נָשַׁ֖מּוּ בַּחוּצֹ֑ות הָאֱמֻנִים֙ עֲלֵ֣י תֹולָ֔ע חִבְּק֖וּ אַשְׁפַּתֹּֽות׃ ס

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

6 וַיִּגְדַּל֙ עֲוֹ֣ן בַּת־עַמִּ֔י מֵֽחַטַּ֖את סְדֹ֑ם הַֽהֲפוּכָ֣ה כְמֹו־רָ֔גַע וְלֹא־חָ֥לוּ בָ֖הּ יָדָֽיִם׃ ס

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 זַכּ֤וּ נְזִירֶ֙יהָ֙ מִשֶּׁ֔לֶג צַח֖וּ מֵחָלָ֑ב אָ֤דְמוּ עֶ֙צֶם֙ מִפְּנִינִ֔ים סַפִּ֖יר גִּזְרָתָֽם׃ ס

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

8 חָשַׁ֤ךְ מִשְּׁחֹור֙ תָּֽאֳרָ֔ם לֹ֥א נִכְּר֖וּ בַּחוּצֹ֑ות צָפַ֤ד עֹורָם֙ עַל־עַצְמָ֔ם יָבֵ֖שׁ הָיָ֥ה כָעֵֽץ׃ ס

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 טֹובִ֤ים הָיוּ֙ חַלְלֵי־חֶ֔רֶב מֵֽחַלְלֵ֖י רָעָ֑ב שֶׁ֣הֵ֤ם יָז֙וּבוּ֙ מְדֻקָּרִ֔ים מִתְּנוּבֹ֖ת שָׂדָֽי׃ ס

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 יְדֵ֗י נָשִׁים֙ רַחֲמָ֣נִיֹּ֔ות בִּשְּׁל֖וּ יַלְדֵיהֶ֑ן הָי֤וּ לְבָרֹות֙ לָ֔מֹו בְּשֶׁ֖בֶר בַּת־עַמִּֽי׃ ס

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 כִּלָּ֤ה יְהוָה֙ אֶת־חֲמָתֹ֔ו שָׁפַ֖ךְ חֲרֹ֣ון אַפֹּ֑ו וַיַּצֶּת־אֵ֣שׁ בְּצִיֹּ֔ון וַתֹּ֖אכַל יְסֹודֹתֶֽיהָ׃ ס

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 לֹ֤א הֶאֱמִ֙ינוּ֙ מַלְכֵי־אֶ֔רֶץ וְכֹל (כֹּ֖ל) יֹשְׁבֵ֣י תֵבֵ֑ל כִּ֤י יָבֹא֙ צַ֣ר וְאֹויֵ֔ב בְּשַׁעֲרֵ֖י יְרוּשָׁלָֽ͏ִם׃ ס

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 מֵֽחַטֹּ֣את נְבִיאֶ֔יהָ עֲוֹנֹ֖ות כֹּהֲנֶ֑יהָ הַשֹּׁפְכִ֥ים בְּקִרְבָּ֖הּ דַּ֥ם צַדִּיקִֽים׃ ס

Because of the sins of her prophets, The iniquities of her priests, Who are shedding in her midst the blood of the righteous,

14 נָע֤וּ עִוְרִים֙ בַּֽחוּצֹ֔ות נְגֹֽאֲל֖וּ בַּדָּ֑ם בְּלֹ֣א יֽוּכְל֔וּ יִגְּע֖וּ בִּלְבֻשֵׁיהֶֽם׃ ס

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

15 ס֣וּרוּ טָמֵ֞א קָ֣רְאוּ לָ֗מֹו ס֤וּרוּ ס֙וּרוּ֙ אַל־תִּגָּ֔עוּ כִּ֥י נָצ֖וּ גַּם־נָ֑עוּ אָֽמְרוּ֙ בַּגֹּויִ֔ם לֹ֥א יֹוסִ֖יפוּ לָגֽוּר׃ ס

“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 פְּנֵ֤י יְהוָה֙ חִלְּקָ֔ם לֹ֥א יֹוסִ֖יף לְהַבִּיטָ֑ם פְּנֵ֤י כֹהֲנִים֙ לֹ֣א נָשָׂ֔אוּ זְקֵנִים (וּזְקֵנִ֖ים) לֹ֥א חָנָֽנוּ׃ ס

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 עֹודֵינָה (עֹודֵ֙ינוּ֙) תִּכְלֶ֣ינָה עֵינֵ֔ינוּ אֶל־עֶזְרָתֵ֖נוּ הָ֑בֶל בְּצִפִּיָּתֵ֣נוּ צִפִּ֔ינוּ אֶל־גֹּ֖וי לֹ֥א יֹושִֽׁעַ׃ ס

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 צָד֣וּ צְעָדֵ֔ינוּ מִלֶּ֖כֶת בִּרְחֹבֹתֵ֑ינוּ קָרַ֥ב קִצֵּ֛ינוּ מָלְא֥וּ יָמֵ֖ינוּ כִּי־בָ֥א קִצֵּֽינוּ׃ ס

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 קַלִּ֤ים הָיוּ֙ רֹדְפֵ֔ינוּ מִנִּשְׁרֵ֖י שָׁמָ֑יִם עַל־הֶהָרִ֣ים דְּלָקֻ֔נוּ בַּמִּדְבָּ֖ר אָ֥רְבוּ לָֽנוּ׃ ס

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 ר֤וּחַ אַפֵּ֙ינוּ֙ מְשִׁ֣יחַ יְהוָ֔ה נִלְכַּ֖ד בִּשְׁחִיתֹותָ֑ם אֲשֶׁ֣ר אָמַ֔רְנוּ בְּצִלֹּ֖ו נִֽחְיֶ֥ה בַגֹּויִֽם׃ ס

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 שִׂ֤ישִׂי וְשִׂמְחִי֙ בַּת־אֱדֹ֔ום יֹושַׁבְתִּי (יֹושֶׁ֖בֶת) בְּאֶ֣רֶץ ע֑וּץ גַּם־עָלַ֙יִךְ֙ תַּעֲבָר־כֹּ֔וס תִּשְׁכְּרִ֖י וְתִתְעָרִֽי׃ ס

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 תַּם־עֲוֹנֵךְ֙ בַּת־צִיֹּ֔ון לֹ֥א יֹוסִ֖יף לְהַגְלֹותֵ֑ךְ פָּקַ֤ד עֲוֹנֵךְ֙ בַּת־אֱדֹ֔ום גִּלָּ֖ה עַל־חַטֹּאתָֽיִךְ׃ פ

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!