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Lamentations 4:8-10
New International Version
Lamentations 4:8-10
New International Version
8 But now they are blacker(A) than soot;
they are not recognized in the streets.
Their skin has shriveled on their bones;(B)
it has become as dry as a stick.
9 Those killed by the sword are better off
than those who die of famine;(C)
racked with hunger, they waste away
for lack of food from the field.(D)
10 With their own hands compassionate women
have cooked their own children,(E)
who became their food
when my people were destroyed.
Lamentations 4:8-10
New King James Version
Lamentations 4:8-10
New King James Version
8 Now their appearance is blacker than soot;
They go unrecognized in the streets;
(A)Their skin clings to their bones,
It has become as dry as wood.
9 Those slain by the sword are better off
Than those who die of hunger;
For these (B)pine away,
Stricken for lack of the fruits of the (C)field.
10 The hands of the (D)compassionate women
Have [a]cooked their (E)own children;
They became (F)food for them
In the destruction of the daughter of my people.
Footnotes
- Lamentations 4:10 boiled
Lamentations 4:8-10
New American Standard Bible
Lamentations 4:8-10
New American Standard Bible
8 Their appearance is (A)darker than soot,
They are not recognized in the streets;
Their (B)skin is shriveled on their bones,
It is dry, it has become like wood.
9 Better off are those (C)killed by the sword
Than those killed by hunger;
For they [a](D)waste away, [b]stricken
By the lack of the produce of the field.
10 The hands of compassionate women
(E)Boiled their own children;
They became (F)food for them
Due to the destruction of the daughter of my people.
Footnotes
- Lamentations 4:9 Lit flow away
- Lamentations 4:9 Lit pierced through
Lamentations 4:8-10
King James Version
Lamentations 4:8-10
King James Version
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.
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.
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.
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Lamentations 4:8-10
English Standard Version
Lamentations 4:8-10
English Standard Version
8 (A)Now their face is blacker than soot;
they are not recognized in the streets;
their skin has shriveled on their bones;
it has become as dry as wood.
9 Happier were the victims of the sword
than the victims of hunger,
who wasted away, pierced
by lack of the fruits of the field.
10 (B)The hands of (C)compassionate women
(D)have boiled their own children;
(E)they became their food
during the destruction of the daughter of my people.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.
New King James Version (NKJV) 
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
New American Standard Bible (NASB) 
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
English Standard Version (ESV) 
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.