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God’s Anger Satisfied

How the gold has lost its luster!
    Even the finest gold has become dull.
The sacred gemstones
    lie scattered in the streets!

See how the precious children of Jerusalem,[a]
    worth their weight in fine gold,
are now treated like pots of clay
    made by a common potter.

Even the jackals feed their young,
    but not my people Israel.
They ignore their children’s cries,
    like ostriches in the desert.

The parched tongues of their little ones
    stick to the roofs of their mouths in thirst.
The children cry for bread,
    but no one has any to give them.

The people who once ate the richest foods
    now beg in the streets for anything they can get.
Those who once wore the finest clothes
    now search the garbage dumps for food.

The guilt[b] of my people
    is greater than that of Sodom,
where utter disaster struck in a moment
    and no hand offered help.

Our princes once glowed with health—
    brighter than snow, whiter than milk.
Their faces were as ruddy as rubies,
    their appearance like fine jewels.[c]

But now their faces are blacker than soot.
    No one recognizes them in the streets.
Their skin sticks to their bones;
    it is as dry and hard as wood.

Those killed by the sword are better off
    than those who die of hunger.
Starving, they waste away
    for lack of food from the fields.

10 Tenderhearted women
    have cooked their own children.
They have eaten them
    to survive the siege.

11 But now the anger of the Lord is satisfied.
    His fierce anger has been poured out.
He started a fire in Jerusalem[d]
    that burned the city to its foundations.

12 Not a king in all the earth—
    no one in all the world—
would have believed that an enemy
    could march through the gates of Jerusalem.

13 Yet it happened because of the sins of her prophets
    and the sins of her priests,
who defiled the city
    by shedding innocent blood.

14 They wandered blindly
    through the streets,
so defiled by blood
    that no one dared touch them.

15 “Get away!” the people shouted at them.
    “You’re defiled! Don’t touch us!”
So they fled to distant lands
    and wandered among foreign nations,
    but none would let them stay.

16 The Lord himself has scattered them,
    and he no longer helps them.
People show no respect for the priests
    and no longer honor the leaders.

17 We looked in vain for our allies
    to come and save us,
but we were looking to nations
    that could not help us.

18 We couldn’t go into the streets
    without danger to our lives.
Our end was near; our days were numbered.
    We were doomed!

19 Our enemies were swifter than eagles in flight.
    If we fled to the mountains, they found us.
If we hid in the wilderness,
    they were waiting for us there.

20 Our king—the Lord’s anointed, the very life of our nation—
    was caught in their snares.
We had thought that his shadow
    would protect us against any nation on earth!

21 Are you rejoicing in the land of Uz,
    O people of Edom?
But you, too, must drink from the cup of the Lord’s anger.
    You, too, will be stripped naked in your drunkenness.

22 O beautiful Jerusalem,[e] your punishment will end;
    you will soon return from exile.
But Edom, your punishment is just beginning;
    soon your many sins will be exposed.

Prayer for Restoration

Lord, remember what has happened to us.
    See how we have been disgraced!
Our inheritance has been turned over to strangers,
    our homes to foreigners.
We are orphaned and fatherless.
    Our mothers are widowed.
We have to pay for water to drink,
    and even firewood is expensive.
Those who pursue us are at our heels;
    we are exhausted but are given no rest.
We submitted to Egypt and Assyria
    to get enough food to survive.
Our ancestors sinned, but they have died—
    and we are suffering the punishment they deserved!

Slaves have now become our masters;
    there is no one left to rescue us.
We hunt for food at the risk of our lives,
    for violence rules the countryside.
10 The famine has blackened our skin
    as though baked in an oven.
11 Our enemies rape the women in Jerusalem[f]
    and the young girls in all the towns of Judah.
12 Our princes are being hanged by their thumbs,
    and our elders are treated with contempt.
13 Young men are led away to work at millstones,
    and boys stagger under heavy loads of wood.
14 The elders no longer sit in the city gates;
    the young men no longer dance and sing.
15 Joy has left our hearts;
    our dancing has turned to mourning.
16 The garlands have[g] fallen from our heads.
    Weep for us because we have sinned.
17 Our hearts are sick and weary,
    and our eyes grow dim with tears.
18 For Jerusalem[h] is empty and desolate,
    a place haunted by jackals.

19 But Lord, you remain the same forever!
    Your throne continues from generation to generation.
20 Why do you continue to forget us?
    Why have you abandoned us for so long?
21 Restore us, O Lord, and bring us back to you again!
    Give us back the joys we once had!
22 Or have you utterly rejected us?
    Are you angry with us still?

Notas al pie

  1. 4:2 Hebrew precious sons of Zion.
  2. 4:6 Or punishment.
  3. 4:7 Hebrew like lapis lazuli.
  4. 4:11 Hebrew in Zion.
  5. 4:22 Hebrew O daughter of Zion.
  6. 5:11 Hebrew in Zion.
  7. 5:16 Or The crown has.
  8. 5:18 Hebrew Mount Zion.

[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)

Remember, Lord, what has happened to us;
    look, and see our disgrace.(AS)
Our inheritance(AT) has been turned over to strangers,(AU)
    our homes(AV) to foreigners.(AW)
We have become fatherless,
    our mothers are widows.(AX)
We must buy the water we drink;(AY)
    our wood can be had only at a price.(AZ)
Those who pursue us are at our heels;
    we are weary(BA) and find no rest.(BB)
We submitted to Egypt and Assyria(BC)
    to get enough bread.
Our ancestors(BD) sinned and are no more,
    and we bear their punishment.(BE)
Slaves(BF) rule over us,
    and there is no one to free us from their hands.(BG)
We get our bread at the risk of our lives
    because of the sword in the desert.
10 Our skin is hot as an oven,
    feverish from hunger.(BH)
11 Women have been violated(BI) in Zion,
    and virgins in the towns of Judah.
12 Princes have been hung up by their hands;
    elders(BJ) are shown no respect.(BK)
13 Young men toil at the millstones;
    boys stagger under loads of wood.
14 The elders are gone from the city gate;
    the young men have stopped their music.(BL)
15 Joy is gone from our hearts;
    our dancing has turned to mourning.(BM)
16 The crown(BN) has fallen from our head.(BO)
    Woe to us, for we have sinned!(BP)
17 Because of this our hearts(BQ) are faint,(BR)
    because of these things our eyes(BS) grow dim(BT)
18 for Mount Zion,(BU) which lies desolate,(BV)
    with jackals prowling over it.

19 You, Lord, reign forever;(BW)
    your throne endures(BX) from generation to generation.
20 Why do you always forget us?(BY)
    Why do you forsake(BZ) us so long?
21 Restore(CA) us to yourself, Lord, that we may return;
    renew our days as of old
22 unless you have utterly rejected us(CB)
    and are angry with us beyond measure.(CC)

Notas al pie

  1. Lamentations 4:1 This chapter is an acrostic poem, the verses of which begin with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet.