Lamentations 4

1 [ALEPH-BET] How the gold has become dim, Changed the best—the pure gold! Stones of the sanctuary are poured out At the head of all out-places.

How the gold has become dim. How the most pure gold has changed. The stones of the sanctuary are poured out at the head of every street.

2 The precious sons of Zion, Who are comparable with fine gold, How they have been reckoned earthen bottles, Work of the hands of a potter.

The precious sons of Zion, comparable to fine gold, How they are regarded as clay jars, the work of the hands of the potter.

3 Even dragons have drawn out the breast, They have suckled their young ones, The daughter of my people has become cruel, Like the ostriches in a wilderness.

Even the jackals offer the breast, they nurse their young ones, but the daughter of my people has become cruel, like the ostriches in the wilderness.

4 The tongue of a suckling has cleaved to his palate with thirst, Infants asked for bread, they have no dealer [of it] out.

The nursing infant's tongue sticks to the roof of his mouth for thirst. The young children ask for bread, but no one gives to them.

5 Those eating of delicacies have been desolate in out-places, Those supported on scarlet have embraced dunghills.

Those who ate delicacies are destitute in the streets. Those who were brought up in purple embrace ash heaps.

6 And greater is the iniquity of the daughter of my people, Than the sin of Sodom, That was overturned as [in] a moment, And no hands were stayed on her.

For the iniquity of the daughter of my people is greater than the sin of Sodom, which was overthrown in an instant, and no hands were laid on her.

7 Purer were her Nazarites than snow, Whiter than milk, ruddier of body than rubies, Of sapphire their form.

Her consecrated ones were purer than snow, whiter than milk; their bodies more ruddy than rubies, their appearance was like lapis lazuli.

8 Their face has been darker than blackness, They have not been known in out-places, Their skin has cleaved to their bone, It has withered—it has been as wood.

They appear darker than soot; they are not known in the streets. Their skin cleaves to their bones; it is withered and has become as dry as a stick.

9 Better have been the pierced of a sword Than the pierced of famine, For these flow away, pierced through, Without the increase of the field.

Those who are killed with the sword are better than those who are killed with hunger; those who waste away, pierced through, for lack of the fruits of the field.

10 The hands of merciful women have boiled their own children, They have been for food to them, In the destruction of the daughter of my people.

The hands of the compassionate women have cooked their own children; they were their food in the destruction of the daughter of my people.

11 YHWH has completed His fury, He has poured out the fierceness of His anger, And He kindles a fire in Zion, And it devours her foundations.

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.

12 The kings of earth did not believe, And any of the inhabitants of the world, That an adversary and enemy would come Into the gates of Jerusalem.

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

13 Because of the sins of her prophets, The iniquities of her priests, Who are shedding in her midst the blood of the righteous,

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 midst of her.

14 They have wandered naked in out-places, They have been defiled with blood, Without [any] being able to touch their clothing,

They wander as blind men in the streets, they are polluted with blood, so that men can't touch their garments.

15 “Turn aside—unclean,” they called to them, “Turn aside, turn aside, do not touch,” For they fled—indeed, they have wandered, They have said among nations: “They do not add to sojourn.”

"Go away." they cried to them, "Unclean. Away, away. Do not touch." When they fled away and wandered, men said among the nations, "They shall not live here anymore."

16 The face of YHWH has divided them, He does not add to behold them, They have not lifted up the face of priests, They have not favored [the] old and elderly.

The LORD himself has scattered them; he will no more regard them. They did not respect the priests, they did not favor the elders.

17 While we exist—consumed are our eyes for our vain help, In our watchtower we have watched for a nation [that] does not save.

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

18 They have hunted our steps from going in our broad-places, Near has been our end, fulfilled our days, For our end has come.

They hunt our steps, so that we can't go in our streets. Our end is near, our days are fulfilled; for our end has come.

19 Swifter have been our pursuers, Than the eagles of the heavens, On the mountains they have burned [after] us, In the wilderness they have laid wait for us.

Our pursuers were swifter than the eagles of the sky. They chased us on the mountains, they lay in wait for us in the wilderness.

20 The breath of our nostrils—the anointed of YHWH, Has been captured in their pits, of whom we said: “We live among nations in his shadow.”

The breath of our nostrils, the anointed of the LORD, was taken in their pits; of whom we said, "Under his shadow we can live among the nations."

21 Rejoice and be glad, O daughter of Edom, Dwelling in the land of Uz, Even to you a cup passes over, You are drunk, and make yourself naked.

Rejoice and be glad, daughter of Edom, that dwell in the land of Uz. The cup shall pass through to you also; you will get drunk, and shall make yourself naked.

22 Completed [is] your iniquity, daughter of Zion, He does not add to remove you, He has inspected your iniquity, O daughter of Edom, He has removed [you] because of your sins!

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.