Lamentations 4 Parallel Bible Translations

Lamentations 4 ▼
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1 Alas! Gold has lost its luster; pure gold loses value. Jewels are scattered on 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 The precious sons of Zion were worth their weight in gold--Alas!--but now they are treated like broken clay pots, made by 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 the jackals nurse their young at their breast, but my people are cruel, like ostriches 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 The infant's tongue sticks to the roof of its mouth due to thirst; little children beg for bread, but no one gives them even a morsel. 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 once feasted on delicacies are now starving to death in the streets. Those who grew up wearing expensive clothes are now dying amid garbage. 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 punishment of my people exceeded that of of Sodom, which was overthrown in a moment with no one 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 consecrated ones were brighter than snow, whiter than milk; their bodies more ruddy than corals, their hair like lapis lazuli. 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 appearance is darker than soot; they are not recognized in the streets. Their skin has shriveled on their bones; it is dried up, like tree bark. 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 died by the sword are better off than those who die of hunger, those who waste away, struck down from lack of food. 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 The hands of tenderhearted women cooked their own children, who became their food, when my 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 fully vented his wrath; he poured out his fierce anger. He started a fire in Zion; it consumed her 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 Neither the kings of the earth nor the people of the lands ever thought that enemy or foe would enter 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 But it happened due to the sins of her prophets and the iniquities of her priests, who poured out 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 They wander blindly through the streets, defiled by the blood they shed, while no one dares to touch 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 People cry to them, |Turn away! You are unclean! Turn away! Turn away! Don't touch us!| So they have fled and wander about; but the nations say, |They may not stay here any longer.| “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 has scattered them; he no longer watches over them. They did not honor the priests; they did not show favor to the 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 continually failed us as we looked in vain for help. From our watchtowers we watched for a nation that could not rescue us. 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 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! 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 Those who pursued us were swifter than eagles in the sky. They chased us over the mountains; they ambushed 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 Our very life breath--the LORD's anointed king--was caught in their traps, of whom we thought, |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 Rejoice and be glad for now, O people of Edom, who reside in the land of Uz. But the cup of judgment will pass to you also; you will get drunk and take off your clothes. 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 O people of Zion, your punishment will come to an end; he will not prolong your exile. But, O people of Edom, he will punish your sin and reveal your offenses! 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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