Lamentations 4:18
New International Version
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.

New Living Translation
We couldn’t go into the streets without danger to our lives. Our end was near; our days were numbered. We were doomed!

English Standard Version
They dogged our steps so that we could not walk in our streets; our end drew near; our days were numbered, for our end had come.

Berean Standard Bible
They stalked our every step, so that we could not walk in our streets. Our end drew near, our time ran out, for our end had come!

King James Bible
They hunt our steps, that we cannot go in our streets: our end is near, our days are fulfilled; for our end is come.

New King James Version
They tracked our steps So that we could not walk in our streets. Our end was near; Our days were over, For our end had come.

New American Standard Bible
They hunted our steps So that we could not walk in our streets; Our end drew near, Our days were finished For our end had come.

NASB 1995
They hunted our steps So that we could not walk in our streets; Our end drew near, Our days were finished For our end had come.

NASB 1977
They hunted our steps So that we could not walk in our streets; Our end drew near, Our days were finished For our end had come.

Legacy Standard Bible
They hunted our steps So that we could not walk in our open squares; Our end drew near, Our days were finished, For our end had come.

Amplified Bible
The enemy hunted our steps, So that we could not walk in our streets; Our end drew near, Our days were finished For our end had come.

Christian Standard Bible
Our steps were closely followed so that we could not walk in our streets. Our end approached; our time ran out. Our end had come!

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Our steps were closely followed so that we could not walk in our streets. Our end drew near; our time ran out. Our end had come!

American Standard Version
They hunt our steps, so that we cannot go in our streets: Our end is near, our days are fulfilled; for our end is come.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
Tsadhe They hunted for those broken in pieces, those walking in the streets. Our end has come; our days are full, because our time has come!

Brenton Septuagint Translation
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.

Contemporary English Version
Enemies hunted us down on every public street. Our time was up; our doom was near.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Sade. Our steps have slipped in the way of our streets, our end draweth near: our days are fulfilled, for our end is come.

English Revised Version
They hunt our steps, that we cannot go in our streets: our end is near, our days are fulfilled; for our end is come.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
[The enemy] kept tracking us down, so we couldn't even go out into the streets. Our end was near. Our time was up. Our end had come.

Good News Translation
The enemy was watching for us; we could not even walk in the streets. Our days were over; the end had come.

International Standard Version
Our steps were closely stalked, so we couldn't travel on our own streets. Our end is near, our days are over; indeed, our end has come.

JPS Tanakh 1917
They hunt our steps, That we cannot go in our broad places; Our end is near, our days are fulfilled; For our end is come.

Literal Standard Version
They have hunted our steps from going in our broad-places, | Near has been our end, fulfilled our days, | For our end has come.

Majority Standard Bible
They stalked our every step, so that we could not walk in our streets. Our end drew near, our time ran out, for our end had come!

New American Bible
They dogged our every step, we could not walk in our squares; Our end drew near, our time was up; yes, our end had come.

NET Bible
Our enemies hunted us down at every step so that we could not walk about in our streets. Our end drew near, our days were numbered, for our end had come!

New Revised Standard Version
They dogged our steps so that we could not walk in our streets; our end drew near; our days were numbered; for our end had come.

New Heart English Bible
They hunt our steps, so that we can't go in our streets. Our end is near, our days are fulfilled; for our end has come.

Webster's Bible Translation
They hunt our steps, that we cannot go in our streets: our end is near, our days are fulfilled; for our end is come.

World English Bible
They hunt our steps, so that we can’t go in our streets. Our end is near. Our days are fulfilled, for our end has come.

Young's Literal Translation
They have hunted our steps from going in our broad-places, Near hath been our end, fulfilled our days, For come hath our end.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Distress of Zion
17All the while our eyes were failing as we looked in vain for help. We watched from our towers for a nation that could not save us. 18They stalked our every step, so that we could not walk in our streets. Our end drew near, our time ran out, for our end had come! 19Those who chased us were swifter than the eagles in the sky; they pursued us over the mountains and ambushed us in the wilderness.…

Cross References
Jeremiah 5:31
The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule by their own authority. My people love it so, but what will you do in the end?

