איכה 4
| אֵיכָה יוּעַם זָהָב יִשְׁנֶא הַכֶּתֶם הַטּוֹב תִּשְׁתַּפֵּכְנָה אַבְנֵי־קֹדֶשׁ בְּרֹאשׁ כָּל־חוּצֽוֹת׃ | 1 |
ALEPH. How will the gold be tarnished, [and] the fine silver changed! the sacred stones have been poured forth at the top of all the streets.
| בְּנֵי צִיּוֹן הַיְקָרִים הַמְסֻלָּאִים בַּפָּז אֵיכָה נֶחְשְׁבוּ לְנִבְלֵי־חֶרֶשׂ מַעֲשֵׂה יְדֵי יוֹצֵֽר׃ | 2 |
BETH. The precious sons of Zion, who were equalled in value with gold, how are they counted as earthen vessels, the works of the hands of the potter!
| גַּם־תנין תַּנִּים חָלְצוּ שַׁד הֵינִיקוּ גּוּרֵיהֶן בַּת־עַמִּי לְאַכְזָר כי ענים כַּיְעֵנִים בַּמִּדְבָּֽר׃ | 3 |
GIMEL. Nay, serpents have drawn out the breasts, they give suck to their young, the daughters of my people are incurably cruel, as an ostrich in a desert.
| דָּבַק לְשׁוֹן יוֹנֵק אֶל־חִכּוֹ בַּצָּמָא עֽוֹלָלִים שָׁאֲלוּ לֶחֶם פֹּרֵשׂ אֵין לָהֶֽם׃ | 4 |
DALETH. The tongue of the sucking child cleaves to the roof of its mouth for thirst: the little children ask for bread, [and] there is none to break [it] to them.
| הָאֹֽכְלִים לְמַעֲדַנִּים נָשַׁמּוּ בַּחוּצוֹת הָאֱמֻנִים עֲלֵי תוֹלָע חִבְּקוּ אַשְׁפַּתּֽוֹת׃ | 5 |
HE. They that feed on dainties are desolate in the streets: they that used to be nursed in scarlet have clothed themselves with dung.
| וַיִּגְדַּל עֲוֺן בַּת־עַמִּי מֵֽחַטַּאת סְדֹם הַֽהֲפוּכָה כְמוֹ־רָגַע וְלֹא־חָלוּ בָהּ יָדָֽיִם׃ | 6 |
VAU. And the iniquity of the daughter of my people has been increased beyond the iniquities of Sodoma, [the city] that was overthrown very suddenly, and none laboured against her [with their] hands.
| זַכּוּ נְזִירֶיהָ מִשֶּׁלֶג צַחוּ מֵחָלָב אָדְמוּ עֶצֶם מִפְּנִינִים סַפִּיר גִּזְרָתָֽם׃ | 7 |
ZAIN. Her Nazarites were made purer than snow, they were whiter than milk, they were purified [as] with fire, their polishing was superior to sapphire stone.
| חָשַׁךְ מִשְּׁחוֹר תָּֽאֳרָם לֹא נִכְּרוּ בַּחוּצוֹת צָפַד עוֹרָם עַל־עַצְמָם יָבֵשׁ הָיָה כָעֵֽץ׃ | 8 |
HETH. Their countenance is become blacker than smoke; they are not known in the streets: their skin has cleaved to their bones; they are withered, they are become as a stick.
| טוֹבִים הָיוּ חַלְלֵי־חֶרֶב מֵֽחַלְלֵי רָעָב שֶׁהֵם יָזוּבוּ מְדֻקָּרִים מִתְּנוּבֹת שָׂדָֽי׃ | 9 |
TETH. The slain with the sword were better than they that were slain with hunger: they have departed, pierced through from [lack of] the fruits of the field.
| יְדֵי נָשִׁים רַחֲמָנִיּוֹת בִּשְּׁלוּ יַלְדֵיהֶן הָיוּ לְבָרוֹת לָמוֹ בְּשֶׁבֶר בַּת־עַמִּֽי׃ | 10 |
JOD. The hands of tender-hearted women have sodden their own children: they became meat for them in the destruction of the daughter of my people.
| כִּלָּה יְהוָה אֶת־חֲמָתוֹ שָׁפַךְ חֲרוֹן אַפּוֹ וַיַּצֶּת־אֵשׁ בְּצִיּוֹן וַתֹּאכַל יְסוֹדֹתֶֽיהָ׃ | 11 |
CHAPH. The Lord has accomplished his wrath; he has poured out fierce anger, and has kindled a fire in Sion, and it has devoured her foundations.
