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Lamentations 4:17-19
New English Translation
Lamentations 4:17-19
New English Translation
ע (Ayin)
The People of Jerusalem Lament
17 Our eyes continually failed us
as we looked in vain for help.[a]
From our watchtowers we watched
for a nation that could not rescue us.
צ (Tsade)
18 Our enemies[b] hunted us down at every step[c]
so that we could not walk about in our streets.
Our end drew near, our days were numbered,[d]
for our end had come!
ק (Qof)
19 Those who pursued us were swifter
than eagles[e] in the sky.[f]
They chased us over the mountains;
they ambushed us in the wilderness.
Footnotes
- Lamentations 4:17 tn Heb “Our eyes failed in vain for help.”
- Lamentations 4:18 tn Heb “they”; this has been specified in the translation as “our enemies” for clarity.
- Lamentations 4:18 tn Heb “they hunted our steps.”
- Lamentations 4:18 tn Heb “our days were full.”
- Lamentations 4:19 tn The bird referred to here could be one of several species of eagles but more likely is the griffin-vulture (cf. NEB “vultures”). However, because eagles are more commonly associated with swiftness than vultures in contemporary English, “eagles” was used in the translation.
- Lamentations 4:19 tn Or “in the heavens.” The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heaven(s)” or “sky,” depending on the context.
New English Translation (NET)
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