The Distress of Zion

1  אֵיכָה֙ (How) יוּעַ֣ם (has grown dim)! זָהָ֔ב (The gold)

יִשְׁנֶ֖א (has changed)! הַכֶּ֣תֶם (Gold) הַטּ֑וֹב (the pure)

תִּשְׁתַּפֵּ֙כְנָה֙ (are poured forth) אַבְנֵי־ (the stones) קֹ֔דֶשׁ (of holiness)

בְּרֹ֖אשׁ (at the head) כָּל־ (of every) חוּצֽוֹת׃ס (street).

2  בְּנֵ֤י (The sons) צִיּוֹן֙ (of Zion), הַיְקָרִ֔ים (precious)

הַמְסֻלָּאִ֖ים (were weighed) בַּפָּ֑ז (with fine gold),

אֵיכָ֤ה (how) נֶחְשְׁבוּ֙ (they are esteemed) לְנִבְלֵי־ (as pots), חֶ֔רֶשׂ (of clay)

מַעֲשֵׂ֖ה (the work) יְדֵ֥י (of the hands) יוֹצֵֽר׃ס (of a potter)!

3  גַּם־ (Even) תַּנִּין (the jackals) חָ֣לְצוּ (draw out) שַׁ֔ד (the breast),

הֵינִ֖יקוּ (and suckle) גּוּרֵיהֶ֑ן (their young);

בַּת־ (but the daughter) עַמִּ֣י (of my people) לְאַכְזָ֔ר (is cruel),

כִּי (like) עֵנִים (ostriches) בַּמִּדְבָּֽר׃ס (in the wilderness).

4  דָּבַ֨ק (Clings) לְשׁ֥וֹן (the tongue) יוֹנֵ֛ק (of the sucking babe)

אֶל־ (to) חכּ֖וֹ (the roof of its mouth) בַּצָּמָ֑א (in thirst);

עֽוֹלָלִים֙ (the little children) שָׁ֣אֲלוּ (ask for) לֶ֔חֶם (bread),

פֹּרֵ֖שׂ (but one spreading it out) אֵ֥ין (there is not) לָהֶֽם׃ס (for them).

5  הָאֹֽכְלִים֙ (Those once eating) לְמַ֣עֲדַנִּ֔ים (delicacies)

נָשַׁ֖מּוּ (are desolate) בַּחוּצ֑וֹת (in the streets);

הָאֱמֻנִים֙ (those being set firmly) עֲלֵ֣י (in) תוֹלָ֔ע (scarlet)

חִבְּק֖וּ (embrace) אַשְׁפַּתּֽוֹת׃ס (heaps of rubbish).

6  וַיִּגְדַּל֙ (And is greater) עֲוֺ֣ן (the punishment) בַּת־ (of the daughter) עַמִּ֔י (of my people)

מֵֽחַטַּ֖את (than the sin) סְדֹ֑ם (of Sodom),

הַֽהֲפוּכָ֣ה (which was overthrown) כְמוֹ־ (in) רָ֔גַע (a moment),

וְלֹא־ (and no) חָ֥לוּ (were wrung) בָ֖הּ (for her) יָדָֽיִם׃ס (hands).

7  זַכּ֤וּ (Were brighter) נְזִירֶ֙יהָ֙ (her princes) מִשֶּׁ֔לֶג (than snow),

צַח֖וּ (and whiter) מֵחָלָ֑ב (than milk),

אָ֤דְמוּ (they were more ruddy) עֶ֙צֶם֙ (in essence) מִפְּנִינִ֔ים (than rubies),

סַפִּ֖יר (was of sapphire); גִּזְרָתָֽם׃ס (their polishing).

