Lamentations 4 - Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)

Terrors of the Besieged City

א Alef

4 How the gold has become tarnished,
the fine gold become dull!
The stones of the temple[a] lie scattered
at the corner of every street.(A)

ב Bet

2 Zion’s precious people—
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 Dalet

4 The nursing infant’s tongue
clings to the roof of his mouth from thirst.(D)
Little children beg for bread,
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 garbage heaps.

ו Vav

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 sapphire.[c]

ח Khet

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 Tet

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 Kaf

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 guilt 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 regards them no more.
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 assistance;(Q)
we watched from our towers
for a nation[d] that refused to help.

צ Tsade

18 Our steps were closely followed
so that we could not walk in our streets.
Our end drew near;(R) our time ran out.
Our end had come!

ק Qof

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,[e] the breath of our life,[f](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 Tav

22 Daughter Zion, your punishment is complete;
He will not lengthen your exile.[g]
But He will punish your iniquity, Daughter Edom,
and will expose your sins.(X)

Footnotes

  1. Lamentations 4:1 Or The sacred gems
  2. Lamentations 4:7 Lit bones
  3. Lamentations 4:7 Or lapis lazuli
  4. Lamentations 4:17 Probably Egypt
  5. Lamentations 4:20 = King Zedekiah
  6. Lamentations 4:20 Lit nostrils
  7. Lamentations 4:22 Or not deport you again

Cross references

  1. 4:1 : Ezk 7:19-20
  2. 4:2 : Is 62:3; Zch 9:16
  3. 4:3 : Jb 39:13-18
  4. 4:4 : Ps 22:15
  5. 4:5 : Jdg 8:26; Est 8:15
  6. 4:6 : Gn 18–19; Is 3:9; Jr 23:14
  7. 4:8 : Jb 30:30; Lm 5:10
  8. 4:10 : Dt 28:53; 2Kg 6:9
  9. 4:10 : Jr 8:11, 21; Lm 2:11; 3:48
  10. 4:11 : Lm 2:3-4
  11. 4:12 : 2Sm 5:6-8; Ps 48:1-5
  12. 4:13 : Ps 106:38-39; Ezk 22:1-5
  13. 4:14 : Dt 28:29; Is 59:10; Zph 1:17
  14. 4:14 : Lv 21:11
  15. 4:15 : Lv 13:45-46
  16. 4:15 : Gn 4:12
  17. 4:17 : Jr 37:7-8
  18. 4:18 : Ezk 7:2-12; Am 8:2
  19. 4:19 : Jr 4:13; Hab 1:8
  20. 4:20 : Gn 2:7; 2Kg 25:7
  21. 4:21 : Ezk 35:15; Ob 12
  22. 4:21 : Jr 25:20
  23. 4:21 : Is 51:17; Jr 25:15-16; Hab 2:16
  24. 4:22 : Ps 137:7; Ezk 25:12-14; Jl 3:19

You Might Also Like:

Lamentations 4 - Young's Literal Translation (YLT)

4 How is the gold become dim, Changed the best -- the pure gold? Poured out are stones of the sanctuary At the head of all out-places. 2 The precious sons of Zion, Who are comparable with fine gold, How have they been reckoned earthen bottles, Work of the hands of a potter. 3 Even dragons have drawn...
Read More

Lamentations 4 - Wycliffe Bible (WYC)

4 How is gold made dark, the best colour is changed? the stones of the saintuary be scattered in the head of all streets. (How the gold is made dark, the best colour is changed! the stones from the sanctuary be scattered at the head, or at the top, of every street.) 2 The noble sons of Zion, and clo...
Read More

Lamentations 4 - World English Bible (WEB)

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 br...
Read More

Lamentations 4 - The Voice (VOICE)

4 Aaghh! The gold no longer shines; even our finest gold is changed,And precious gems from the holy place are scattered and spilled in the street. 2 But worse yet, the people themselves, the precious children of Zion, are treated like clay pots formed by a potter—Now debased and devalued, but they w...
Read More

Lamentations 4 - Tree of Life Version (TLV)

Devastation of Jerusalem4 How dulled is the gold, how tarnished the fine gold.The sacred gems are poured out at the corner of every street.2 The precious sons of Zion, once worth their weight in gold—alas! now they are treated like clay jars, the work of a potter’s hands!3 Even jackals offer their b...
Read More

Lamentations 4 - Revised Standard Version (RSV)

The Punishment of Zion4 How the gold has grown dim,how the pure gold is changed!The holy stones lie scattered at the head of every street. 2 The precious sons of Zion, worth their weight in fine gold,how they are reckoned as earthen pots, the work of a potter’s hands! 3 Even the jackals give the bre...
Read More

Lamentations 4 - New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised (NRSVA)

The Punishment of Zion4 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! 3 Even the jackals offer...
Read More

Lamentations 4 - New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

The Punishment of Zion4 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 offe...
Read More

Lamentations 4 - New Living Translation (NLT)

God’s Anger Satisfied4 How the gold has lost its luster! Even the finest gold has become dull.The sacred gemstones lie scattered in the streets! 2 See how the precious children of Jerusalem,[a] worth their weight in fine gold,are now treated like pots of clay made by a common potter. 3 Even the jack...
Read More

Lamentations 4 - New Life Version (NLV)

Jerusalem’s Sinful Leaders4 How dark the gold has become! How the pure gold has changed! The stones from the house of God are poured out at the corner of every street. 2 The sons of Zion are worth their weight in fine gold. But they are thought of as clay pots, the work of a pot-maker’s hands! 3 E...
Read More

Lamentations 4 - New King James Version (NKJV)

The Degradation of Zion4 How the gold has become dim!How changed the fine gold!The stones of the sanctuary are [a]scatteredAt the head of every street. 2 The precious sons of Zion,[b]Valuable as fine gold,How they are [c]regarded (A)as clay pots,The work of the hands of the potter! 3 Even the jackal...
Read More

Lamentations 4 - New International Version - UK (NIVUK)

4 [a]How the gold has lost its lustre, the fine gold become dull!The sacred gems are scattered at every street corner. 2 How the precious children of Zion, 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 th...
Read More

Lamentations 4 - New International Version (NIV)

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 nu...
Read More

Lamentations 4 - New International Reader's Version (NIRV)

4 Look at how the gold has lost its brightness! See how dull the fine gold has become!The sacred jewels are scattered at every street corner. 2 The priceless children of Zion were worth their weight in gold.But now they are thought of as clay pots made by the hands of a potter. 3 Even wild dogs nurs...
Read More

Lamentations 4 - New Century Version (NCV)

The Attack on Jerusalem4 See how the gold has lost its shine, how the pure gold has dulled!The stones of the Temple are scattered at every street corner. 2 The precious people of Jerusalem were more valuable than gold,but now they are thought of as clay jars made by the hands of a potter. 3 Even wil...
Read More