4:1 ALEPH. How will the gold be tarnished,
[and] the fine silver changed! the sacred stones have been poured forth at
the top of all the streets.
4:2 BETH. The precious sons of Zion, who were equaled in value with gold,
how are they counted as earthen vessels, the works of the hands of the
potter!
4:3 GIMEL. Nay, serpents have drawn out the breasts, they give suck to their
young, the daughters of my people are incurably cruel, as an ostrich in a
desert.
4:4 DALETH. The tongue of the sucking child cleaves to the roof of its mouth
for thirst: the little children ask for bread, [and] there is none to break
[it] to them.
4:5 HE. They that feed on dainties are desolate in the streets: they that
used to be nursed in scarlet have clothed themselves with dung.
4:6 VAU. And the iniquity of the daughter of my people has been increased
beyond the iniquities of Sodoma, [the city] that was overthrown very
suddenly, and none laboured against her [with their] hands.
4:7 ZAIN. Her Nazarites were made purer than snow, they were whiter than
milk, they were purified [as] with fire, their polishing was superior to
sapphire stone.
4:8 HETH. Their countenance is become blacker than smoke; they are not known
in the streets: their skin has cleaved to their bones; they are withered,
they are become as a stick.
4:9 TETH. The slain with the sword were better than they that were slain
with hunger: they have departed, pierced through from [want of] the fruits
of the field.
4:10 JOD. The hands of tender-hearted women have sodden their own children:
they became meat for them in the destruction of the daughter of my people.
4:11 CHAPH. Yehovah has accomplished his wrath; he has poured out fierce
anger, and has kindled a fire in Zion, and it has devoured her foundations.
4:12 LAMED. The kings of the earth, [even] all that dwell in the world,
believed not that an enemy and oppressor would enter through the gates of
Jerusalem.
4:13 MEM. For the sins of her prophets, [and] iniquities of her priests, who
shed righteous blood in the midst of her,
4:14 NUN. her watchmen staggered in the streets, they were defiled with
blood in their weakness, they touched their raiment [with it].
4:15 SAMECH. Depart ye from the unclean ones: call ye them: depart, depart,
touch [them] not: for they are on fire, yea, they stagger: say ye among the
nations, They shall no more sojourn [there].
4:16 AIN. The presence of Yehovahs [was] their portion; [but] he will not
again look upon them: they regarded not the person of the priests, they
pitied not the prophets.
4:17 PHE. While we yet lived our eyes failed, while we looked in vain for
our help. TSADE. We looked to a nation that could not save.
4:18 We have hunted [for] our little ones, that they should not walk in our
streets. KOPH. Our time has drawn nigh, our days are fulfilled, our time is
come.
4:19 Our pursuers were swifter than the eagles of the sky, they flew on the
mountains, in the wilderness they laid wait for us.
4:20 RECHS. The breath of our nostrils, [our] anointed Lord, was taken in
their destructive snares, of whom we said, In his shadow we shall live among
the Gentiles.
4:21 CHSEN. Rejoice and be glad, O daughter of Idumea, that dwellest in the
land: yet the cup of Yehovah shall pass through to thee: thou shalt be
drunken, and pour forth.
4:22 THAU. O daughter of Zion, thine iniquity has come to an end; he shall
no more carry thee captive: he has visited thine iniquities, O daughter of
Edom; he has discovered thy sins. |
4:1 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.
4:2 The precious sons of Zion, comparable to fine gold, how are they
esteemed as earthen pitchers, the work of the hands of the potter!
4:3 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.
4:4 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.
4:5 They that did feed delicately are desolate in the streets: they that
were brought up in scarlet embrace dunghills.
4:6 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.
4:7 Her Nazarites were purer than snow, they were whiter than milk, they
were more ruddy in body than rubies, their polishing was of sapphire:
4:8 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.
4:9 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.
4:10 The hands of the pitiful women have sodden their own children: they
were their meat in the destruction of the daughter of my people.
4:11 Yehovah 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.
4:12 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.
4:13 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,
4:14 They have wandered as blind men in the streets, they have polluted
themselves with blood, so that men could not touch their garments.
4:15 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.
4:16 The anger of Yehovah hath divided them; he will no more regard them:
they respected not the persons of the priests, they favoured not the elders.
4:17 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.
4:18 They hunt our steps, that we cannot go in our streets: our end is near,
our days are fulfilled; for our end is come.
4:19 Our persecutors are swifter than the eagles of the heaven: they pursued
us upon the mountains, they laid wait for us in the wilderness.
4:20 The breath of our nostrils, the anointed of Yehovah, was taken in
their pits, of whom we said, Under his shadow we shall live among the
heathen.
4:21 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.
4:22 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. |