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锡安众子自叹苦难

黄金何其失光,纯金何其变色!圣所的石头倒在各市口上! 锡安宝贵的众子好比精金,现在何竟算为窑匠手所做的瓦瓶! 野狗尚且把奶乳哺其子,我民的妇人倒成为残忍,好像旷野的鸵鸟一般。 吃奶孩子的舌头因干渴贴住上膛,孩童求饼,无人擘给他们。 素来吃美好食物的,现今在街上变为孤寒;素来卧朱红褥子的,现今躺卧粪堆。 都因我众民的罪孽比所多玛的罪还大,所多玛虽然无人加手于她,还是转眼之间被倾覆。 锡安的贵胄素来比雪纯净,比奶更白,他们的身体比红宝玉[a]更红,像光润的蓝宝石一样。 现在他们的面貌比煤炭更黑,以致在街上无人认识;他们的皮肤紧贴骨头,枯干如同槁木。 饿死的不如被刀杀的,因为这是缺了田间的土产,就身体衰弱,渐渐消灭。 10 慈心的妇人,当我众民被毁灭的时候,亲手煮自己的儿女作为食物。

自认罪愆

11 耶和华发怒成就他所定的,倒出他的烈怒,在锡安使火着起,烧毁锡安的根基。 12 地上的君王和世上的居民都不信敌人和仇敌能进耶路撒冷的城门。 13 这都因她先知的罪恶和祭司的罪孽,他们在城中流了义人的血。 14 他们在街上如瞎子乱走,又被血玷污,以致人不能摸他们的衣服。 15 人向他们喊着说:“不洁净的,躲开!躲开!不要挨近我!”他们逃走漂流的时候,列国中有人说:“他们不可仍在这里寄居。” 16 耶和华发怒,将他们分散,不再眷顾他们。人不重看祭司,也不厚待长老。

预言以东遭报

17 我们仰望人来帮助,以至眼目失明,还是枉然。我们所盼望的,竟盼望一个不能救人的国。 18 仇敌追赶我们的脚步像打猎的,以致我们不敢在自己的街上行走。我们的结局临近,我们的日子满足,我们的结局来到了。 19 追赶我们的比空中的鹰更快,他们在山上追逼我们,在旷野埋伏等候我们。 20 耶和华的受膏者好比我们鼻中的气,在他们的坑中被捉住,我们曾论到他说:“我们必在他荫下,在列国中存活。”

锡安受慰

21 乌斯地的以东民哪,只管欢喜快乐!苦杯也必传到你那里,你必喝醉,以致露体。 22 锡安的民哪,你罪孽的刑罚受足了,耶和华必不使你再被掳去。以东的民哪,他必追讨你的罪孽,显露你的罪恶!

Footnotes

  1. 耶利米哀歌 4:7 或作:珊瑚。

淪陷的耶路撒冷

黃金竟失去光澤,
純金竟變色,
寶石竟被棄之街頭。

錫安的寶貝子民本來貴如黃金,
現在竟被視為陶匠製作的瓦器!

豺狼尚且哺養自己的幼兒,
我的子民卻像荒野的鴕鳥一樣殘忍無情。

嬰兒乾渴難忍,舌頭緊貼上膛;
孩童乞求食物,卻無人給予。

昔日錦衣玉食、生活奢侈的,
如今卻流落街頭,
躺臥在糞堆中。

雖然無人攻擊,所多瑪卻在頃刻之間傾覆。
我子民比所多瑪受到的懲罰更重。

錫安的首領曾比雪純淨,
比奶更白,
身體比紅寶石更紅潤,
相貌美如藍寶石。

現在,他們的面目比煤炭還黑,
走在街上無人認得。
他們骨瘦如柴,乾如枯木。

死於刀下的勝過死於饑餓的,
後者因田間缺糧而活活餓死。

10 我的百姓遭毀滅時,
慈母親手煮自己的兒女充饑。

11 耶和華大發烈怒,
傾倒祂的怒氣,
在錫安燃起大火,
焚毀城的根基。

12 世上的君王和居民都不相信敵人能闖進耶路撒冷的城門。

13 這都是因為她的先知和祭司的罪行。
他們在城中殺害義人。

14 他們如盲人在街上遊蕩,
沾滿血污,
無人敢碰他們的衣服。

15 人們向他們喊道:
「走開!你們是不潔的!
走開!走開!不要靠近我們。」
於是他們逃亡、流蕩,
列國的人說:
「他們不可住在我們這裡。」

16 耶和華親自驅散他們,
不再眷顧他們;
人們不再尊重祭司,
也不再敬重長老。

17 我們望眼欲穿,
盼望援軍的到來,
盼來的國家卻無力拯救我們。

18 敵人步步緊逼,
使我們不敢上自己的街。
我們的結局近了,
我們的日子到頭了,
我們的末日來了!

19 追趕我們的人比飛鷹更快,
他們在山上追捕我們,
在曠野伏擊我們。

20 耶和華膏立的王——我們的生命之氣落入他們的陷阱。
我們原希望藉他的蔭庇立足於列國中。

21 烏斯地區的以東人啊,
只管歡喜作樂吧!
因為盛滿耶和華憤怒的杯也要傳到你們那裡。
你們必喝醉,以致赤身露體。

22 錫安城啊!你已經受到了應得的刑罰,
耶和華必不再使你流亡。
以東啊,耶和華要懲罰你,
揭露你的罪惡!

