< Lamentations 4 >

1 How is the gold become dim! how is the most fine gold 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 are they 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 sea monsters draw out the breast, they nurse their young ones: the daughter of my people is 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 cleaveth to the roof of his mouth for thirst: the young children ask bread, and no man breaketh it to 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 They that fed delicately are desolate in the streets: they that were brought up in scarlet 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 punishment of the iniquity of the daughter of my people is greater than the punishment of the sin of Sodom, that was overthrown as in a moment, with no hands 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 Nazarites were purer than snow, they were whiter than milk, they were more ruddy in body than rubies, their polishing was of 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 visage is blacker than a coal; they are not known in the streets: their skin cleaveth to their bones; it is withered, it is become like a stick.
‌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 They that are slain with the sword are better than they that are slain 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 tenderhearted 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 hath accomplished his fury; he hath poured out his fierce anger, and hath kindled a fire in Zion, and it hath 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, and all the inhabitants of the world, would not have believed that the adversary and the enemy should have entered 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 For the sins of her prophets, and the iniquities of her priests, that have shed the blood of the just in the midst 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 have wandered as blind men in the streets, they have polluted themselves with blood, so that men could not 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 They cried to them, Depart ye; it is unclean; depart, depart, touch not: when they fled away and wandered, they said among the heathen, They shall no more sojourn there.
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 anger of the LORD hath divided them; he will no longer regard them: they respected not the persons of the priests, they favoured not 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 As for us, our eyes as yet failed for our vain help: in our watching we have watched for a nation that could not save us.
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, that we cannot go in our streets: our end is near, our days are fulfilled; for our end is 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 persecutors are swifter than the eagles of heaven: they pursued us upon the mountains, they laid wait 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 shall live among the heathen.
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, O daughter of Edom, that dwellest in the land of Uz; the cup also shall pass through to thee: thou shalt be drunk, and shalt make thyself 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 thy iniquity is accomplished, O daughter of Zion; he will no more carry thee away into captivity: he will visit thy iniquity, O daughter of Edom; he will disclose thy 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.

< Lamentations 4 >