Lamentations 4
Legacy Standard Bible
Yahweh’s Wrath Spent
Aleph
4 How (A)dark the gold has become,
How the pure gold has changed!
The sacred stones are poured out
At the head of every street.
Beth
2 The precious sons of Zion,
Weighed against fine gold,
How they are regarded as (B)earthen jars,
The work of a potter’s hands!
Gimel
3 Even (C)jackals offer the breast;
They nurse their young;
But the daughter of my people has become (D)cruel
Like (E)ostriches in the wilderness.
Daleth
4 The (F)tongue of the nursing baby cleaves
To the roof of its mouth because of (G)thirst;
The infants (H)ask for bread,
But no one breaks it for them.
He
5 Those who ate (I)delicacies
Are desolate in the streets;
Those [a]reared in crimson
Embrace ash pits.
Vav
6 So the [b]iniquity of the daughter of my people
Is greater than the [c](J)sin of Sodom,
Which was (K)overthrown as in a moment,
And no hands [d]whirled toward her.
Zayin
7 Her [e]Nazirites were (L)purer than snow;
They were whiter than milk;
They were more ruddy in [f]body than corals,
Their polishing was like [g](M)lapis lazuli.
Heth
8 Their form is (N)blacker than soot;
They are not recognized in the streets;
Their (O)skin is shriveled on their bones;
It is withered, it has become like wood.
Teth
9 Better are those (P)pierced through with the sword
Than those pierced through with hunger;
For their life (Q)flows away, being stricken
For lack of the produce of [h]the field.
Yodh
10 The hands of compassionate women
(R)Boiled their own children;
They became (S)food for them
Because of the destruction of the daughter of my people.
Kaph
11 Yahweh has (T)spent His wrath;
He has poured out His burning anger;
And He has (U)kindled a fire in Zion
Which has devoured its foundations.
Lamedh
12 The kings of the earth did not believe,
Nor did any of (V)the inhabitants of the world,
That the adversary and the enemy
Could (W)enter the gates of Jerusalem.
Mem
13 Because of the sins of her (X)prophets
And the iniquities of her priests,
Who have shed in her midst
The (Y)blood of the righteous;
Nun
14 They wandered, (Z)blind, in the streets;
They were defiled with (AA)blood
So that no one could touch their (AB)garments.
Samekh
15 “Depart! (AC)Unclean!” [i]they cried of themselves.
“Depart, depart, do not touch!”
So they (AD)fled and wandered;
Men among the nations said,
“They shall not continue to sojourn with us.”
Pe
16 The presence of Yahweh has eradicated them;
He will not continue to look at them;
They did not [j](AE)honor the priests;
They did not favor the elders.
Ayin
17 Yet our eyes were spent,
Looking for [k]help was (AF)vanity;
In our watching we have watched
For a (AG)nation that could not save.
Tsadhe
18 They (AH)hunted our steps
So that we could not walk in our open squares;
Our (AI)end drew near,
Our days were [l]finished,
For our end had come.
Qoph
19 Our pursuers were (AJ)swifter
Than the eagles of the sky;
They hotly pursued us on the mountains;
They waited in ambush for us in the wilderness.
Resh
20 The (AK)breath of our nostrils, the (AL)anointed of Yahweh,
Was (AM)captured in their pits,
Of whom we had said, “Under his (AN)shadow
We shall live among the nations.”
Sin
21 Rejoice and be glad, O daughter of (AO)Edom,
Who inhabits the land of Uz;
But the (AP)cup will pass on to you as well;
You will become drunk and make yourself naked.
Tav
22 The punishment of your iniquity has come (AQ)to an end, O daughter of Zion;
He will exile you no longer.
But He (AR)will punish your iniquity, O daughter of Edom;
He will expose your sins!
Footnotes
- Lamentations 4:5 Lit established in crimson
- Lamentations 4:6 Or punishment for iniquity
- Lamentations 4:6 Or punishment for sin
- Lamentations 4:6 Or wrung over her
- Lamentations 4:7 Or dedicated ones
- Lamentations 4:7 Lit bones
- Lamentations 4:7 Heb sappir
- Lamentations 4:9 Lit my fields
- Lamentations 4:15 Or they (men) cried to them
- Lamentations 4:16 Lit lift up the faces of
- Lamentations 4:17 Lit our help
- Lamentations 4:18 Lit full
Lamentations 4
Revised Standard Version
The Punishment of Zion
4 How the gold has grown dim,
how the pure gold is changed!
The holy stones lie scattered
at the head of every street.
2 The precious sons of Zion,
worth their weight in fine gold,
how they are reckoned as earthen pots,
the work of a potter’s hands!
3 Even the jackals give the breast
and suckle their young,
but the daughter of my people has become cruel,
like the ostriches in the wilderness.
4 The tongue of the nursling cleaves
to the roof of its mouth for thirst;
the children beg for food,
but no one gives to them.
5 Those who feasted on dainties
perish in the streets;
those who were brought up in purple
lie on ash heaps.
6 For the chastisement[a] of the daughter of my people has been greater
than the punishment[b] of Sodom,
which was overthrown in a moment,
no hand being laid on it.[c]
7 Her princes were purer than snow,
whiter than milk;
their bodies were more ruddy than coral,
the beauty of their form[d] was like sapphire.[e]
8 Now their visage is blacker than soot,
they are not recognized in the streets;
their skin has shriveled upon their bones,
it has become as dry as wood.
9 Happier were the victims of the sword
than the victims of hunger,
who pined away, stricken
by want of the fruits of the field.
10 The hands of compassionate women
have boiled their own children;
they became their food
in the destruction of the daughter of my people.
11 The Lord gave full vent to his wrath,
he poured out his hot anger;
and he kindled a fire in Zion,
which consumed its foundations.
12 The kings of the earth did not believe,
or any of the inhabitants of the world,
that foe or enemy could enter
the gates of Jerusalem.
13 This was for the sins of her prophets
and the iniquities of her priests,
who shed in the midst of her
the blood of the righteous.
14 They wandered, blind, through the streets,
so defiled with blood
that none could touch
their garments.
15 “Away! Unclean!” men cried at them;
“Away! Away! Touch not!”
So they became fugitives and wanderers;
men said among the nations,
“They shall stay with us no longer.”
16 The Lord himself has scattered them,
he will regard them no more;
no honor was shown to the priests,
no favor to the elders.
17 Our eyes failed, ever watching
vainly for help;
in our watching[f] we watched
for a nation which could not save.
18 Men dogged our steps
so that we could not walk in our streets;
our end drew near; our days were numbered;
for our end had come.
19 Our pursuers were swifter
than the vultures in the heavens;
they chased us on the mountains,
they lay in wait for us in the wilderness.
20 The breath of our nostrils, the Lord’s anointed,
was taken in their pits,
he of whom we said, “Under his shadow
we shall live among the nations.”
21 Rejoice and be glad, O daughter of Edom,
dweller in the land of Uz;
but to you also the cup shall pass;
you shall become drunk and strip yourself bare.
22 The punishment of your iniquity, O daughter of Zion, is accomplished,
he will keep you in exile no longer;
but your iniquity, O daughter of Edom, he will punish,
he will uncover your sins.
Footnotes
- Lamentations 4:6 Or iniquity
- Lamentations 4:6 Or sin
- Lamentations 4:6 Heb uncertain
- Lamentations 4:7 Heb uncertain
- Lamentations 4:7 Heb lapis lazuli
- Lamentations 4:17 Heb uncertain
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Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1946, 1952, and 1971 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.