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Ano't ang ginto ay naging malabo! Ano't ang pinakadalisay na ginto ay nagbago! Ang mga bato ng santuario ay natapon sa dulo ng lahat na lansangan.

Ang mga mahalagang anak ng Sion, na katulad ng dalisay na ginto, ano't pinahahalagahan na waring mga sisidlang lupa, na gawa ng mga kamay ng magpapalyok!

Maging ang mga chakal ay naglalabas ng suso, nangagpapasuso sa kanilang mga anak: ang anak na babae ng aking bayan ay naging mabagsik, parang mga avestruz sa ilang.

Ang dila ng sumususong bata ay nadidikit sa ngalangala ng kaniyang bibig dahil sa uhaw: ang mga munting bata ay nagsisihingi ng tinapay, at walang taong magpuputol nito sa kanila.

Silang nagsisikaing mainam ay nangahandusay sa mga lansangan: silang nagsilaki sa matingkad na pula ay nagsisihiga sa mga tapunan ng dumi.

Sapagka't ang kasamaan ng anak na babae ng aking bayan ay lalong malaki kay sa kasalanan ng Sodoma, na nagiba sa isang sangdali, at walang mga kamay na humawak sa kaniya.

Ang kaniyang mga mahal na tao ay lalong malinis kay sa nieve, mga lalong maputi kay sa gatas; sila'y lalong mapula sa katawan kay sa mga rubi, ang kanilang kinis ay parang zafiro.

Ang kanilang anyo ay lalong maitim kay sa uling; sila'y hindi makilala sa mga lansangan: ang kanilang balat ay naninikit sa kanilang mga buto; natutuyo, nagiging parang tungkod.

Silang napatay ng tabak ay maigi kay sa kanila na napatay ng gutom; sapagka't ang mga ito ay nagsisihapay, na napalagpasan, dahil sa pangangailangan ng mga bunga sa parang.

10 Ang mga kamay ng mga mahabaging babae ay nangagluto ng kanilang sariling mga anak; mga naging kanilang pagkain sa pagkapahamak ng anak na babae ng aking bayan.

11 Ginanap ng Panginoon ang kaniyang kapusukan, kaniyang ibinugso ang kaniyang mabangis na galit; at siya'y nagpaalab ng apoy sa Sion, na pumugnaw ng mga patibayan niyaon.

12 Ang mga hari sa lupa ay hindi nanganiwala, o ang lahat mang nananahan sa sanglibutan, na ang kaaway at kalaban ay papasok sa mga pintuang-bayan ng Jerusalem.

13 Dahil nga sa mga kasalanan ng kaniyang mga propeta, at sa mga kasamaan ng kaniyang mga saserdote, na nagbubo ng dugo ng mga ganap sa gitna niya.

14 Sila'y nagsisikapa sa mga lansangan na parang mga bulag, sila'y nangadudumhan ng dugo, na anopa't hindi mahipo ng mga tao ang kanilang mga suot.

15 Magsihiwalay kayo, sila'y nagsisihiyaw sa kanila, Marurumi! magsihiwalay kayo, magsihiwalay kayo, huwag ninyong hipuin: nang sila'y magsitakas at magsilaboy ay sinabi ng mga tao sa gitna ng mga bansa, Hindi na sila nangingibang bayan pa rito.

16 Pinangalat sila ng galit ng Panginoon; sila'y hindi na niya lilingapin pa. Hindi nila iginagalang ang mga pagkatao ng mga saserdote, hindi nila pinakukundanganan ang mga matanda.

17 Ang aming mga mata ay nangangalumata dahil sa aming paghihintay ng walang kabuluhang tulong: sa aming paghihintay ay nangaghihintay kami sa isang bansa na hindi makapagligtas.

18 Kanilang inaabangan ang aming mga hakbang, upang huwag kaming makayaon sa aming mga lansangan: ang aming wakas ay malapit na, ang aming mga kaarawan ay nangaganap; sapagka't ang aming wakas ay dumating.

19 Ang mga manghahabol sa amin ay lalong maliliksi kay sa mga aguila sa himpapawid: kanilang hinabol kami sa mga bundok, kanilang binakayan kami sa ilang.

20 Ang hinga ng aming mga butas ng ilong, ang pinahiran ng Panginoon ay nahuli sa kanilang mga hukay; na siya naming pinagsasabihan, sa kaniyang mga lilim ay mabubuhay kami sa mga bansa.

21 Ikaw ay magalak at matuwa Oh anak na babae ng Edom, na tumatahan sa lupain ng Uz: ang saro ay darating din sa iyo; ikaw ay malalango, at magpapakahubad.

22 Ang parusa sa iyong kasamaan ay naganap, Oh anak na babae ng Sion, hindi ka na niya dadalhin pa sa pagkabihag: kaniyang dadalawin ang iyong kasamaan, Oh anak na babae ng Edom; kaniyang ililitaw ang iyong mga kasalanan.

The people’s suffering

Oh, no!
Gold is tarnished;[a] even the purest gold is changed.
Sacred jewels are scattered on every street corner.

Zion’s precious children, once valued as pure gold—
oh no!—now they are worth no more than clay pots made by a potter.

Even jackals offer the breast; they nurse their young.
But the daughter of my people has become cruel, like desert ostriches.

The baby’s tongue sticks to the roof of its mouth, thirsty.
Children ask for bread, beg for it—but there is no bread.

Those who once ate gourmet food now tremble in the streets.
Those who wore the finest purple clothes now cling to piles of garbage.

