The Book of Lamentations, Chapter 4איכה 4

אֵיכָה֙ יוּעַ֣ם זָהָ֔ב יִשְׁנֶ֖א הַכֶּ֣תֶם הַטּ֑וֹב תִּשְׁתַּפֵּ֨כְנָה֙ אַבְנֵי קֹ֔דֶשׁ בְּרֹ֖אשׁ כָּל חוּצֽוֹת

How is the gold become dim! is the most fine gold changed! the stones of the sanctuary are poured out in the top of every street.

בְּנֵ֤י צִיּוֹן֙ הַיְקָרִ֔ים הַמְסֻלָּאִ֖ים בַּפָּ֑ז אֵיכָ֤ה נֶחְשְׁבוּ֙ לְנִבְלֵי חֶ֔רֶשׂ מַעֲשֵׂ֖ה יְדֵ֥י יוֹצֵֽר

The precious sons of Zion, comparable to fine gold, how are they esteemed as earthen pitchers, the work of the hands of the potter!

גַּם תנין תַּנִּים֙ חָ֣לְצוּ שַׁ֔ד הֵינִ֖יקוּ גּוּרֵיהֶ֑ן בַּת עַמִּ֣י לְאַכְזָ֔ר כי ענים כַּיְעֵנִ֖ים בַּמִּדְבָּֽר

Even the sea monsters draw out the breast, they give suck to their young ones: the daughter of my people cruel, like the ostriches in the wilderness.

דָּבַ֨ק לְשׁ֥וֹן יוֹנֵ֛ק אֶל חכּ֖וֹ בַּצָּמָ֑א עֽוֹלָלִים֙ שָׁ֣אֲלוּ לֶ֔חֶם פֹּרֵ֖שׂ אֵ֥ין לָהֶֽם

The tongue of the sucking child cleaveth to the roof of his mouth for thirst: the young children ask bread, no man breaketh to them.

הָאֹֽכְלִים֙ לְמַ֣עֲדַנִּ֔ים נָשַׁ֖מּוּ בַּחוּצ֑וֹת הָאֱמֻנִים֙ עֲלֵ֣י תוֹלָ֔ע חִבְּק֖וּ אַשְׁפַּתּֽוֹת

They that did feed delicately are desolate in the streets: they that were brought up in scarlet embrace dunghills.

וַיִּגְדַּל֙ עֲוֺ֣ן בַּת עַמִּ֔י מֵֽחַטַּ֖את סְדֹ֑ם הַֽהֲפוּכָ֣ה כְמוֹ רָ֔גַע וְלֹא חָ֥לוּ בָ֖הּ יָדָֽיִם

For the punishment of the iniquity of the daughter of my people is greater than the punishment of the sin of Sodom, that was overthrown as in a moment, and no hands stayed on her.

זַכּ֤וּ נְזִירֶ֨יהָ֙ מִשֶּׁ֔לֶג צַח֖וּ מֵחָלָ֑ב אָ֤דְמוּ עֶ֨צֶם֙ מִפְּנִינִ֔ים סַפִּ֖יר גִּזְרָתָֽם

Her Nazarites were purer than snow, they were whiter than milk, they were more ruddy in body than rubies, their polishing of sapphire:

חָשַׁ֤ךְ מִשְּׁחוֹר֙ תָּֽאֳרָ֔ם לֹ֥א נִכְּר֖וּ בַּחוּצ֑וֹת צָפַ֤ד עוֹרָם֙ עַל עַצְמָ֔ם יָבֵ֖שׁ הָיָ֥ה כָעֵֽץ

Their visage is blacker than a coal; they are not known in the streets: their skin cleaveth to their bones; it is withered, it is become like a stick.

טוֹבִ֤ים הָיוּ֙ חַלְלֵי חֶ֔רֶב מֵֽחַלְלֵ֖י רָעָ֑ב שֶׁ֣הֵ֤ם יָז֨וּבוּ֙ מְדֻקָּרִ֔ים מִתְּנוּבֹ֖ת שָׂדָֽי

slain with the sword are better than slain with hunger: for these pine away, stricken through for the fruits of the field.

יְדֵ֗י נָשִׁים֙ רַחֲמָ֣נִיּ֔וֹת בִּשְּׁל֖וּ יַלְדֵיהֶ֑ן הָי֤וּ לְבָרוֹת֙ לָ֔מוֹ בְּשֶׁ֖בֶר בַּת עַמִּֽי

The hands of the pitiful women have sodden their own children: they were their meat in the destruction of the daughter of my people.

כִּלָּ֤ה יְהוָה֙ אֶת חֲמָת֔וֹ שָׁפַ֖ךְ חֲר֣וֹן אַפּ֑וֹ וַיַּצֶּת אֵ֣שׁ בְּצִיּ֔וֹן וַתֹּ֖אכַל יְסוֹדֹתֶֽיהָ

YHWH has accomplished his fury; he has poured out his fierce anger, and has kindled a fire in Zion, and it has devoured the foundations thereof.

