Lamentaciones 4
1 ¡Cómo se ha oscurecido el oro, el buen oro se ha trocado! las piedras del santuario son esparcidas por las encrucijadas de todas las calles.
[Previously our people were like] [MET] pure gold, but now they are worthless. [Like] [MET] the sacred stones in the temple have been scattered, [our young men have been scattered].
2 Los hijos de Sión preciados, y estimados más que el oro puro, ¡cómo son tenidos por vasos de barro, obra de manos del ollero!
The young men of Jerusalem were as valuable as [MET] large amounts of gold, but now people consider that they are as worthless as [ordinary] clay pots.
3 Aun las serpientes sacan la teta, dan de mamar a sus chiquitos: la hija de mi pueblo cruel, como los avestruces en el desierto.
Even the [female] jackals/wolves feed their pups, but my people act cruelly [toward their children]; they are like [SIM] ostriches in the desert [that abandon their eggs].
4 La lengua del niño de teta de sed se pegó a su paladar: los chiquitos pidieron pan, no hubo quien se lo partiese.
[My people’s] infants’ tongues cling to the roofs/tops of their mouths because they are [extremely] thirsty; the children plead for some food, but no one gives them [any].
5 Los que comían delicadamente fueron asolados en las calles: los que se criaron en carmesí abrazaron los estiércoles.
People who [previously] ate fine food are [now] starving in the streets; those who previously lived luxuriously [MTY] [now] paw/dig through rubbish heaps [to find some food].
6 Y aumentóse la iniquidad de la hija de mi pueblo más que el pecado de Sodoma, que fue trastornada en un momento, y no asentaron sobre ella compañías.
[The people of] Sodom were struck with a disaster very suddenly, and there was no one to rescue them; but my people have been punished more severely than [the people of] Sodom were punished.
7 Sus Nazareos fueron blancos más que la nieve, más resplandecientes que la leche: su compostura más encendida que las piedras preciosas cortadas del zafiro.
Our leaders’ [behavior] was [previously] very pure, whiter [and brighter] than snow and milk; their bodies were redder than [red] coral/stones; they were very strong and healthy [MET].
8 Oscura más que la negrura es la forma de ellos: no los conocen por las calles: su cuero está pegado a sus huesos, seco como un palo.
But now their faces are blacker than soot, and no one recognizes them in the streets. Their skin has shriveled on their bones, and it has become as dry as [SIM] a wooden [stick].
9 Más dichosos fueron los muertos a espada, que los muertos de la hambre; porque estos murieron poco a poco por falta de los frutos de la tierra.
It is better to die in a battle [MTY] than to die of hunger. There was no food to harvest in the fields, so the people slowly starved until they died.
10 Las manos de las mujeres piadosas cocieron a sus hijos: fuéronles comida en el quebrantamiento de la hija de mi pueblo.
Women who [usually/previously] were very kind have [killed and] cooked their own children; they ate them [when there was no other food], when Jerusalem was surrounded [by enemy soldiers].
11 Cumplió Jehová su enojo: derramó el calor de su ira; y encendió fuego en Sión, que consumió sus fundamentos.
Yahweh has shown that he was extremely angry; [it is as though] he started/ignited a fire in Jerusalem that burned everything to ashes.
12 Nunca los reyes de la tierra, ni todos los que habitan el mundo creyeron, que el enemigo, y el adversario entrara por las puertas de Jerusalem.
None of the kings on the earth or anyone else believed that any of our enemies could enter the gates of Jerusalem.
13 Por los pecados de sus profetas, por las maldades de sus sacerdotes, derramaron en medio de ella la sangre de los justos.
[But that is what happened]; it happened because the prophets sinned; and the priests [also] sinned by causing innocent people to be executed [MTY].
14 Titubearon ciegos en las calles: fueron contaminados en sangre, que no pudiesen tocar a sus vestiduras.
The prophets and priests wandered through the streets [as though they were] blind. No one would touch them because their clothes were stained with the blood [of people who had been killed].
15 Dábanles voces: Apartáos, es inmundo, apartáos, apartáos, no toquéis; porque eran contaminados; y desde que fueron traspasados, dijeron entre las naciones: Nunca más morarán.
The people [who were alive] shouted, “Stay away [from us] [DOU]! You are defiled/untouchable! Do not touch us!” So the prophets and priests fled [from Israel], and they wandered around from one country to another, because people [in each country] kept saying to them, “You cannot stay here!”
16 La ira de Jehová los apartó: nunca más los mirará; porque no reverenciaron la presencia de los sacerdotes, de los viejos no tuvieron compasión.
It is Yahweh himself who has scattered them; he no longer is concerned about them. People do not respect [our] priests or leaders.
17 Aun nos han desfallecido nuestros ojos tras nuestro vano socorro: con nuestra esperanza esperamos nación que no puede salvar.
We [SYN] continued to look for someone to help [us], but it was useless. We continued to watch to see if one of our allies would save us, but none of the nations that we were waiting for could help [us].
18 Cazáron nos nuestros pasos, que no anduviésemos por nuestras calles: acercóse nuestro fin, cumpliéronse nuestros días; porque nuestro fin vino.
[Our] enemies were hunting for us, so we could not [even] walk in our streets [lest they seize us]. We were about to be captured; it was time for us to be killed.
19 Ligeros fueron nuestros perseguidores, más que las águilas del cielo: sobre los montes nos persiguieron, en el desierto nos espiaron.
Those who pursued us were faster than eagles [flying] in the sky. Even if we fled to the mountains or hid in the desert, they [went there ahead of us and] waited [to attack] us.
20 El resuello de nuestras narices, el ungido de Jehová fue preso en sus hoyos, de quien habíamos dicho: En su sombra tendremos vida entre las gentes.
[Our king, ] whom Yahweh appointed, was the one who enabled us to remain alive [MTY]; he was the one whom we trusted to protect us [IDM] from [the armies of] other nations. But he was [captured] [like animals are] [MET] caught in a pit.
21 Gózate, y alégrate, hija de Edom, la que habitas en tierra de Hus: aun hasta ti pasará el cáliz: embriagarte has, y vomitarás.
You people of [IDM] Edom and Uz, [you may] be happy [about what is happening to us now], but [Yahweh] will be punishing [MTY] you [also]. You will become drunk and will be ashamed [because your enemies] will have stripped off your clothes.
22 Cumplido es tu castigo, o! hija de Sión: nunca más te hará trasportar: visitará tu iniquidad, o! hija de Edom: descubrirá tus pecados.
You [people of] [APO] Jerusalem, the time of your being punished will end; Yahweh will not allow you to continue to live in (exile/foreign countries). But [you people of] [APO] Edom, Yahweh will punish [you]; he will reveal the wicked things that you have done.
