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
Nouvelle Edition de Genève – NEG1979
Situations déplorables pendant le siège de Jérusalem
4 Eh quoi! l’or a perdu son éclat!
L’or pur est altéré!
Les pierres du sanctuaire sont dispersées
Aux coins de toutes les rues!
2 Les nobles fils de Sion,
Estimés à l’égal de l’or pur,
Sont regardés, hélas! comme des vases de terre,
Ouvrage des mains du potier!
3 Les chacals même présentent la mamelle,
Et allaitent leurs petits;
Mais la fille de mon peuple est devenue cruelle
Comme les autruches du désert.
4 La langue du nourrisson s’attache à son palais,
Desséchée par la soif;
Les enfants demandent du pain,
Et personne ne leur en donne.
5 Ceux qui se nourrissaient de mets délicats
Périssent dans les rues;
Ceux qui étaient élevés dans la pourpre
Embrassent les fumiers.
6 Le châtiment de la fille de mon peuple est plus grand
Que celui de Sodome,
Détruite en un instant,
Sans que personne ait porté la main sur elle.
7 Ses princes étaient plus éclatants que la neige,
Plus blancs que le lait;
Ils avaient le teint plus vermeil que le corail;
Leur figure était comme le saphir.
8 Leur aspect est plus sombre que le noir;
On ne les reconnaît pas dans les rues;
Ils ont la peau collée sur les os,
Sèche comme du bois.
9 Ceux qui périssent par l’épée sont plus heureux
Que ceux qui périssent par la faim,
Qui tombent exténués,
Privés du fruit des champs.
10 Les femmes, malgré leur tendresse,
Font cuire leurs enfants;
Ils leur servent de nourriture,
Au milieu du désastre de la fille de mon peuple.
11 L’Eternel a épuisé sa fureur,
Il a répandu son ardente colère;
Il a allumé dans Sion un feu
Qui en dévore les fondements.
12 Les rois de la terre n’auraient pas cru,
Aucun des habitants du monde n’aurait cru
Que l’adversaire, que l’ennemi entrerait
Dans les portes de Jérusalem.
13 Voilà le fruit des péchés de ses prophètes,
Des iniquités de ses sacrificateurs,
Qui ont répandu dans son sein
Le sang des justes!
14 Ils erraient en aveugles dans les rues,
Souillés de sang;
On ne pouvait
Toucher leurs vêtements.
15 Eloignez-vous, impurs! leur criait-on,
Eloignez-vous, éloignez-vous, ne nous touchez pas!
Ils sont en fuite, ils errent çà et là;
On dit parmi les nations: Ils n’auront plus leur demeure!
16 L’Eternel les a dispersés dans sa colère,
Il ne tourne plus les regards vers eux;
On n’a eu ni respect pour les sacrificateurs,
Ni pitié pour les vieillards.
17 Nos yeux se consumaient encore,
Et nous attendions vainement du secours;
Nos regards se portaient avec espérance
Vers une nation qui ne nous a pas délivrés.
18 On épiait nos pas,
Pour nous empêcher d’aller sur nos places;
Notre fin s’approchait, nos jours étaient accomplis…
Notre fin est arrivée!
19 Nos persécuteurs étaient plus légers
Que les aigles du ciel;
Ils nous ont poursuivis sur les montagnes,
Ils nous ont dressé des embûches dans le désert.
20 Celui qui nous faisait respirer, l’oint de l’Eternel,
A été pris dans leurs fosses,
Lui de qui nous disions:
Nous vivrons sous son ombre parmi les nations.
21 Réjouis-toi, tressaille d’allégresse, fille d’Edom,
Habitante du pays d’Uts!
Vers toi aussi passera la coupe;
Tu t’enivreras, et tu seras mise à nu.
22 Fille de Sion, ton iniquité est expiée;
Il ne t’enverra plus en captivité.
Fille d’Edom, il châtiera ton iniquité,
Il mettra tes péchés à découvert.
Lamentations 4
English Standard Version
The Holy Stones Lie Scattered
4 (A)How the gold has grown dim,
how the pure gold is changed!
The holy stones lie scattered
(B)at the head of every street.
2 The precious sons of Zion,
worth their weight in (C)fine gold,
how they are regarded as (D)earthen pots,
the work of a potter's hands!
3 Even jackals offer the breast;
they nurse their young;
but the daughter of my people has become cruel,
like the ostriches in the wilderness.
4 The tongue of the nursing infant (E)sticks
to the roof of its mouth for thirst;
(F)the children beg for food,
but no one gives to them.
5 Those who once feasted on delicacies
perish in the streets;
(G)those who were brought up in purple
embrace ash heaps.
6 (H)For the chastisement[a] of the daughter of my people has been greater
than the punishment[b] of Sodom,
(I)which was overthrown in a moment,
and no hands were wrung for her.[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 (J)Now their face is blacker than soot;
they are not recognized in the streets;
their skin has shriveled on their bones;
it has become as dry as wood.
9 Happier were the victims of the sword
than the victims of hunger,
who wasted away, pierced
by lack of the fruits of the field.
10 (K)The hands of (L)compassionate women
(M)have boiled their own children;
(N)they became their food
during the destruction of the daughter of my people.
11 (O)The Lord gave full vent to his wrath;
he poured out his hot anger,
and (P)he kindled a fire in Zion
that consumed its foundations.
12 (Q)The kings of the earth did not believe,
nor any of the inhabitants of the world,
that foe or enemy could enter
the gates of Jerusalem.
13 This was for (R)the sins of her prophets
and (S)the iniquities of her priests,
who shed in the midst of her
the blood of the righteous.
14 (T)They wandered, blind, through the streets;
they were so defiled with blood
(U)that no one was able to touch
their garments.
15 “Away! (V)Unclean!” people cried at them.
“Away! Away! Do not touch!”
So they became fugitives and wanderers;
people said among the nations,
“They shall stay with us no longer.”
16 (W)The Lord himself[f] has scattered them;
he will regard them no more;
(X)no honor was shown to the priests,
(Y)no favor to the elders.
17 (Z)Our eyes failed, ever watching
(AA)vainly for help;
in our watching we watched
for (AB)a nation which could not save.
18 (AC)They dogged our steps
so that we could not walk in our streets;
(AD)our end drew near; our days were numbered,
for our end had come.
19 Our pursuers were (AE)swifter
than the eagles in the heavens;
they chased us on the mountains;
they lay in wait for us in the wilderness.
20 (AF)The breath of our nostrils, (AG)the Lord's anointed,
was captured (AH)in their pits,
of whom we said, (AI)“Under his shadow
we shall live among the nations.”
21 (AJ)Rejoice and be glad, O daughter of Edom,
you who dwell in (AK)the land of Uz;
but to you also (AL)the cup shall pass;
you shall become drunk and strip yourself bare.
22 (AM)The punishment of your iniquity, O daughter of Zion, is accomplished;
he will keep you in exile no longer;[g]
but (AN)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 The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain
- Lamentations 4:7 The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain
- Lamentations 4:7 Hebrew lapis lazuli
- Lamentations 4:16 Hebrew The face of the Lord
- Lamentations 4:22 Or he will not exile you again
Nouvelle Edition de Genève Copyright © 1979 by Société Biblique de Genève
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
