Lamentations 4
La Bible du Semeur
Quatrième élégie : la déchéance de Sion
Le peuple est brisé
4 Comment[a] ! L’or s’est terni !
L’or pur s’est altéré !
Les pierres saintes[b] ╵ont été dispersées
à tous les coins de rues !
2 Comment se fait-il donc ╵que les précieux fils de Sion
estimés comme de l’or fin
soient maintenant considérés ╵comme des pots d’argile,
ouvrages d’un potier[c] ?
3 Regardez les chacals : ╵voyez comment les mères
allaitent leurs petits ╵en tendant leur mamelle.
La communauté de mon peuple ╵est devenue aussi cruelle
que les autruches du désert[d].
4 La langue du bébé
s’attache à son palais, ╵tellement il a soif.
Les tout petits enfants ╵réclament quelque nourriture
et nul ne leur en donne.
5 Ceux qui, auparavant, ╵mangeaient des mets exquis,
expirent dans les rues,
et ceux qui ont été ╵élevés dans la pourpre
se couchent maintenant ╵sur un tas de fumier.
6 La communauté de mon peuple ╵a commis un péché
plus grand que celui de Sodome[e]
qui a été anéantie ╵en un instant,
et sans qu’un homme ╵porte la main contre elle[f].
7 Les princes de Sion, ╵ils étaient plus purs que la neige
et plus blancs que du lait,
leurs corps étaient vermeils ╵bien plus que le corail,
leurs veines de saphir.
8 Leur aspect est plus sombre, ╵à présent, que la suie,
nul ne les reconnaît ╵maintenant dans les rues.
La peau leur colle aux os,
elle est devenue sèche ╵comme du bois.
9 Les victimes du glaive ╵sont plus heureuses
que les victimes ╵de la famine :
celles-ci dépérissent, ╵tenaillées par la faim,
car les produits des champs ╵leur font défaut.
10 De tendres femmes, ╵de leurs mains ont fait cuire
la chair de leurs enfants
pour s’en nourrir,
à cause du désastre ╵qui a atteint ╵la communauté de mon peuple[g].
Le juste jugement de Dieu
11 L’Eternel a assouvi son courroux.
Oui, il a déversé ╵son ardente colère,
il a allumé un feu dans Sion
qui en a consumé les fondations.
12 Aucun roi de la terre
ni aucun habitant du monde ╵n’a cru que l’adversaire,
que l’ennemi, ╵pourrait franchir
les portes de Jérusalem.
13 Cela est arrivé ╵à cause des péchés ╵de ses prophètes
et des fautes des prêtres
qui répandaient au milieu d’elle
le sang des justes.
14 Mais maintenant, ╵ils errent dans les rues ╵tout comme des aveugles,
ils sont souillés de sang
si bien que l’on ne peut
toucher leurs vêtements.
15 « Allez-vous en, impurs, ╵voilà ce qu’on leur crie.
Hors d’ici, hors d’ici, ╵et ne nous touchez pas ! »
Et lorsqu’ils fuient ainsi ╵en errant çà et là, ╵les gens des autres peuples disent :
« Qu’ils ne restent pas en ce lieu[h] ! »
16 L’Eternel en personne ╵les a disséminés,
il ne veut plus les voir.
On n’a pas respecté les prêtres
ni eu d’égards ╵pour les responsables du peuple[i].
L’heure de l’abandon
17 Nos yeux se consument encore
dans l’attente d’une aide, ╵mais c’est en vain.
De nos postes de guet ╵nous attendions une nation
qui ne nous a pas secourus[j].
18 Nos ennemis épient ╵la trace de nos pas,
et nous ne pouvons plus ╵circuler dans nos rues,
notre fin est prochaine, ╵nos jours sont à leur terme.
Oui, notre fin arrive.
19 Ceux qui nous poursuivaient ╵ont été plus rapides
que l’aigle dans le ciel.
Ils nous ont pourchassés ╵avec acharnement ╵sur les montagnes,
ils se sont embusqués ╵contre nous au désert.
20 Le roi qui de la part de l’Eternel ╵avait reçu l’onction[k], ╵et dont dépendait notre vie,
a été capturé ╵grâce à leurs pièges,
alors que nous disions :
« Nous vivrons sous sa protection ╵au milieu des nations. »
21 Tu peux être ravie, ╵communauté d’Edom, ╵et exulter[l],
toi qui habites ╵au pays d’Outs[m] :
à toi aussi, ╵on passera la coupe,
tu seras enivrée ╵et tu te mettras toute nue.
22 Ton châtiment aura sa fin, ╵ô communauté de Sion,
Dieu ne te déportera plus.
Communauté d’Edom, ╵il te fera payer tes fautes,
et il fera paraître ╵tes péchés au grand jour.
Footnotes
- 4.1 Autre traduction : hélas !
- 4.1 Selon certains, des pierres précieuses qui avaient fait partie du trésor du Temple. Pour d’autres, un symbole du peuple de Dieu (voir v. 2).
