Vajtimet 4
Albanian Bible
4 Si u nxi ari, si u prish ari më i mirë! Gurët e shenjtërores u shpërndanë në hyrje të të gjitha rrugëve.
2 Bijtë e çmuar të Sionit që çmoheshin si ar i kulluar, vallë si u konsideruan si enë prej balte, si punë e kryer nga duart e poçarit?
3 Edhe çakejtë japin gjirin për të ushqyer të vegjëlit e tyre, por bija e popullit tim është bërë mizore si strucët e shkretëtirës.
4 Gjuha e foshnjës në gji ngjitet, në qiellzën e tij nga etja; fëmijët kërkojnë bukë, por nuk ka njeri që t’ua japë atyre.
5 Ata që hanin ushqime të shijshme lëngojnë nëpër rrugë; ata që ishin rritur në purpur përqafojnë plehërishten.
6 Ndëshkimi i paudhësisë të vajzës së popullit tim është më i madh se ndëshkimi i mëkatit të Sodomës, që u shkatërrua në një çast, pa ndërhyrjen e dorës së njeriut kundër saj.
7 Princat e saj ishin më të shkëlqyeshëm se bora, më të bardhë se qumështi; e kishin trupin më të kuq se koralet, fytyra e tyre ishte si një safir.
8 Tani pamja e tyre është më e zezë se terri; nuk njihen dot më nëpër rrugë; lëkura e tyre bashkohet me kockat e tyre, është tharë, është bërë si dru.
9 Të vrarët nga shpata janë më mirë se ata që vdesin nga uria, sepse këta të fundit mbarojnë të rraskapitur nga mungesa e prodhimeve të fushës.
10 Duart e grave të mëshirëshme kanë pjekur vetë fëmijët e tyre, të cilët u kanë shërbyer si ushqim, në shkatërrimin e bijës së popullit tim.
11 Zoti i dha fund tërbimit të tij, ka derdhur zemërimin e tij të zjarrtë, ka ndezur në Sion një zjarr, që ka gllabëruar themelet e tij.
12 Mbretërit e dheut dhe tërë banorët e botës nuk do të kishin besuar kurrë që kundërshtari dhe armiku do të hynin në portat e Jeruzalemit.
13 Por kjo ndodhi për shkak të mëkateve të profetëve të tij dhe për shkak të paudhësive të priftërinjve të tij, që kanë derdhur në mes të saj gjakun e njerëzve të drejtë.
14 Ata endeshin si të verbër nëpër rrugë, të ndotur me gjak, në mënyrë që askush nuk mund të prekte veshjet e tyre.
15 Sapo dukeshin njerëzit bërtisnin: "Largohuni, një i papastër! Largohuni, largohuni mos e prekni!". Kur iknin dhe shkonin duke u endur midis kombeve thonin: "Nuk do të mund të rrijnë më këtu".
16 Fytyra e Zotit i ka shpërndarë, nuk do të kthejë mbi ta shikimin e tij; nuk kanë pasur respekt për priftërinjtë dhe as kanë treguar dhembshuri për pleqtë.
17 Përveç kësaj sytë tona konsumoheshin në pritjen e një ndihme të kotë. Nga vendi ynë i vëzhgimit prisnim më kot një komb që nuk mund të na shpëtonte.
18 Na gjuanin në çdo hap, duke na penguar të ecnim nëpër sheshet tona. Fundi ynë është i afërt, ditët tona janë plotësuar, fundi ynë ka mbërritur.
19 Përndjekësit tanë kanë qenë më të shpejtë se shqiponjat e qiellit, na kanë ndjekur në malet, na kanë ngritur prita në shkretëtirë.
20 Fryma e flegrave tona, i vajosuri i Zotit është marrë në gropat e tyre, ai për të cilin thoshim: "Në hijen e tij do të jemi midis kombeve".
21 Gëzohu dhe kënaqu, o bijë e Edomit, që banon në vendin e Utsit. Edhe ty do të të vijë kupa; do të dehesh dhe do të zbulosh lakuriqësinë tënde.
22 Ndëshkimi i paudhësisë sate u krye, o bijë e Sionit. Ai nuk do të të çojë më në robëri; por do të ndëshkojë paudhësinë tënde, o bijë e Edomit, do të nxjerrë në shesh mëkatet e tua.
Lamentations 4
New International Version
4 [a]How the gold has lost its luster,
    the fine gold become dull!
The sacred gems are scattered
    at every street corner.(A)
2 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!
3 Even jackals offer their breasts
    to nurse their young,
but my people have become heartless
    like ostriches in the desert.(C)
4 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)
5 Those who once ate delicacies
    are destitute in the streets.
Those brought up in royal purple(G)
    now lie on ash heaps.(H)
6 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.
7 Their princes were brighter than snow
    and whiter than milk,
their bodies more ruddy than rubies,
    their appearance like lapis lazuli.
8 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.
9 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.
Footnotes
- Lamentations 4:1 This chapter is an acrostic poem, the verses of which begin with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet.
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
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