Jeremiah 16:16
But for now I will send for many fishermen, declares the LORD, and they will catch them. After that I will send for many hunters, and they will hunt them down on every mountain and hill, even from the clefts of the rocks.

Ezekiel 7:2
"O son of man, this is what the Lord GOD says to the land of Israel: 'The end! The end has come upon the four corners of the land.

Amos 8:2
"Amos, what do you see?" He asked. "A basket of summer fruit," I replied. So the LORD said to me, "The end has come for My people Israel; I will no longer spare them."


Treasury of Scripture

They hunt our steps, that we cannot go in our streets: our end is near, our days are fulfilled; for our end is come.

hunt

Lamentations 3:52
Mine enemies chased me sore, like a bird, without cause.

1 Samuel 24:14
After whom is the king of Israel come out? after whom dost thou pursue? after a dead dog, after a flea.

2 Kings 25:4,5
And the city was broken up, and all the men of war fled by night by the way of the gate between two walls, which is by the king's garden: (now the Chaldees were against the city round about:) and the king went the way toward the plain…

our end is near

Jeremiah 1:12
Then said the LORD unto me, Thou hast well seen: for I will hasten my word to perform it.

Jeremiah 51:33
For thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; The daughter of Babylon is like a threshingfloor, it is time to thresh her: yet a little while, and the time of her harvest shall come.

Ezekiel 7:2-12
Also, thou son of man, thus saith the Lord GOD unto the land of Israel; An end, the end is come upon the four corners of the land…

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Broad Drew End Finished Fulfilled Hunt Hunted Numbered Places Step Steps Streets Walk
Lamentations 4
1. Zion bewails her pitiful estate
13. She confesses her sins
21. Edom is threatened and Zion comforted.














(18) They hunt our steps.--Better, They lie in wait. The words probably point to the posts occupied here and there near the wide places of the city, which led people to avoid them through fear of being attacked. The only cry possible at such a time was that "all was over."

Verse 18. - They hunt our steps, etc. Realistic attempts to explain this line have not been wanting, but seem unsuccessful. The Chaldeans were either within the city or without. If within, they would not need literally to "hunt the steps" of the Jews; if without, they had not war engines adequate to shooting the inhabitants at some distance. Probably the expressions are metaphorical; they are similar to those used in Lamentations 3:52, immediately after which we meet with such a purely poetical phrase as, "They have cut off my life in the pit [Authorized Version, 'dungeon'], and cast a stone upon me" (see note on Lamentations 3:52-56).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
They stalked
צָד֣וּ (ṣā·ḏū)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 6679: To lie alongside, to catch an animal, to victual

our every step,
צְעָדֵ֔ינוּ (ṣə·‘ā·ḏê·nū)
Noun - masculine plural construct | first person common plural
Strong's 6806: A pace, regular step

so that we could not walk
מִלֶּ֖כֶת (mil·le·ḵeṯ)
Preposition-m | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 1980: To go, come, walk

in our streets.
בִּרְחֹבֹתֵ֑ינוּ (bir·ḥō·ḇō·ṯê·nū)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine plural construct | first person common plural
Strong's 7339: A broad open place, plaza

Our end
קִצֵּ֛ינוּ (qiṣ·ṣê·nū)
Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common plural
Strong's 7093: An extremity, after

drew near,
קָרַ֥ב (qā·raḇ)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 7126: To come near, approach

our time
יָמֵ֖ינוּ (yā·mê·nū)
Noun - masculine plural construct | first person common plural
Strong's 3117: A day

ran out,
מָלְא֥וּ (mā·lə·’ū)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 4390: To fill, be full of

for our end
קִצֵּֽינוּ׃ (qiṣ·ṣê·nū)
Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common plural
Strong's 7093: An extremity, after

had come!
בָ֥א (ḇā)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 935: To come in, come, go in, go


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OT Prophets: Lamentations 4:18 They hunt our steps so that we (Lam. La Lm)
Lamentations 4:17
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