Lamentations 4 Parallel Bible Translations

Lamentations 4 ▼
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CPDV
Catholic Public Domain Version
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English Standard Version
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1 ALEPH. O how the gold has become dulled, the finest color has been altered, the stones of the sanctuary have been scattered at the head of every street. How the gold has grown dim, how the pure gold is changed! The holy stones lie scattered at the head of every street. How the gold has lost its luster, the fine gold become dull! The sacred gems are scattered at every street corner.
2 BETH. The famous sons of Zion, and those clothed with the foremost gold: how they have become like earthen vessels, the work of the hands of a potter. The precious sons of Zion, worth their weight in fine gold, how they are regarded as earthen pots, the work of a potter’s hands! 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 GHIMEL. Yet even savages expose their breast and give milk to their young. But the daughter of my people is cruel, like the ostrich in the desert. Even jackals offer the breast; they nurse their young; but the daughter of my people has become cruel, like the ostriches in the wilderness. Even jackals offer their breasts to nurse their young, but my people have become heartless like ostriches in the desert.
4 DALETH. The tongue of the infant adheres to his palate out of thirst. The little ones have asked for bread, and there was no one to break it for them. The tongue of the nursing infant sticks to the roof of its mouth for thirst; the children beg for food, but no one gives to them. Because of thirst the infant’s tongue sticks to the roof of its mouth; the children beg for bread, but no one gives it to them.
5 HE. Those who were fed indulgently have passed away in the roads. Those who were nourished with saffron have welcomed filth. Those who once feasted on delicacies perish in the streets; those who were brought up in purple embrace ash heaps. Those who once ate delicacies are destitute in the streets. Those brought up in royal purple now lie on ash heaps.
6 VAU. And the iniquity of the daughter of my people has been made greater than the sin of Sodom, which was overthrown in a moment, and yet hands did not take captives in her. For the chastisement of the daughter of my people has been greater than the punishment of Sodom, which was overthrown in a moment, and no hands were wrung for her. The punishment of my people is greater than that of Sodom, which was overthrown in a moment without a hand turned to help her.
7 ZAIN. Her Nazirites were whiter than snow, shinier than milk, more ruddy than ancient ivory, more beautiful than sapphire. Her princes were purer than snow, whiter than milk; their bodies were more ruddy than coral, the beauty of their form was like sapphire. Their princes were brighter than snow and whiter than milk, their bodies more ruddy than rubies, their appearance like lapis lazuli.
8 HETH. Their face has been blacked more than coals, and they are not recognized in the streets. Their skin has adhered to their bones; it dried out and became like wood. Now their face is blacker than soot; they are not recognized in the streets; their skin has shriveled on their bones; it has become as dry as wood. But now they are blacker than soot; they are not recognized in the streets. Their skin has shriveled on their bones; it has become as dry as a stick.
9 TETH. It was better for those slain by the sword, than for those put to death by famine. For these waste away, being consumed by the sterility of the land. Happier were the victims of the sword than the victims of hunger, who wasted away, pierced by lack of the fruits of the field. Those killed by the sword are better off than those who die of famine; racked with hunger, they waste away for lack of food from the field.
10 JOD. The hands of pitiable women have boiled their sons. They became their food in the grief of the daughter of my people. The hands of compassionate women have boiled their own children; they became their food during the destruction of the daughter of my people. With their own hands compassionate women have cooked their own children, who became their food when my people were destroyed.
11 CAPH. The Lord has completed his fury; he has poured out the wrath of his indignation. And he has kindled a fire in Zion, and it has devoured its foundations. The LORD gave full vent to his wrath; he poured out his hot anger, and he kindled a fire in Zion that consumed its foundations. The LORD has given full vent to his wrath; he has poured out his fierce anger. He kindled a fire in Zion that consumed her foundations.
12 LAMED. The kings of the earth, and all the inhabitants of the world, did not believe that the adversary and the enemy would enter through the gates of Jerusalem. The kings of the earth did not believe, nor any of the inhabitants of the world, that foe or enemy could enter the gates of Jerusalem. The kings of the earth did not believe, nor did any of the peoples of the world, that enemies and foes could enter the gates of Jerusalem.
13 MEM. It is because of the sins of her prophets, and the iniquities of her priests, who have shed the blood of the just in her midst. This was for the sins of her prophets and the iniquities of her priests, who shed in the midst of her the blood of the righteous. But it happened because of the sins of her prophets and the iniquities of her priests, who shed within her the blood of the righteous.
14 NUN. They have wandered in the streets like the blind; they have been defiled with blood. And when they were not able, they held their garments. They wandered, blind, through the streets; they were so defiled with blood that no one was able to touch their garments. Now they grope through the streets as if they were blind. They are so defiled with blood that no one dares to touch their garments.
15 SAMECH. “Go back, you polluted ones!” they cried out to them. “Go back, go away, do not touch!” Of course, they argued, and being removed, they said among the Gentiles, “He will no longer dwell among them.” “Away! Unclean!” people cried at them. “Away! Away! Do not touch!” So they became fugitives and wanderers; people said among the nations, “They shall stay with us no longer.” “Go away! You are unclean!” people cry to them. “Away! Away! Don’t touch us!” When they flee and wander about, people among the nations say, “They can stay here no longer.”
16 PHE. The face of the Lord has divided them. He will no longer respect them. They were not ashamed before the faces of the priests, nor did they take pity on the elderly. The LORD himself has scattered them; he will regard them no more; no honor was shown to the priests, no favor to the elders. The LORD himself has scattered them; he no longer watches over them. The priests are shown no honor, the elders no favor.
17 AIN. While we were still standing, our eyes failed, expecting help for us in vain, when we looked attentively toward a nation that was not able to save. Our eyes failed, ever watching vainly for help; in our watching we watched for a nation which could not save. Moreover, our eyes failed, looking in vain for help; from our towers we watched for a nation that could not save us.
18 SADE. Our footsteps have slipped on the paths of our own streets. Our end draws near. Our days have been completed, for our end has arrived. 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. 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.
19 COPH. Our persecutors have been swifter than the eagles of the sky. They have been pursuing us above the mountains; they have lain in wait for us in the desert. Our pursuers were swifter than the eagles in the heavens; they chased us on the mountains; they lay in wait for us in the wilderness. Our pursuers were swifter than eagles in the sky; they chased us over the mountains and lay in wait for us in the desert.
20 RES. The spirit of our mouth, Christ the Lord, has been captured by our sins; to him, we said, “In your shadow, we will live among the Gentiles.” The breath of our nostrils, the LORD’s anointed, was captured in their pits, of whom we said, “Under his shadow we shall live among the nations.” The LORD’s anointed, our very life breath, was caught in their traps. We thought that under his shadow we would live among the nations.
21 SIN. Be glad and rejoice, O daughter of Edom, who dwells in the Land of Uz. The cup will also pass to you; you will be inebriated as well as naked. Rejoice and be glad, O daughter of Edom, you who dwell in the land of Uz; but to you also the cup shall pass; you shall become drunk and strip yourself bare. Rejoice and be glad, Daughter Edom, you who live in the land of Uz. But to you also the cup will be passed; you will be drunk and stripped naked.
22 THAU. Your iniquity has been completed, O daughter of Zion. He will no longer send you away to captivity. He has visited your iniquity, O daughter of Edom; he has uncovered your sins. The punishment of your iniquity, O daughter of Zion, is accomplished; he will keep you in exile no longer; but your iniquity, O daughter of Edom, he will punish; he will uncover your sins. Your punishment will end, Daughter Zion; he will not prolong your exile. But he will punish your sin, Daughter Edom, and expose your wickedness.
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