8  חָשַׁ֤ךְ (Now is darker) מִשְּׁחוֹר֙ (than soot); תָּֽאֳרָ֔ם (their appearance)

לֹ֥א (not) נִכְּר֖וּ (they are recognized) בַּחוּצ֑וֹת (in the streets);

צָפַ֤ד (has shriveled) עוֹרָם֙ (their skin) עַל־ (on) עַצְמָ֔ם (their bones);

יָבֵ֖שׁ (it has grown dry), הָיָ֥ה (and become) כָעֵֽץ׃ס (like wood).

9  טוֹבִ֤ים (Better) הָיוּ֙ (are) חַלְלֵי־ (those slain by) חֶ֔רֶב (the sword)

מֵֽחַלְלֵ֖י (than those dying) רָעָ֑ב (of hunger);

שֶׁ֣הֵ֤ם (who) יָז֙וּבוּ֙ (waste away),

מְדֻקָּרִ֔ים (from the piercing) מִתְּנוּבֹ֖ת (of produce) שָׂדָֽי׃ס (the field).

10  יְדֵ֗י (The hands) נָשִׁים֙ (of women) רַחֲמָ֣נִיּ֔וֹת (compassionate)

בִּשְּׁל֖וּ (have boiled) יַלְדֵיהֶ֑ן (their own children);

הָי֤וּ (they became) לְבָרוֹת֙ (food) לָ֔מוֹ (for them)

בְּשֶׁ֖בֶר (in this destruction) בַּת־ (of the daughter) עַמִּֽי׃ס (of my people).

11  כִּלָּ֤ה (Has fulfilled) יְהוָה֙ (YHWH) אֶת־ (-) חֲמָת֔וֹ (His fury);

שָׁפַ֖ךְ (He has poured out) חֲר֣וֹן (the burning) אַפּ֑וֹ (of His nose),

וַיַּצֶּת־ (He has kindled) אֵ֣שׁ (a fire) בְּצִיּ֔וֹן (in Zion),

וַתֹּ֖אכַל (and it has devoured) יְסוֹדֹתֶֽיהָ׃ס (her foundations).

12  לֹ֤א (Not) הֶאֱמִ֙ינוּ֙ (believed) מַלְכֵי־ (the kings) אֶ֔רֶץ (of the earth),

וְכֹל (and all) יֹשְׁבֵ֣י (dwellers) תֵבֵ֑ל (of the world),

כִּ֤י (that) יָבֹא֙ (would come) צַ֣ר (the adversary)

וְאוֹיֵ֔ב (and the enemy) בְּשַׁעֲרֵ֖י (into the gates) יְרוּשָׁלִָֽם׃ס (of Jerusalem).

13  מֵֽחַטֹּ֣את (For the sins) נְבִיאֶ֔יהָ (of her prophets),

עֲוֺנ֖וֹת (the iniquities) כֹּהֲנֶ֑יהָ (of her priests),

הַשֹּׁפְכִ֥ים (those pouring) בְּקִרְבָּ֖הּ (in her midst)

דַּ֥ם (the blood) צַדִּיקִֽים׃ס (of the righteous).

14  נָע֤וּ (They wandered) עִוְרִים֙ (blind) בַּֽחוּצ֔וֹת (in the streets),

נְגֹֽאֲל֖וּ (and have defiled themselves) בַּדָּ֑ם (with the blood),

בְּלֹ֣א (that none) יֽוּכְל֔וּ (would be able)

יִגְּע֖וּ (to touch) בִּלְבֻשֵׁיהֶֽם׃ס (their garments).

15  ס֣וּרוּ (Turn away) טָמֵ֞א (unclean);

קָ֣רְאוּ (they called out) לָ֗מוֹ (to them)

ס֤וּרוּ (Turn away), ס֙וּרוּ֙ (turn away), אַל־ (not); תִּגָּ֔עוּ (touch us)

כִּ֥י (So) נָצ֖וּ (they fled) גַּם־ (and) נָ֑עוּ (wandered),

אָֽמְרוּ֙ (they said) בַּגּוֹיִ֔ם (among the nations),

לֹ֥א (Not) יוֹסִ֖יפוּ (shall they continue) לָגֽוּר׃ס (to sojourn).