Greater was the punishment[b] of the daughter of my people than Sodom’s penalty,[c]
    which was quickly overthrown without any hand-wringing.[d]

Her nazirites were purer than snow; they were more dazzling than milk.
Their limbs were redder than coral; their bodies were sapphire.

But their appearance grew darker than soot; they weren’t recognized in the streets.
Their skin shriveled on their bones; it became dry like wood.

Things were better for those stabbed by the sword than for those stabbed by famine—
those who bled away, pierced, lacking food from the field.

10 The hands of loving women boiled their own children
    to become their food during the destruction of the daughter of my people.

11 The Lord let loose his fury; he poured out his fierce anger.
He started a fire in Zion; it licked up its foundations.

12 The earth’s rulers didn’t believe it—neither did any who inhabit the world—
that either enemy or adversary could enter Jerusalem’s gates.

13 It was because of her prophets’ sins, her priests’ iniquities,
those who shed righteous blood in the middle of the city.

14 People wandered blindly in the streets, polluted with blood.
No one would even touch their clothing.

15 “Go away! Unclean!” was shouted at them, “Go away! Away! Don’t touch!”
So they fled and wandered around. The nations said, “They can’t stay here anymore.”

16 It was the Lord’s presence that scattered them;[e] he no longer notices them.
They didn’t honor the priests’ presence; they didn’t favor the elders.

17 Our eyes continually failed, looking for some help, but for nothing.
From our watchtower we watched for a nation that doesn’t save.

18 Our steps were tracked; we could no longer walk in our streets.
Our end had drawn near; our days were done—our end had definitely come.

19 Our hunters were faster than airborne eagles.
They chased us up the mountains; they ambushed us in the wilderness.

20 The Lord’s chosen one, the very breath in our lungs, was caught in their traps—
the one we used to talk about, saying, “Under his protection we will live among the nations.”

21 Rejoice and be happy, Daughter Edom, you who live in the land of Uz.
But this cup will pass over to you too. You will get drunk on it. You will be stripped naked.

22 Your punishment[f] is over, Daughter Zion; God won’t expose you anymore.
But he will attend to your punishment, Daughter Edom; he will expose your sins.

Footnotes

  1. Lamentations 4:1 Heb uncertain
  2. Lamentations 4:6 Or iniquity
  3. Lamentations 4:6 Or sin
  4. Lamentations 4:6 Heb uncertain
  5. Lamentations 4:16 Heb uncertain
  6. Lamentations 4:22 Or iniquity

[a]How the gold has lost its luster,
    the fine gold become dull!
The sacred gems are scattered
    at every street corner.(A)

How the precious children of Zion,(B)
    once worth their weight in gold,
are now considered as pots of clay,
    the work of a potter’s hands!

Even jackals offer their breasts
    to nurse their young,
but my people have become heartless
    like ostriches in the desert.(C)

Because of thirst(D) the infant’s tongue
    sticks to the roof of its mouth;(E)
the children beg for bread,
    but no one gives it to them.(F)

Those who once ate delicacies
    are destitute in the streets.
Those brought up in royal purple(G)
    now lie on ash heaps.(H)

The punishment of my people
    is greater than that of Sodom,(I)
which was overthrown in a moment
    without a hand turned to help her.

Their princes were brighter than snow
    and whiter than milk,
their bodies more ruddy than rubies,
    their appearance like lapis lazuli.

But now they are blacker(J) than soot;
    they are not recognized in the streets.
Their skin has shriveled on their bones;(K)
    it has become as dry as a stick.

Those killed by the sword are better off
    than those who die of famine;(L)
racked with hunger, they waste away
    for lack of food from the field.(M)

10 With their own hands compassionate women
    have cooked their own children,(N)
who became their food
    when my people were destroyed.

11 The Lord has given full vent to his wrath;(O)
    he has poured out(P) his fierce anger.(Q)
He kindled a fire(R) in Zion
    that consumed her foundations.(S)

12 The kings of the earth did not believe,
    nor did any of the peoples of the world,
that enemies and foes could enter
    the gates of Jerusalem.(T)

13 But it happened because of the sins of her prophets
    and the iniquities of her priests,(U)
who shed within her
    the blood(V) of the righteous.

14 Now they grope through the streets
    as if they were blind.(W)
They are so defiled with blood(X)
    that no one dares to touch their garments.

15 “Go away! You are unclean!” people cry to them.
    “Away! Away! Don’t touch us!”
When they flee and wander(Y) about,
    people among the nations say,
    “They can stay here no longer.”(Z)

16 The Lord himself has scattered them;
    he no longer watches over them.(AA)
The priests are shown no honor,
    the elders(AB) no favor.(AC)

17 Moreover, our eyes failed,
    looking in vain(AD) for help;(AE)
from our towers we watched
    for a nation(AF) that could not save us.

18 People stalked us at every step,
    so we could not walk in our streets.
Our end was near, our days were numbered,
    for our end had come.(AG)

19 Our pursuers were swifter
    than eagles(AH) in the sky;
they chased us(AI) over the mountains
    and lay in wait for us in the desert.(AJ)

20 The Lord’s anointed,(AK) our very life breath,
    was caught in their traps.(AL)
We thought that under his shadow(AM)
    we would live among the nations.

21 Rejoice and be glad, Daughter Edom,
    you who live in the land of Uz.(AN)
But to you also the cup(AO) will be passed;
    you will be drunk and stripped naked.(AP)

22 Your punishment will end, Daughter Zion;(AQ)
    he will not prolong your exile.
But he will punish your sin, Daughter Edom,
    and expose your wickedness.(AR)

Footnotes

  1. Lamentations 4:1 This chapter is an acrostic poem, the verses of which begin with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet.