Lamentations 4:1-16
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.
Notas al pie
- 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 4:1-16
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
The Punishment of Zion
4 How the gold has grown dim;
how the pure gold is changed!
The sacred stones lie scattered
at the head of every street.
2 The precious children of Zion,
worth their weight in fine gold—
how they are reckoned as earthen pots,
the work of a potter’s hands!(A)
3 Even the jackals offer the breast
and nurse their young,
but my people has become cruel,
like the ostriches in the wilderness.(B)
4 The tongue of the infant sticks
to the roof of its mouth for thirst;
the children beg for food,
but there is nothing for them.(C)
5 Those who feasted on delicacies
perish in the streets;
those who were brought up in purple
cling to ash heaps.
6 For the chastisement of my people has been greater
than the punishment of Sodom,
which was overthrown in a moment,
though no hand was laid on it.[a](D)
7 Her princes were purer than snow,
whiter than milk;
their bodies were more ruddy than coral,
their form cut like sapphire.[b](E)
8 Now their visage 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.(F)
9 Happier were those pierced by the sword
than those pierced by hunger,
whose life drains away, deprived
of the produce of the field.(G)
10 The hands of compassionate women
have boiled their own children;
they became their food
in the destruction of my people.(H)
11 The Lord gave full vent to his wrath;
he poured out his hot anger
and kindled a fire in Zion
that consumed its foundations.(I)
12 The kings of the earth did not believe,
nor did any of the inhabitants of the world,
that foe or enemy could enter
the gates of Jerusalem.(J)
13 It was for the sins of her prophets
and the iniquities of her priests,
who shed the blood of the righteous
in her midst.(K)
14 Blindly they wandered through the streets,
so defiled with blood
that no one was able
to touch their garments.(L)
15 “Away! Unclean!” people shouted at them;
“Away! Away! Do not touch!”
So they became fugitives and wanderers;
it was said among the nations,
“They shall stay here no longer.”(M)
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.(N)
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New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.