לֹ֤א הֶאֱמִ֨ינוּ֙ מַלְכֵי אֶ֔רֶץ וכל כֹּ֖ל יֹשְׁבֵ֣י תֵבֵ֑ל כִּ֤י יָבֹא֙ צַ֣ר וְאוֹיֵ֔ב בְּשַׁעֲרֵ֖י יְרוּשָׁלִָֽם

The kings of the earth, and all the inhabitants of the world, would not have believed that the adversary and the enemy should have entered into the gates of Jerusalem.

מֵֽחַטֹּ֣את נְבִיאֶ֔יהָ עֲוֺנ֖וֹת כֹּהֲנֶ֑יהָ הַשֹּׁפְכִ֥ים בְּקִרְבָּ֖הּ דַּ֥ם צַדִּיקִֽים

For the sins of her prophets, the iniquities of her priests, that have shed the blood of the just in the midst of her,

נָע֤וּ עִוְרִים֙ בַּֽחוּצ֔וֹת נְגֹֽאֲל֖וּ בַּדָּ֑ם בְּלֹ֣א יֽוּכְל֔וּ יִגְּע֖וּ בִּלְבֻשֵׁיהֶֽם

They have wandered blind in the streets, they have polluted themselves with blood, so that men could not touch their garments.

ס֣וּרוּ טָמֵ֞א קָ֣רְאוּ לָ֗מוֹ ס֤וּרוּ ס֨וּרוּ֙ אַל תִּגָּ֔עוּ כִּ֥י נָצ֖וּ גַּם נָ֑עוּ אָֽמְרוּ֙ בַּגּוֹיִ֔ם לֹ֥א יוֹסִ֖יפוּ לָגֽוּר

They cried to them, Depart you; unclean; depart, depart, touch not: when they fled away and wandered, they said among the heathen, They shall no more sojourn .

פְּנֵ֤י יְהוָה֙ חִלְּקָ֔ם לֹ֥א יוֹסִ֖יף לְהַבִּיטָ֑ם פְּנֵ֤י כֹהֲנִים֙ לֹ֣א נָשָׂ֔אוּ זקנים וּזְקֵנִ֖ים לֹ֥א חָנָֽנוּ

The anger of YHWH has divided them; he will no more regard them: they respected not the persons of the priests, they favoured not the elders.

עודינה עוֹדֵ֨ינוּ֙ תִּכְלֶ֣ינָה עֵינֵ֔ינוּ אֶל עֶזְרָתֵ֖נוּ הָ֑בֶל בְּצִפִּיָּתֵ֣נוּ צִפִּ֔ינוּ אֶל גּ֖וֹי לֹ֥א יוֹשִֽׁעַ

As for us, our eyes as yet failed for our vain help: in our watching we have watched for a nation could not save .

צָד֣וּ צְעָדֵ֔ינוּ מִלֶּ֖כֶת בִּרְחֹבֹתֵ֑ינוּ קָרַ֥ב קִצֵּ֛ינוּ מָלְא֥וּ יָמֵ֖ינוּ כִּי בָ֥א קִצֵּֽינוּ

They hunt our steps, that we cannot go in our streets: our end is near, our days are fulfilled; for our end is come.

קַלִּ֤ים הָיוּ֙ רֹדְפֵ֔ינוּ מִנִּשְׁרֵ֖י שָׁמָ֑יִם עַל הֶהָרִ֣ים דְּלָקֻ֔נוּ בַּמִּדְבָּ֖ר אָ֥רְבוּ לָֽנוּ

Our persecutors are swifter than the eagles of the heaven: they pursued us upon the mountains, they laid wait for us in the wilderness.

ר֤וּחַ אַפֵּ֨ינוּ֙ מְשִׁ֣יחַ יְהוָ֔ה נִלְכַּ֖ד בִּשְׁחִיתוֹתָ֑ם אֲשֶׁ֣ר אָמַ֔רְנוּ בְּצִלּ֖וֹ נִֽחְיֶ֥ה בַגּוֹיִֽם

The breath of our nostrils, the anointed of YHWH, was taken in their pits, of whom we said, Under his shadow we shall live among the heathen.

שִׂ֤ישִׂי וְשִׂמְחִי֙ בַּת אֱד֔וֹם יושבתי יוֹשֶׁ֖בֶת בְּאֶ֣רֶץ ע֑וּץ גַּם עָלַ֨יִךְ֙ תַּעֲבָר כּ֔וֹס תִּשְׁכְּרִ֖י וְתִתְעָרִֽי

Rejoice and be glad, O daughter of Edom, that dwellest in the land of Uz; the cup also shall pass through to you: you shall be drunken, and shall make thyself naked.

תַּם עֲוֺנֵךְ֙ בַּת צִיּ֔וֹן לֹ֥א יוֹסִ֖יף לְהַגְלוֹתֵ֑ךְ פָּקַ֤ד עֲוֺנֵךְ֙ בַּת אֱד֔וֹם גִּלָּ֖ה עַל חַטֹּאתָֽיִךְ

The punishment of your iniquity is accomplished, O daughter of Zion; he will no more carry you away into captivity: he will visit your iniquity, O daughter of Edom; he will discover your sins.