The Attack on Jerusalem

See how the gold has ·lost its shine [lost its luster; L become dim/dark],
    how the pure gold has ·dulled [changed]!
The stones of the ·Temple [L Holy Place] are scattered
    at ·every street corner [L the top of every street].

The precious ·people [children; sons] of ·Jerusalem [L Zion; C the location of the Temple]
    were ·more valuable than [worth their weight in] gold,
but now they are thought of as clay jars
    ·made by [L the work of] the hands of a potter.

Even ·wild dogs [jackals] ·give their milk [L prepare the breast]
    to ·feed [suckle; nurse] their young,
but [L the daughter of] my people are ·cruel [violent]
    like ostriches in the ·desert [wilderness; Job 39:14–16].

The ·babies [L nurslings] are so thirsty
    their tongues stick to ·the roofs of their mouths [L their palates].
Children ·beg [ask] for bread,
    but no one ·gives [offers] them any.

Those who once ate ·fine foods [delicacies; C the food of the rich; Prov. 23:3, 6]
    are ·now starving [L desolate] in the streets.
People who ·grew up [were nurtured] ·wearing nice clothes [L in purple/or crimson; C expensive clothes often associated with royalty]
    now ·pick through [cling to] ·trash piles [ash heaps; 1 Sam. 2:8; Job 2:8; Ps. 113:7].

·My people have been punished
    more than Sodom was [L The iniquity/or punishment of the daughter of my people is greater than the sin/or punishment of Sodom].
·Sodom [L …which] was ·destroyed [L overturned] suddenly,
    and no hands ·reached out to help her [or were wrung; Gen. 19; Deut. 29:23; Is. 1:9–10; Jer. 23:14; Ezek. 16:46–56; Matt. 10:15; Jude 7; Rev. 11:8].

·Our [or Her] princes were purer than snow,
    and whiter than milk.
Their bodies were redder than ·rubies [or coral];
    they looked like ·sapphires [lapis lazuli].

But now ·they [L their faces] are blacker than coal,
    and no one recognizes them in the streets.
Their skin ·hangs [or shrivels] on their bones;
    it is as dry as wood.

Those who were ·killed [L pierced] ·in the war [L by the sword] were better off
    than those ·killed [L pierced] by ·hunger [famine].
They ·starve in pain and die [drain/waste away],
    ·because there is no food from the field [L deprived of the produce of the field; Jer. 11:22; 14:12–18].

10 With their own hands ·kind [compassionate] women
    ·cook [boil] their own children.
They became food
    when ·my [L the daughter of my] people were ·destroyed [fractured; broken; Deut. 28:56–57].

11 The Lord turned loose all of his anger;
    he poured out his ·strong [L hot] anger.
He set fire to ·Jerusalem [L Zion; C the location of the Temple; Ps. 74:4–7],
    ·burning it down to the [L consuming its] foundations.

12 Kings of the earth and ·people [L the inhabitants] of the world
    could not believe
that enemies and foes
    could enter the gates of Jerusalem [C since God had made his presence known there; Ps. 48:1–2].

13 It happened because her prophets sinned
    and her priests did evil [Jer. 1:17–19; 2:7–8, 26; 4:9; 13:12–14].
They ·killed [L poured out blood] in ·the city [L its midst]
    ·those who did what was right [the righteous].

14 They wandered in the streets
    as if they were blind.
They were ·dirty [defiled; C in a ritual sense] with blood [C as if covered with menstrual blood; Lev. 15],
    so no one ·would [was able to] touch their clothes.

15 “·Go away [Turn aside]! ·You are unclean [L Unclean!; C in a ritual sense],” people shouted at them.
    “·Get away [Turn aside]! ·Get away [Turn aside]! Don’t touch us!”
So they ran away and wandered.
    Even the other nations said, “Don’t stay here.”

16 The Lord himself ·scattered [dispersed] them
    and did not ·look after [regard] them anymore.
No one respects the priests
    or ·honors [has favor for] the elders.

17 Also, our eyes ·grew tired [failed],
    looking for help ·that never came [in vain; without purpose; 2:11; Ps. 69:3; 119:82, 123].
We kept watch ·from our towers [or eagerly]
    for a nation ·to save us [L that could not save us/give us victory; C Judah had hoped that Egypt would rescue them from Babylon; Jer. 2:18, 36].

18 ·Our enemies [L They] ·hunted [dogged] ·us [L our steps],
    so we could not even walk in the ·streets [public areas].
Our end is near. Our ·time [L days] ·is [L fill] up.
    Our end has come.

19 Those who ·chased [pursued] us
    were faster than eagles in the ·sky [heavens].
They ·ran [chased] us into the mountains
    and ambushed us in the ·desert [wilderness].

20 The Lord’s ·appointed king [anointed; C Judah’s king], ·who was our very breath [L the breath of our life/nostrils],
    was caught in their traps [2 Kin. 25:5–7].
We had said about him, “We will ·be protected by him [L live in his shadow/shade]
    among the nations.”

21 Be happy and ·glad [rejoice], ·people [L daughter] of Edom,
    you who live in the land of Uz [C city in Edom; Job 1:1; Jer. 25:20].
The cup [C of God’s judgment] will ·come [pass] to you;
    then you will get drunk and go naked [Jer. 25:15–38; 49:12–13].

22 Your ·punishment [or iniquity] is complete, ·Jerusalem [L daughter of Zion; C the location of the Temple].
    He will not send you into ·captivity again [exile].
But the Lord will punish the ·sins [iniquity] of Edom;
    he will ·uncover [expose] your ·evil [sin].

[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.