| לֹא הֶאֱמִינוּ מַלְכֵי־אֶרֶץ וכל כֹּל יֹשְׁבֵי תֵבֵל כִּי יָבֹא צַר וְאוֹיֵב בְּשַׁעֲרֵי יְרוּשָׁלָֽ͏ִם׃ | 12 |
LAMED. The kings of the earth, [even] all that dwell in the world, believed not that an enemy and oppressor would enter through the gates of Jerusalem.
| מֵֽחַטֹּאת נְבִיאֶיהָ עֲוֺנוֹת כֹּהֲנֶיהָ הַשֹּׁפְכִים בְּקִרְבָּהּ דַּם צַדִּיקִֽים׃ | 13 |
MEM. For the sins of her prophets, [and] iniquities of her priests, who shed righteous blood in the midst of her,
| נָעוּ עִוְרִים בַּֽחוּצוֹת נְגֹֽאֲלוּ בַּדָּם בְּלֹא יֽוּכְלוּ יִגְּעוּ בִּלְבֻשֵׁיהֶֽם׃ | 14 |
NUN. her watchmen staggered in the streets, they were defiled with blood in their weakness, they touched their raiment [with it].
| סוּרוּ טָמֵא קָרְאוּ לָמוֹ סוּרוּ סוּרוּ אַל־תִּגָּעוּ כִּי נָצוּ גַּם־נָעוּ אָֽמְרוּ בַּגּוֹיִם לֹא יוֹסִיפוּ לָגֽוּר׃ | 15 |
SAMECH. Depart you from the unclean ones: call you them: depart, depart, touch [them] not: for they are on fire, yes, they stagger: say you among the nations, They shall no more sojourn [there].
| פְּנֵי יְהוָה חִלְּקָם לֹא יוֹסִיף לְהַבִּיטָם פְּנֵי כֹהֲנִים לֹא נָשָׂאוּ זקנים וּזְקֵנִים לֹא חָנָֽנוּ׃ | 16 |
AIN. The presence of the Lord [was] their portion; [but] he will not again look upon them: they regarded not the person of the priests, they pitied not the prophets.
| עודינה עוֹדֵינוּ תִּכְלֶינָה עֵינֵינוּ אֶל־עֶזְרָתֵנוּ הָבֶל בְּצִפִּיָּתֵנוּ צִפִּינוּ אֶל־גּוֹי לֹא יוֹשִֽׁעַ׃ | 17 |
PHE. While we yet lived our eyes failed, while we looked in vain for our help. TSADE. We looked to a nation that could not save.
| צָדוּ צְעָדֵינוּ מִלֶּכֶת בִּרְחֹבֹתֵינוּ קָרַב קִצֵּינוּ מָלְאוּ יָמֵינוּ כִּי־בָא קִצֵּֽינוּ׃ | 18 |
We have hunted [for] our little ones, that they should not walk in our streets. KOPH. Our time has drawn near, our days are fulfilled, our time is come.
| קַלִּים הָיוּ רֹדְפֵינוּ מִנִּשְׁרֵי שָׁמָיִם עַל־הֶהָרִים דְּלָקֻנוּ בַּמִּדְבָּר אָרְבוּ לָֽנוּ׃ | 19 |
Our pursuers were swifter than the eagles of the sky, they flew on the mountains, in the wilderness they laid wait for us.
| רוּחַ אַפֵּינוּ מְשִׁיחַ יְהוָה נִלְכַּד בִּשְׁחִיתוֹתָם אֲשֶׁר אָמַרְנוּ בְּצִלּוֹ נִֽחְיֶה בַגּוֹיִֽם׃ | 20 |
RECHS. The breath of our nostrils, [our] anointed Lord, was taken in their destructive snares, of whom we said, In his shadow we shall live among the Gentiles.
| שִׂישִׂי וְשִׂמְחִי בַּת־אֱדוֹם יושבתי יוֹשֶׁבֶת בְּאֶרֶץ עוּץ גַּם־עָלַיִךְ תַּעֲבָר־כּוֹס תִּשְׁכְּרִי וְתִתְעָרִֽי׃ | 21 |
CHSEN. Rejoice and be glad, O daughter of Idumea, that dwell in the land: yet the cup of the Lord shall pass through to you: you shall be drunken, and pour forth.
| תַּם־עֲוֺנֵךְ בַּת־צִיּוֹן לֹא יוֹסִיף לְהַגְלוֹתֵךְ פָּקַד עֲוֺנֵךְ בַּת־אֱדוֹם גִּלָּה עַל־חַטֹּאתָֽיִךְ׃ | 22 |
THAU. O daughter of Sion, your iniquity has come to an end; he shall no more carry you captive: he has visited your iniquities, O daughter of Edom; he has discovered your sins.