- 4.2 Voir Jr 18 et 19.
- 4.3 Sur l’autruche cruelle, voir Jb 39.14-16.
- 4.6 Sur Sodome, voir Gn 19.24-25 et Jr 23.14 ; 49.18 ; 50.40.
- 4.6 Autre traduction : sans que quelqu’un se donne la peine de la secourir.
- 4.10 Voir 2 R 6.28-29.
- 4.15 Voir Lv 13.45.
- 4.16 Autre traduction : les vieillards.
- 4.17 Probablement l’Egypte (voir Jr 29.16 ; 37.5-10).
- 4.20 Il s’agit de Sédécias (2 R 25.1-6 ; Jr 39.4-7 ; 52.6-11).
- 4.21 Lorsque Jérusalem est tombée, les Edomites ont participé à son pillage (Ez 25.12-14).
- 4.21 Outs: pays à l’est du Jourdain, peut-être Edom, au sud-est de la mer Morte (Gn 36.28 ; voir Jb 1.1 et note).
Lamentations 4
King James Version
4 How is the gold become dim! how is the most fine gold changed! the stones of the sanctuary are poured out in the top of every street.
2 The precious sons of Zion, comparable to fine gold, how are they esteemed as earthen pitchers, the work of the hands of the potter!
3 Even the sea monsters draw out the breast, they give suck to their young ones: the daughter of my people is become cruel, like the ostriches in the wilderness.
4 The tongue of the sucking child cleaveth to the roof of his mouth for thirst: the young children ask bread, and no man breaketh it unto them.
5 They that did feed delicately are desolate in the streets: they that were brought up in scarlet embrace dunghills.
6 For the punishment of the iniquity of the daughter of my people is greater than the punishment of the sin of Sodom, that was overthrown as in a moment, and no hands stayed on her.
7 Her Nazarites were purer than snow, they were whiter than milk, they were more ruddy in body than rubies, their polishing was of sapphire:
8 Their visage is blacker than a coal; they are not known in the streets: their skin cleaveth to their bones; it is withered, it is become like a stick.
9 They that be slain with the sword are better than they that be slain with hunger: for these pine away, stricken through for want of the fruits of the field.
10 The hands of the pitiful women have sodden their own children: they were their meat in the destruction of the daughter of my people.
11 The Lord hath accomplished his fury; he hath poured out his fierce anger, and hath kindled a fire in Zion, and it hath devoured the foundations thereof.
12 The kings of the earth, and all the inhabitants of the world, would not have believed that the adversary and the enemy should have entered into the gates of Jerusalem.
13 For the sins of her prophets, and the iniquities of her priests, that have shed the blood of the just in the midst of her,
14 They have wandered as blind men in the streets, they have polluted themselves with blood, so that men could not touch their garments.
15 They cried unto them, Depart ye; it is unclean; depart, depart, touch not: when they fled away and wandered, they said among the heathen, They shall no more sojourn there.
16 The anger of the Lord hath divided them; he will no more regard them: they respected not the persons of the priests, they favoured not the elders.
17 As for us, our eyes as yet failed for our vain help: in our watching we have watched for a nation that could not save us.
18 They hunt our steps, that we cannot go in our streets: our end is near, our days are fulfilled; for our end is come.
19 Our persecutors are swifter than the eagles of the heaven: they pursued us upon the mountains, they laid wait for us in the wilderness.
20 The breath of our nostrils, the anointed of the Lord, was taken in their pits, of whom we said, Under his shadow we shall live among the heathen.
21 Rejoice and be glad, O daughter of Edom, that dwellest in the land of Uz; the cup also shall pass through unto thee: thou shalt be drunken, and shalt make thyself naked.
22 The punishment of thine iniquity is accomplished, O daughter of Zion; he will no more carry thee away into captivity: he will visit thine iniquity, O daughter of Edom; he will discover thy sins.
Lamentations 4
Christian Standard Bible
Terrors of the Besieged City
א Aleph
4 How the gold has become tarnished,
the fine gold become dull!
The stones of the temple[a] lie scattered
at the head of every street.(A)
ב Beth
2 Zion’s precious children—
once worth their weight in pure gold(B)—
how they are regarded as clay jars,
the work of a potter’s hands!
ג Gimel
3 Even jackals offer their breasts
to nurse their young,
but my dear people have become cruel
like ostriches(C) in the wilderness.
ד Daleth
4 The nursing baby’s tongue
clings to the roof of his mouth from thirst.(D)
Infants beg for food,
but no one gives them any.
ה He
5 Those who used to eat delicacies
are destitute in the streets;
those who were reared in purple garments(E)
huddle in trash heaps.
ו Waw
6 The punishment of my dear people
is greater than that of Sodom,(F)
which was overthrown in an instant
without a hand laid on it.
ז Zayin
7 Her dignitaries were brighter than snow,
whiter than milk;
their bodies[b] were more ruddy than coral,
their appearance like lapis lazuli.
ח Cheth
8 Now they appear darker than soot;(G)
they are not recognized in the streets.
