Lamentations 4
1 How is the gold become dim! [how] is the most pure gold changed! the stones of the sanctuary are poured out at the top of every street.
Aleph. How is gold maad derk, the beste colour is chaungid? the stonys of the seyntuarie ben scaterid in the heed of alle stretis.
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!
Beth. The noble sones of Sion, and clothid with the best gold, hou ben thei arettid in to erthene vessels, in to the werk of the hondis of a pottere?
3 Even the jackals draw out the breast, they give suck to their young ones: the daughter of my people is become cruel, like the ostriches in the wilderness.
Gimel. But also lamyes maden nakid her tetis, yauen mylk to her whelpis; the douyter of my puple is cruel, as an ostrig in desert.
4 The tongue of the sucking child cleaveth to the roof of his mouth for thirst: the young children ask bread, and no man breaketh it unto them.
Deleth. The tonge of the soukynge childe cleued to his palat in thirst; litle children axiden breed, and noon was that brak to hem.
5 They that did feed delicately are desolate in the streets: they that were brought up in scarlet embrace dung-hills.
He. Thei that eeten lustfuli, perischiden in weies; thei that weren nurschid in cradels, biclippiden toordis.
6 For the iniquity of the daughter of my people is greater than the sin of Sodom, that was overthrown as in a moment, and no hands were laid upon her.
Vau. And the wickidnesse of the douyter of my puple is maad more than the synne of men of Sodom, that was distried in a moment, and hondis token not therynne.
7 Her nobles were purer than snow, they were whiter than milk, they were more ruddy in body than rubies, their polishing was as of sapphire:
Zai. Nazareis therof weren whitere than snow, schynyngere than mylk; rodier than elde yuer, fairere than safire.
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.
Heth. The face of hem was maad blackere than coolis, and thei weren not knowun in stretis; the skyn cleuyde to her boonys, it driede, and was maad as a tre.
9 They that be slain with the sword are better than they that be slain with hunger; for these pine away, stricken through, for want of the fruits of the field.
Teth. It was betere to men slayn with swerd, than to men slayn with hungur; for these men wexiden rotun, thei weren wastid of the bareynesse of erthe.
10 The hands of the pitiful women have sodden their own children; they were their meat in the destruction of the daughter of my people.
Joth. The hondis of merciful wymmen sethiden her children; thei weren maad the metis of tho wymmen in the sorewe of the douyter of my puple.
11 The LORD hath accomplished his fury, he hath poured out his fierce anger; and he hath kindled a fire in Zion, which hath devoured the foundations thereof.
Caph. The Lord fillide his strong veniaunce, he schedde out the ire of his indignacioun; and the Lord kyndlide a fier in Sion, and it deuouride the foundementis therof.
12 The kings of the earth believed not, neither all the inhabitants of the world, that the adversary and the enemy should enter into the gates of Jerusalem.
Lamet. The kyngis of erthe, and alle dwelleris of the world bileueden not, that an aduersarie and enemy schulde entre bi the yatis of Jerusalem.
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 midst of her.
Men. For the synnes of the profetis therof, and for wickidnessis of preestis therof, that schedden out the blood of iust men in the myddis therof.
14 They wander as blind men in the streets, that are polluted with blood, so that men cannot touch their garments.
Nun. Blynde men erryden in stretis, thei weren defoulid in blood; and whanne thei miyten not go, thei helden her hemmes.
15 Depart ye, they cried unto them, Unclean! depart, depart, touch not: when they fled away and wandered, men said among the nations, They shall no more sojourn [here].
Samet. Thei crieden to hem, Departe awei, ye defoulide men, departe ye, go ye awei, nyle ye touche; forsothe thei chidden, and weren stirid; thei seiden among hethene men, God schal no more leie to, that he dwelle among hem.
16 The anger of the LORD hath divided them; he will no more regard them: they respected not the persons of the priests, they favoured not the elders.
Ayn. The face of the Lord departide hem, he schal no more leie to, that he biholde hem; thei weren not aschamed of the faces of preestis, nether thei hadden merci on eld men.
17 Our eyes do yet fail [in looking] for our vain help; in our watching we have watched for a nation that could not save.
Phe. The while we stoden yit, oure iyen failiden to oure veyn help; whanne we bihelden ententif to a folc, that myyte not saue vs.
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.
Sade. Oure steppis weren slidir in the weie of oure stretis; oure ende neiyede, oure daies weren fillid, for oure ende cam.
19 Our pursuers were swifter than the eagles of the heaven: they chased us upon the mountains, they laid wait for us in the wilderness.
Coph. Oure pursueris weren swiftere than the eglis of heuene; thei pursueden vs on hillis, thei settiden buschementis to vs in desert.
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 nations.
Res. The spirit of oure mouth, Crist the Lord, was takun in oure synnes; to whom we seiden, We schulen lyue in thi schadewe among hethene men.
21 Rejoice and be glad, O daughter of Edom, that dwellest in the land of Uz: the cup shall pass through unto thee also; thou shalt be drunken, and shalt make thyself naked.
Syn. Thou douyter of Edom, make ioye, and be glad, that dwellist in the lond of Hus; the cuppe schal come also to thee, thou schalt be maad drunkun, and schalt be maad bare.
22 The punishment of thine iniquity is accomplished, O daughter of Zion; he will no more carry thee away into captivity: he will visit thine iniquity, O daughter of Edom; he will discover thy sins.
Thau. Thou douyter of Sion, thi wickidnesse is fillid; he schal not adde more, that he make thee to passe ouer; thou douyter of Edom, he schal visite thi wickidnesse, he schal vnhile thi synnes.
