Lamentations 4 Parallel Bible Translations

Lamentations 4 ▼
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New Living Translation
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English Standard Version
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1 How the gold has lost its luster! Even the finest gold has become dull. The sacred gemstones lie scattered in the streets! 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 See how the precious children of Jerusalem, worth their weight in fine gold, are now treated like pots of clay made by a common 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 feed their young, but not my people Israel. They ignore their children’s cries, 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 parched tongues of their little ones stick to the roofs of their mouths in thirst. The children cry for bread, but no one has any to give 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 The people who once ate the richest foods now beg in the streets for anything they can get. Those who once wore the finest clothes now search the garbage dumps for food. 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 people is greater than that of Sodom, where utter disaster struck in a moment and no hand offered help. 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 Our princes once glowed with health— brighter than snow, whiter than milk. Their faces were as ruddy as rubies, their appearance like fine jewels. 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 But now their faces are blacker than soot. No one recognizes them in the streets. Their skin sticks to their bones; it is as dry and hard as 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 Those killed by the sword are better off than those who die of hunger. Starving, they waste away 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 Tenderhearted women have cooked their own children. They have eaten them to survive the siege. 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 But now the anger of the LORD is satisfied. His fierce anger has been poured out. He started a fire in Jerusalem that burned the city to 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 Not a king in all the earth— no one in all the world— would have believed that an enemy could march 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 Yet it happened because of the sins of her prophets and the sins of her priests, who defiled the city by shedding innocent blood. 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 wandered blindly through the streets, so defiled by blood that no one dared touch them. 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 “Get away!” the people shouted at them. “You’re defiled! Don’t touch us!” So they fled to distant lands and wandered among foreign nations, but none would let them stay. “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, and he no longer helps them. People show no respect for the priests and no longer honor the leaders. 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 We looked in vain for our allies to come and save us, but we were looking to nations that could not help 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 We couldn’t go into the streets without danger to our lives. Our end was near; our days were numbered. We were doomed! 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 enemies were swifter than eagles in flight. If we fled to the mountains, they found us. If we hid in the wilderness, they were waiting for us there. 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 king—the LORD’s anointed, the very life of our nation— was caught in their snares. We had thought that his shadow would protect us against any nation on earth! 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 Are you rejoicing in the land of Uz, O people of Edom? But you, too, must drink from the cup of the LORD’s anger. You, too, will be stripped naked in your drunkenness. 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 beautiful Jerusalem, your punishment will end; you will soon return from exile. But Edom, your punishment is just beginning; soon your many sins will be exposed. 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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