Lamentations 4
1 [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].
Ach, wie schwarz ward das Gold, entartete das edle Metall, wurden hingeschüttet heilige Steine an allen Straßenecken!
2 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.
Die Söhne Zions, die werten, die mit Feingold aufgewogen, wie wurden sie irdenen Krügen gleichgeachtet, dem Werke von Töpfershänden!
3 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].
Selbst die Schakale entblößen die Brust, säugen ihre Jungen; meines Volkes Tochter ward grausam, wie die Strauße in der Wüste.
4 [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].
Des Säuglings Zunge klebte vor Durst am Gaumen; Kinder baten um Brot, niemand brach es ihnen.
5 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].
Die sonst Leckerbissen aßen, verschmachteten auf den Gassen; die man auf Purpur trug, umklammerten Düngerhaufen.
6 [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.
Denn meines Volkes Schuld war größer als Sodoms Sünde, das wie im Nu verwüstet ward, ohne daß Menschenhände sich an ihm abmühten.
7 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].
Reiner als Schnee waren ihre Fürsten, weißer als Milch, ihr Leib rötlicher als Korallen, ein Sapphir ihre Gestalt.
8 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].
Schwärzer als Ruß ist ihr Aussehn geworden, man erkennt sie nicht auf den Straßen, ihre Haut klebt an ihrem Gebein, ist ausgedörrt wie Holz.
9 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.
Glücklicher waren, die durchs Schwert fielen, als die durch Hunger fielen, die dahinschmachteten durchbohrt, aus Mangel an Früchten des Feldes.
10 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].
Weichherzige Frauen kochten mit eigenen Händen ihre Kinder; die dienten ihnen zur Nahrung beim Zusammenbruch der Tochter meines Volks.
11 Yahweh has shown that he was extremely angry; [it is as though] he started/ignited a fire in Jerusalem that burned everything to ashes.
Jahwe erschöpfte seinen Grimm, goß seine Zornesglut aus und zündete ein Feuer in Zion an, das ihre Grundfesten verzehrte.
12 None of the kings on the earth or anyone else believed that any of our enemies could enter the gates of Jerusalem.
Die Könige auf Erden hätten es nicht geglaubt, noch alle Bewohner des Erdkreises, daß Belagerer und Feind einziehn würde in die Thore Jerusalems!
13 [But that is what happened]; it happened because the prophets sinned; and the priests [also] sinned by causing innocent people to be executed [MTY].
Um der Sünden ihrer Propheten willen, der Missethaten ihrer Priester, die in ihr vergossen das Blut Gerechter,
14 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].
taumeln sie wie Blinde auf den Gassen, mit Blut besudelt, so daß man ihre Kleider nicht anrühren konnte.
15 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!”
“Weicht aus! ein Unreiner!” rief man vor ihnen, “weicht aus, weicht aus! Berührt ihn nicht!” Wenn sie taumelten, sprach man unter den Heiden: sie sollen nicht ferner weilen!
16 It is Yahweh himself who has scattered them; he no longer is concerned about them. People do not respect [our] priests or leaders.
Jahwes Zornesblick hat sie zerstreut, er schaut sie ferner nicht an. Auf Priester nahm er keine Rücksicht und der Greise erbarmte er sich nicht.
17 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].
Wie lange schmachteten unsere Augen vergeblich nach Hilfe für uns! Auf unserer Warte warteten wir auf ein Volk, das nicht hilft.
18 [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.
Man fahndete nach uns auf Schritt und Tritt, daß wir auf unsern Straßen nicht gehen konnten; unser Ende nahte sich, unsere Tage liefen ab, ja, es kam unser Ende!
19 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.
Unsere Verfolger waren schneller als die Adler unterm Himmel, setzten uns nach auf den Bergen, lauerten uns auf in der Wüste.
20 [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.
Unser Lebensodem, der Gesalbte Jahwes, wurde in ihren Gruben gefangen - er, von dem wir dachten: in seinem Schatten wollen wir leben unter den Völkern!
21 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.
Freue dich und sei fröhlich, Tochter Edom, die du wohnst im Lande Uz: Auch an dich wird der Becher kommen; du wirst trunken werden und dich entblößen!
22 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.
Zu Ende ist deine Schuld, Tochter Zion, er wird dich nicht wieder verbannen; deine Schuld sucht er heim, Tochter, Edom, deckt auf deine Sünden!
