Lamentations 4
4
The Horrors of the Attack on Jerusalem
1See how the gold has grown dark,
how the pure gold has changed.
There are jewels#4:1 jewels The meaning of the Hebrew word here is uncertain. scattered all around
at every street corner.
2The precious people of Zion
were once worth more than gold.
But now they are treated like something worthless,
like the cheap clay jars a potter makes.
3Even a wild dog feeds her babies.
Even the jackal lets her pups suck at her breast.
But the daughter of my people#4:3 daughter of my people Another name for Jerusalem. Also in verse 6. is cruel.
She is like the ostrich in the desert that forgets its eggs in the sand.
4Babies are so thirsty
their tongues stick to the roof of their mouths.
Young children ask for bread,
but no one gives them any.
5Those who ate rich food
are now dying in the streets.
Those who grew up wearing nice red clothes
now pick through garbage piles.
6The sin of the daughter of my people was very great.
Their sin was greater than the sins of Sodom and Gomorrah.
Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed suddenly.
No human hand caused their destruction.#4:6 No human hand … destruction The Hebrew text here is hard to understand.
7Some of the men of Judah were dedicated to God in a special way.
They were very pure.
They were whiter than snow,
and whiter than milk.
Their bodies were red like coral
and their beards like sapphire stones.
8But now their faces are blacker than soot.
No one even recognizes them in the streets.
Their skin is wrinkled over their bones.
Their skin is like wood.
9It was better for those who were killed by the sword
than for those who died of hunger.
Those starving people were sad and hurt.
They died because they got no food from the field.
10Then even nice women
cooked their own children.
The children were food for their mothers.
This happened when my people were destroyed.
11The Lord used all of his anger.
He poured out all his anger.
He made a fire in Zion
that burned it down to the foundations.
12The kings of the earth could not believe what had happened.
The people of the world could not believe what had happened.
They could not believe that enemies
would be able to come through the city gates of Jerusalem.
13This happened because the prophets
of Jerusalem sinned.
This happened because the priests
of Jerusalem did evil things.
They were shedding the blood of good people
in the city of Jerusalem.
14The prophets and priests walked around
like blind men in the streets.
They had become dirty with blood.
No one could even touch their clothes because they were dirty.
15People shouted, “Go away!
Go away! Don’t touch us.”
They wandered around and had no home.
People in other nations said,
“We don’t want them to live with us.”
16The Lord himself destroyed them.
He didn’t look after them anymore.
He didn’t respect the priests.
He was not friendly to the elders of Judah.
17We have worn out our eyes looking for help,
but no help comes.
We kept on looking for a nation to save us.
We kept watch from our watchtower,
but no nation came to us.
18Our enemies hunted us all the time.
We could not even go out into the streets.
Our end came near. Our time was up.
Our end came!
19The men who chased us
were faster than eagles in the sky.
They chased us into the mountains.
They hid in the desert to catch us.
20The king was very important to us.
He was like the breath we breathe,
but he was trapped by them.
The Lord himself chose the king,
and we said this about the king,
“We will live in his shadow.
He protects us from the nations.”
21Be happy, people of Edom.
Be happy, you who live in the land of Uz.
But remember, the cup of the Lord’s anger will come around to you too.
When you drink from that cup,
you will get drunk and strip off all your clothes.
22Your punishment is complete, Zion.
You will not go into captivity again.
But the Lord will punish your sins, people of Edom.
He will uncover your sins.
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© 1987, 2004 Bible League International
Lamentations 4
4
Zion Is Punished
1How the gold has grown dim,
the pure gold has changed.
The stones of holiness are scattered
at the head of every street.
2The precious sons of Zion
weighed against fine gold,
how they are thought of as earthen vessels of clay,
the work of the potter’s hands.
3Even the jackal bears the beast
and nurses their cubs;
but the daughter of my people has become ruthless,
like ostriches in the wilderness.
4The tongue of the nursling cleaves
to its palate in thirst.
Children beg for food,
no one lays it out before them.#Literally “nothing spreads to them”
5The ones who eat delicacies,
they are ruined in the streets;
the ones nurtured in purple
lie on piles of trash.
6The iniquity of the daughter of my people is greater
than the sin of Sodom;
it was overthrown in a moment
and no hands were laid on her.
7Her princes were purer than snow,
they were whiter than milk;
their bodies were more ruddy than rubies,
sapphire their appearance.
8Now their appearance is blacker than soot,
they are not recognized in the streets;
their skin has shriveled on their bones,
it has become dry like wood.
9Happier were the victims of the sword
than the victims of famine;
they have pined away, very hungry
for the crops of my field.
10The hands of compassionate women,
have cooked their children;
they became as something to eat
in the destruction of the daughter of my people.
11Yahweh has completed his anger,
he has poured out his fierce anger;#Literally “the fierce anger of his nose”
he has kindled a fire in Zion,
it consumed her#Or “its” foundations.
12The kings of the earth did not believe,
and all the inhabitants of the world,
that a foe and an enemy could enter
into the gates of Jerusalem.
13Because of the sins of her prophets,
the guilt of her priests,
who shed blood in her midst,
of righteous people.
14They wander blindly in the streets;
they were defiled with the blood,
their clothes
could not be touched.
15“Go away! Defiled!” they shout to them.
“Go away! Go away! Do not touch!”
so they left, they left; it was said among the nations,
“They will no longer dwell with us.”#Literally “They will no longer be here as aliens”
16The presence of Yahweh has scattered them,
he will no longer watch over them;
they did not honor the priests,#Literally “they did not lift up the faces of the priests”
they did not show mercy to elders.
17Still our eyes failed,
looking for our help in vain;
in our watchtower, we kept watch
for a nation that could not save.
18They hunted our steps,
from walking in our streets;
our end has come near, our days are finished,#Literally “our days are filled”
our end has come.
19Our pursuers were swifter
than the eagles of the heavens;
they chased us on the mountains,
they have set an ambush for us in the desert.
20The breath of our nostrils, the anointed one of Yahweh,
was captured in their pits;
of whom we said, “In his shadow
we will live among the nations.”
21Rejoice and be glad, O daughter of Edom,
you who dwell in the land of Uz;
but to you also the cup will pass,
you will become drunk and strip yourself bare.
22The punishment of your iniquity is completed, O daughter of Zion,
your exile will not continue;
but he will punish your iniquity, O daughter of Edom,
he will reveal your sins.
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