Lamentaciones 4
La Palabra (Hispanoamérica)
Cuarta elegía
4 ¡Qué deslucido está el oro,
qué pálido el oro fino!
¡Las piedras santas están
tiradas por las esquinas!
2 De Sión los nobles hijos,
más apreciados que el oro,
parecen cuencos de barro,
hechura de un alfarero.
3 Hasta los chacales dan
de mamar a sus cachorros;
la hija de mi pueblo es cruel
como avestruz del desierto.
4 De sed se pega la lengua
al paladar del bebé.
Los pequeños piden pan
sin que nadie se lo dé.
5 Los que antes banqueteaban
desfallecen por las calles;
los criados entre púrpura
revuelven los basureros.
6 La culpa de mi ciudad
supera a la de Sodoma,
arrasada en un momento
sin intervención humana.
7 Como leche y nieve pura
resplandecían sus príncipes;
coral rojo eran sus cuerpos
y un zafiro, su figura.
8 Y hoy, más negros que el carbón,
nadie afuera los conoce;
su piel al hueso pegada
y enjutos como sarmientos.
9 Mejor le fue al caído en guerra
que a las víctimas del hambre:
extenuadas se consumen
por carencia de alimentos.
10 Manos tiernas de mujeres
cuecen a sus propios hijos
y los sirven de comida
mientras cae la capital.
11 Colmó el Señor su furor,
derramó su ardiente cólera
y prendió un fuego en Sión
que calcinó sus cimientos.
12 Ni los reyes de la tierra
ni los que habitan el orbe
pensaron ver enemigos
entrando en Jerusalén.
13 Por pecados de profetas
y culpas de sacerdotes
se derramó en su interior
sangre de gente inocente.
14 Tropezando como ciegos
caminan ensangrentados,
sin que nadie por las calles
pueda tocar sus vestidos.
15 ¡Apártense! —les gritaban—
¡Un impuro! ¡No toquen!
Y cuando huían vagabundos,
los paganos les decían:
“No pueden vivir aquí”.
16 El Señor los dispersó
y no volverá a mirarlos.
Negaron honra y piedad
a sacerdotes y ancianos.
17 Se gastaban nuestros ojos
aguardando ayuda en vano;
vigilantes esperábamos
a un aliado que no salva.
18 Vigilaban nuestros pasos
sin dejarnos caminar.
Nuestro fin estaba cerca,
nuestros días ya cumplidos,
había llegado el final.
19 Los perseguidores eran
más veloces que las águilas:
nos acosaron con trampas
por los montes y el desierto.
20 Con sus trampas dieron caza
al rey, que era nuestro aliento,
pues a su sombra esperábamos
vivir entre las naciones.
21 Goza y alégrate, Edom,
la que habitas tierras de Us;
ya te pasarán la copa
y andarás ebria y desnuda.
22 Expiaste tu culpa, Sión;
no volverá a desterrarte.
Serás castigada, Edom,
descubiertos tus pecados.
Lamentations 4
New King James Version
The Degradation of Zion
4 How the gold has become dim!
How changed the fine gold!
The stones of the sanctuary are [a]scattered
At the head of every street.
2 The precious sons of Zion,
[b]Valuable as fine gold,
How they are [c]regarded (A)as clay pots,
The work of the hands of the potter!
3 Even the jackals present their breasts
To nurse their young;
But the daughter of my people is cruel,
(B)Like ostriches in the wilderness.
4 The tongue of the infant clings
To the roof of its mouth for thirst;
(C)The young children ask for bread,
But no one breaks it for them.
5 Those who ate delicacies
Are desolate in the streets;
Those who were brought up in scarlet
(D)Embrace ash heaps.
6 The punishment of the iniquity of the daughter of my people
Is greater than the punishment of the (E)sin of Sodom,
Which was (F)overthrown in a moment,
With no hand to help her!
7 Her [d]Nazirites were [e]brighter than snow
And whiter than milk;
They were more ruddy in body than rubies,
Like sapphire in their [f]appearance.
8 Now their appearance is blacker than soot;
They go unrecognized in the streets;
(G)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 (H)pine away,
Stricken for lack of the fruits of the (I)field.
10 The hands of the (J)compassionate women
Have [g]cooked their (K)own children;
They became (L)food for them
In the destruction of the daughter of my people.
11 The Lord has fulfilled His fury,
(M)He has poured out His fierce anger.
(N)He kindled a fire in Zion,
And it has devoured its foundations.
12 The kings of the earth,
And all inhabitants of the world,
Would not have believed
That the adversary and the enemy
Could (O)enter the gates of Jerusalem—
13 (P)Because of the sins of her prophets
And the iniquities of her priests,
(Q)Who shed in her midst
The blood of the just.
14 They wandered blind in the streets;
(R)They have defiled themselves with blood,
(S)So that no one would touch their garments.
15 They cried out to them,
“Go away, (T)unclean!
Go away, go away,
Do not touch us!”
When they fled and wandered,
Those among the nations said,
“They shall no longer dwell here.”
16 The [h]face of the Lord scattered them;
He no longer regards them.
(U)The people do not respect the priests
Nor show favor to the elders.
17 Still (V)our eyes failed us,
Watching vainly for our help;
In our watching we watched
For a nation that could not save us.
18 (W)They [i]tracked our steps
So that we could not walk in our streets.
(X)Our end was near;
Our days were over,
For our end had come.
19 Our pursuers were (Y)swifter
Than the eagles of the heavens.
They pursued us on the mountains
And lay in wait for us in the wilderness.
20 The (Z)breath of our nostrils, the anointed of the Lord,
(AA)Was caught in their pits,
Of whom we said, “Under his shadow
We shall live among the nations.”
21 Rejoice and be glad, O daughter of (AB)Edom,
You who dwell in the land of Uz!
(AC)The cup shall also pass over to you
And you shall become drunk and make yourself naked.
22 (AD)The punishment of your iniquity [j]is accomplished,
O daughter of Zion;
He will no longer send you into captivity.
(AE)He will punish your iniquity,
O daughter of Edom;
He will uncover your sins!
Footnotes
- Lamentations 4:1 Lit. poured out
- Lamentations 4:2 Lit. Weighed against
- Lamentations 4:2 reckoned
- Lamentations 4:7 Or nobles
- Lamentations 4:7 Or purer
- Lamentations 4:7 Lit. polishing
- Lamentations 4:10 boiled
- Lamentations 4:16 Tg. anger
- Lamentations 4:18 Lit. hunted
- Lamentations 4:22 has been completed
La Palabra, (versión hispanoamericana) © 2010 Texto y Edición, Sociedad Bíblica de España
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