Their skin has shriveled on their bones;
it has become dry like wood.
ט Teth
9 Those slain by the sword are better off
than those slain by hunger,
who waste away, pierced with pain
because the fields lack produce.
י Yod
10 The hands of compassionate women
have cooked their own children;(H)
they became their food
during the destruction of my dear people.(I)
כ Kaph
11 The Lord has exhausted his wrath,
poured out his burning anger;
he has ignited a fire in Zion,
and it has consumed her foundations.(J)
ל Lamed
12 The kings of the earth
and all the world’s inhabitants did not believe
that an enemy or adversary
could enter Jerusalem’s gates.(K)
מ Mem
13 Yet it happened because of the sins of her prophets
and the iniquities of her priests,
who shed the blood of the righteous within her.(L)
נ Nun
14 Blind, they stumbled in the streets,(M)
defiled by this blood,(N)
so that no one dared
to touch their garments.
ס Samek
15 “Stay away! Unclean!” people shouted at them.
“Away, away! Don’t touch us!” (O)
So they wandered aimlessly.(P)
It was said among the nations,
“They can stay here no longer.”
פ Pe
16 The Lord himself has scattered them;
he no longer watches over them.
The priests are not respected;
the elders find no favor.
ע Ayin
17 All the while our eyes were failing
as we looked in vain for help;(Q)
we watched from our towers
for a nation that would not save us.
צ Tsade
18 Our steps were closely followed
so that we could not walk in our streets.
Our end approached;(R) our time ran out.
Our end had come!
ק Qoph
19 Those who chased us were swifter
than eagles in the sky;(S)
they relentlessly pursued us over the mountains
and ambushed us in the wilderness.
ר Resh
20 The Lord’s anointed, the breath of our life,[c](T)
was captured in their traps.
We had said about him,
“We will live under his protection among the nations.”
שׂ Sin
21 So rejoice and be glad, Daughter Edom,(U)
you resident of the land of Uz!(V)
Yet the cup(W) will pass to you as well;
you will get drunk and expose yourself.
ת Taw
Lamentations 4
World English Bible
4 How the gold has become dim!
The most pure gold has changed!
The stones of the sanctuary are poured out
at the head of every street.
2 The precious sons of Zion,
comparable to fine gold,
how they are esteemed as earthen pitchers,
the work of the hands of the potter!
3 Even the jackals offer their breast.
They nurse their young ones.
But the daughter of my people has become cruel,
like the ostriches in the wilderness.
4 The tongue of the nursing child clings to the roof of his mouth for thirst.
The young children ask for bread,
and no one breaks it for them.
5 Those who ate delicacies are desolate in the streets.
Those who were brought up in purple embrace dunghills.
6 For the iniquity of the daughter of my people is greater than the sin of Sodom,
which was overthrown as in a moment.
No hands were laid on her.
7 Her nobles were purer than snow.
They were whiter than milk.
They were more ruddy in body than rubies.
Their polishing was like sapphire.
8 Their appearance is blacker than a coal.
They are not known in the streets.
Their skin clings to their bones.
It is withered.
It has become like wood.
9 Those who are killed with the sword are better than those who are killed with hunger;
for these pine away, stricken through,
for lack of the fruits of the field.
10 The hands of the pitiful women have boiled their own children.
They were their food in the destruction of the daughter of my people.
11 Yahweh has accomplished his wrath.
He has poured out his fierce anger.
He has kindled a fire in Zion,
which has devoured its foundations.
12 The kings of the earth didn’t believe,
neither did all the inhabitants of the world,
that the adversary and the enemy would enter into the gates of Jerusalem.
13 It is because of the sins of her prophets
and the iniquities of her priests,
that have shed the blood of the just in the middle of her.
14 They wander as blind men in the streets.
They are polluted with blood,
So that men can’t touch their garments.
15 “Go away!” they cried to them.
“Unclean! Go away! Go away! Don’t touch!
When they fled away and wandered, men said among the nations,
“They can’t live here any more.”
16 Yahweh’s anger has scattered them.
He will not pay attention to them any more.
They didn’t respect the persons of the priests.
They didn’t favor the elders.
17 Our eyes still fail,
looking in vain for our help.
In our watching we have watched for a nation that could not save.
18 They hunt our steps,
so that we can’t go in our streets.
Our end is near.
Our days are fulfilled,
for our end has come.
19 Our pursuers were swifter than the eagles of the sky.
They chased us on the mountains.
They set an ambush for us in the wilderness.
20 The breath of our nostrils,
the anointed of Yahweh,
was taken in their pits;
of whom we said,
under his shadow we will live among the nations.
21 Rejoice and be glad, daughter of Edom,
who dwells in the land of Uz.
The cup will pass through to you also.
You will be drunken,
and will make yourself naked.
22 The punishment of your iniquity is accomplished, daughter of Zion.
He will no more carry you away into captivity.
He will visit your iniquity, daughter of Edom.
He will uncover your sins.
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