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.

Hono ʻikai kuo hoko ʻo nenefu ʻae koula! Hono ʻikai liliu ʻae fungani koula! ʻAe ngaahi maka ʻoe potu tapu kuo lilingi ʻi he muʻa hala kotoa pē.

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!

‌ʻAe ngaahi foha mahuʻinga ʻo Saione, ʻaia ʻoku tatau mo e fungani koula, ʻoku fēfē ʻae lau ʻakinautolu ʻo hangē ko e ngaahi ipu kelekele, ʻae ngāue ʻae tufunga ngaohi ipu!

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.

‌ʻIo, naʻa mo e ngaahi ika lalahi ʻoe tahi ʻoku nau ʻatu ʻae huhu ʻonau fakahuhu honau ʻuhiki: ka kuo hoko ʻo taʻeʻofa ʻae ʻofefine ʻo hoku kakai, ʻo hangē ko e fanga ʻositalesi ʻi he toafa.

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.

Ko e ʻelelo ʻoe tamasiʻi huhu ʻoku piki ki hono ʻaoʻingutu ʻi he fieinu; ʻoku kole mā ʻe he tamaiki iiki, pea ʻoku ʻikai ke tofi ʻe ha tangata kiate kinautolu.

5 Those who ate delicacies are desolate in the streets. Those who were brought up in purple embrace dunghills.

‌ʻAkinautolu naʻe faʻa kai lelei ʻoku nau paea ʻi he ngaahi hala: ʻakinautolu naʻe kofu kulokula ʻi heʻenau tupu hake, ʻoku fāʻufua ʻae tuʻunga ʻotoʻota.

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.

He ʻoku lahi ʻae tautea ki he angahala ʻae ʻofefine ʻo hoku kakai ʻi he tautea ʻoe angahala ʻa Sotoma, ʻaia naʻe fulihi ʻo hangē ʻi ha kemo pe taha pea naʻe ʻikai faʻa ala ʻae nima ki ai.

7 Her nobles were purer than snow. They were whiter than milk. They were more ruddy in body than rubies. Their polishing was like sapphire.

Naʻe maʻa lahi hake ʻa hono houʻeiki ʻi he ʻuha hinehina, nau nau hinehina lahi ʻi he huʻahuhu, ko honau sino naʻe kula lahi ʻi he ngaahi lupi, ko honau ngingila naʻe hangē ko e safaia.

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.

‌ʻOku ʻuliʻuli honau mata ʻi he maka fefie; ʻoku ʻikai ke kei ʻiloʻi ʻakinautolu ʻi he ngaahi hala: ʻoku piki ʻa honau kili ki honau ngaahi hui, ʻoku feʻufeʻu ia, kuo hoko ia ʻo hangē ha vaʻa ʻakau.

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.

‌ʻOku lelei ʻakinautolu ʻoku mate ʻo tāmateʻi ʻaki ʻae heletā, ʻiate kinautolu ʻoku mate ʻi he honge; he ʻoku fakaʻauʻausino ʻakinautolu ni, kuo tāmateʻi ʻi heʻenau masiva ʻi he ngaahi fua ʻoe ngoue.

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.

Kuo taʻo ʻe he nima ʻoe kau fefine angaʻofa ʻenau fānau ʻanautolu: ko ʻenau meʻakai ʻakinautolu ʻi he fakaʻauha ʻoe ʻofefine ʻo hoku kakai.

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.

Kuo fai ʻe he ʻEiki ʻa hono houhau; kuo ne huaʻi hono houhau vela, pea kuo ne tutu ha afi ʻi Saione, pea kuo fakaʻauha ai ʻa hono ngaahi tuʻunga.

12 The kings of the earth did not believe, neither did all the inhabitants of the world, that the adversary and the enemy would enter into the gates of Jerusalem.

Naʻe ʻikai ke meimei tui ʻae ngaahi tuʻi, mo e ngaahi kakai ʻo māmani, ʻe faʻa hū ʻae kau fili ʻi he ngaahi matapā ʻo Selūsalema.

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.

Ko e meʻa ʻi he angahala ʻo ʻene kau palōfita, pea mo e ngaahi hia ʻo ʻene kau taulaʻeiki, ʻaia kuo lilingi ʻae toto ʻoe kau māʻoniʻoni ʻi hono lotolotonga,

14 They wander as blind men in the streets. They are polluted with blood, So that men cannot touch their garments.

Ko ia kuo nau he ʻo hangē ko e kau tangata kui ʻi he ngaahi hala, kuo nau fakaʻuliʻi ʻakinautolu ʻaki ʻae toto, ko ia naʻe ʻikai faʻa ala ʻae kakai ki honau ngaahi kofu.

15 “Go away!” they cried to them. “Unclean! Go away! Go away! Do not touch! When they fled away and wandered, men said among the nations, “They cannot live here any more.”

Naʻa nau kalanga kiate kinautolu, “Mou ō!; ʻoku ʻuli ia!; ʻAlu pe, ʻAlu pe, ʻoua naʻa ala!:” ʻi heʻenau hola, mo ʻenau ʻalu hēhē, naʻa nau pehē ʻi he kakai hiteni, “ʻE ʻikai te nau kei nofo ai.”

16 The LORD’s anger has scattered them. He will not pay attention to them any more. They did not respect the persons of the priests. They did not favor the elders.

Kuo fakamavahevahe ʻakinautolu ʻe he houhau ʻa Sihova; ʻe ʻikai te ne kei tokangaʻi ʻakinautolu: naʻe ʻikai te nau fakaʻapaʻapaʻi ʻae kau taulaʻeiki, naʻe ʻikai te nau tokoni ki he kau mātuʻa.

17 Our eyes still fail, looking in vain for our help. In our watching we have watched for a nation that could not save.

Ka koeʻuhi ko kitautolu, naʻe vaivai hotau mata ko e meʻa ʻi heʻetau tokoni vaʻinga: ʻi heʻetau leʻo kuo tau leʻo ki ha puleʻanga, ʻaia naʻe ʻikai ke faʻa lava ke fakamoʻui ʻakitautolu.

18 They hunt our steps, so that we cannot go in our streets. Our end is near. Our days are fulfilled, for our end has come.

‌ʻOku nau tuli ʻi heʻetau lakaʻanga, pea ʻoku ʻikai te tau faʻa ʻalu ʻi he ngaahi hala: ʻoku ofi hotau ngataʻanga, kuo kakato hotau ngaahi ʻaho; he kuo hoko hotau ngataʻanga.

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.

‌ʻOku veʻe vave hotau kau fakatanga ʻi he fanga ʻikale ʻoe langi: naʻa nau tuli kitautolu ʻi he ngaahi moʻunga; naʻa nau malumu kiate kitautolu ʻi he toafa.

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 among the nations.

Ko e mānava ʻa hotau avaʻi ihu, ko e pani ʻo Sihova, naʻe moʻua ʻi heʻenau ngaahi luo, ʻaia naʻa tau pehē ki ai, “ʻI heʻene maluʻi te tau moʻui ʻi he lotolotonga ʻoe hiteni.”

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.

Ke ke fiefia mo nekeneka, ʻi he fonua ko Usa; ʻe aʻu atu kiate koe foki ʻae ipu: he te ke konā koe, pea te ke fakatelefua koe.

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.

Kuo kakato ʻae tautea ʻa hoʻo hia, ʻe ʻofefine ʻo Saione; ʻe ʻikai te ne toe ʻave koe ki he pōpula: ka te ne ʻaʻahi ʻa hoʻo hia, ʻe ʻofefine ʻo ʻItomi, pea te ne fakaʻilo hoʻo ngaahi angahala.