Lamentations 4 Parallel Bible Translations

Lamentations 4 ▼
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1 How tarnished the gold has become, the finest gold debased! Sacred stones have been scattered at every street corner. 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 Though the precious people of Zion were like fine gold, how they are valued like clay vessels, the handiwork 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 Even wild animals nurse, suckling their young; but the women of my people are cruel, like ostriches in the wilderness. 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 The nursing child's tongue cleaves to its palate from thirst. Young children beg for bread, but no one gives them any. 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 Those who enjoyed delicacies lie desolate in the streets. Those who were reared wearing purple scavenge in piles of trash. 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 The guilt of my cherished people surpasses the sin of Sodom, which was overthrown in a moment, without a hand to help 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 Her princes were purer than snow, whiter than milk. Their bodies were more ruddy than rubies, their beards like the color of precious stones. 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 Now their faces are blacker than coal; they are unrecognized in the streets. Their skin clings to their bones; it has become dry like a stick. 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 Those who die by the sword are better off than those who die from starvation, who slowly waste away like those pierced through for lack of food from the fields. 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 With their own hands, compassionate women boil their own children— they become their food— when my beloved people were destroyed. 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 The LORD has exhausted his wrath, pouring out his fierce anger. He kindled a fire in Zion, consuming 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 None of the kings of the earth would have believed, nor the world's inhabitants, that the adversary and the enemy could have breached 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 Due to the sins committed by her prophets, and the iniquities of her priests who shed in her midst, the blood of the righteous, 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 people stagger around in the streets like the blind, defiled by blood unclean so that no one is able to touch their clothing. 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 |Go away! Unclean!| they shouted at them. |Go away! Go away! Don't touch!| When they fled away and wandered, those among the nations decreed, |They cannot live here!| “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 The LORD himself separated them; he will do nothing more for them. They did not respect their own priests; they did not honor their elders. 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 Our eyes failed, searching in vain for hope; we kept watching and looking for a nation that would not help. 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 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. 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 Our pursuers were swifter than soaring eagles; they pursued us over the mountains, lying in wait for us in the wilderness. 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 The LORD's anointed, the breath of our life, was captured in their pits. About him we had said, |Under his protection we will survive among the nations.| 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 Celebrate and rejoice, you women of Edom, who live in the land of Uz. But to you the cup also will pass— you will become drunk and stripped 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 The punishment for your sin is complete, you women of Zion, and God will no longer exile you. He will punish your iniquity, you women of Edom, and he will expose 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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