16  פְּנֵ֤י (The face) יְהוָה֙ (of YHWH) חִלְּקָ֔ם (has scattered them)

לֹ֥א (not) יוֹסִ֖יף (shall He continue) לְהַבִּיטָ֑ם (to look on them)

פְּנֵ֤י (the faces) כֹהֲנִים֙ (of the priests), לֹ֣א (not) נָשָׂ֔אוּ (do they lift)

זְקֵנִים (and to the elders). לֹ֥א (Not) חָנָֽנוּ׃ס (do they show favor).

17  עוֹדֵינָה (Again us) תִּכְלֶ֣ינָה (came to an end) עֵינֵ֔ינוּ (our eyes)

אֶל־ (for) עֶזְרָתֵ֖נוּ (our helper); הָ֑בֶל (in vain)

בְּצִפִּיָּתֵ֣נוּ (in our keeping watch) צִפִּ֔ינוּ (we watched)

אֶל־ (for) גּ֖וֹי (a nation) לֹ֥א (that not) יוֹשִֽׁעַ׃ס (could save us).

18  צָד֣וּ (They tracked) צְעָדֵ֔ינוּ (our steps),

מִלֶּ֖כֶת (from walking) בִּרְחֹבֹתֵ֑ינוּ (in our own streets);

קָרַ֥ב (came near), קִצֵּ֛ינוּ (our end) מָלְא֥וּ (were fulfilled); יָמֵ֖ינוּ (our days)

כִּי־ (for) בָ֥א (had come) קִצֵּֽינוּ׃ס (our end).

19  קַלִּ֤ים (Swifter) הָיוּ֙ (were) רֹדְפֵ֔ינוּ (our pursuers)

מִנִּשְׁרֵ֖י (than the eagles) שָׁמָ֑יִם (of the heavens);

עַל־ (over) הֶהָרִ֣ים (the mountains), דְּלָקֻ֔נוּ (they were hot after us)

בַּמִּדְבָּ֖ר (and in the wilderness). אָ֥רְבוּ (They set an ambush) לָֽנוּ׃ס (for us).

20  ר֤וּחַ (The breath) אַפֵּ֙ינוּ֙ (of our nostrils), מְשִׁ֣יחַ (the anointed) יְהוָ֔ה (of YHWH),

נִלְכַּ֖ד (was caught) בִּשְׁחִיתוֹתָ֑ם (in their pits),

אֲשֶׁ֣ר (of whom) אָמַ֔רְנוּ (we said),

בְּצִלּ֖וֹ (Under his shadow) נִֽחְיֶ֥ה (we shall live) בַגּוֹיִֽם׃ס (among the nations).

21  שִׂ֤ישִׂי (Rejoice) וְשִׂמְחִי֙ (and be glad) בַּת־ (O daughter) אֱד֔וֹם (of Edom),

יוֹשַׁבְתִּי (dwelling) בְּאֶ֣רֶץ (in the land) ע֑וּץ (of Uz);

גַּם־ (even) עָלַ֙יִךְ֙ (to you) תַּעֲבָר־ (shall pass over) כּ֔וֹס (the cup)

תִּשְׁכְּרִ֖י (and you shall become drunk), וְתִתְעָרִֽי׃ס (and uncover yourselves).

22  תַּם־ (Is complete), עֲוֺנֵךְ֙ (your guilt) בַּת־ (O daughter) צִיּ֔וֹן (of Zion);

לֹ֥א (not) יוֹסִ֖יף (will He continue) לְהַגְלוֹתֵ֑ךְ (to leave you exiled);

פָּקַ֤ד (He will visit punishment) עֲוֺנֵךְ֙ (on your iniquity), בַּת־ (O daughter) אֱד֔וֹם (of Edom);

גִּלָּ֖ה (He will remove the cover) עַל־ (over) חַטֹּאתָֽיִךְ׃פ (your sins).