Parallel
Lamentations 4
Brenton's English Septuagint · Berean Standard Bible
Aleph. How will the gold be tarnished, [and] the fine silver changed! the sacred stones have been poured forth at the top of all the streets.
How (note: This chapter is an acrostic poem, each verse beginning with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet.) the gold has become tarnished, the pure gold has become dull! The gems of the temple lie scattered on every street corner.
Beth. The precious sons of Zion, who were equalled in value with gold, how are they counted as earthen vessels, the works of the hands of the potter!
How the precious sons of Zion, once worth their weight in pure gold, are now esteemed as jars of clay, the work of a potter’s hands!
Gimel. Nay, serpents have drawn out the breasts, they give suck to their young, the daughters of my people are incurably cruel, as an ostrich in a desert.
Even jackals (note: Or serpents or dragons) offer their breasts to nurse their young, but the daughter of my people has become cruel, like an ostrich in the wilderness.
Daleth. The tongue of the sucking child cleaves to the roof of its mouth for thirst: the little children ask for bread, [and] there is none to break [it] to them.
The nursing infant’s tongue clings in thirst to the roof of his mouth. Little children beg for bread, but no one gives them any.
He. They that feed on dainties are desolate in the streets: they that used to be nursed in scarlet have clothed themselves with dung.
Those who once ate delicacies are destitute in the streets; those brought up in crimson huddle in ash heaps.
Vau. And the iniquity of the daughter of my people has been increased beyond the iniquities of Sodoma, [the city] that was overthrown very suddenly, and none laboured against her [with their] hands.
The punishment (note: Or iniquity) of the daughter of my people is greater than that of Sodom, which was overthrown in an instant without a hand turned to help her.
Zain. Her Nazarites were made purer than snow, they were whiter than milk, they were purified [as] with fire, their polishing was superior to sapphire stone.
Her dignitaries were brighter than snow, whiter than milk; their bodies were more ruddy than rubies, their appearance (note: Or their polishing or their hair) like sapphires (note: Hebrew lapis lazuli).
Heth. Their countenance is become blacker than smoke; they are not known in the streets: their skin has cleaved to their bones; they are withered, they are become as a stick.
But now their appearance is 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.
Teth. The slain with the sword were better than they that were slain with hunger: they have departed, pierced through from [want of] the fruits of the field.
Those slain by the sword are better off than those who die of hunger, who waste away, pierced with pain because the fields lack produce.
Jod. The hands of tender-hearted women have sodden their own children: they became meat for them in the destruction of the daughter of my people.
The hands of compassionate women have cooked their own children, who became their food in the destruction of the daughter of my people.
Chaph. The Lord has accomplished his wrath; he has poured out his fierce anger, and has kindled a fire in Sion, and it has devoured her foundations.
The LORD has exhausted His wrath; He has poured out His fierce anger; He has kindled a fire in Zion, and it has consumed her foundations.
Lamed. The kings of the earth, [even] all that dwell in the world, believed not that an enemy and oppressor would enter through the gates of Jerusalem.
The kings of the earth did not believe, nor any people of the world, that an enemy or a foe could enter the gates of Jerusalem.
Mem. For the sins of her prophets, [and] iniquities of her priests, who shed righteous blood in the midst of her,
But this was for the sins of her prophets and the guilt of her priests, who shed the blood of the righteous in her midst.
Nun. her watchmen staggered in the streets, they were defiled with blood in their weakness, they touched their raiment [with it].
They wandered blind in the streets, defiled by this blood, so that no one dared to touch their garments.
Samech. Depart ye from the unclean ones: call ye them: depart, depart, touch [them] not: for they are on fire, yea, they stagger: say ye among the nations, They shall no more sojourn [there].
“Go away! Unclean!” men shouted at them. “Away, away! Do not touch us!” So they fled and wandered. Among the nations it was said, “They can stay here no longer.”
Ain. The presence of the Lord [was] their portion; [but] he will not again look upon them: they regarded not the person of the priests, they pitied not the prophets.
The presence of the LORD has scattered them; He regards them no more. The priests are shown no honor; the elders find no favor.
Phe. While we yet lived our eyes failed, while we looked in vain for our help. Tsade. We looked to a nation that could not save.
All the while our eyes were failing as we looked in vain for help. We watched from our towers for a nation that could not save us.
We have hunted [for] our little ones, that they should not walk in our streets. Koph. Our time has drawn nigh, our days are fulfilled, our time is come.
They stalked our every step, so that we could not walk in our streets. Our end drew near, our time ran out, for our end had come!
Our pursuers were swifter than the eagles of the sky, they flew on the mountains, in the wilderness they laid wait for us.
Those who chased us were swifter than the eagles in the sky; they pursued us over the mountains and ambushed us in the wilderness.
Rechs. The breath of our nostrils, [our] anointed Lord, was taken in their destructive snares, of whom we said, In his shadow we shall live among the Gentiles.
The LORD’s anointed, the breath of our life, was captured in their pits. We had said of him, “Under his shadow we will live among the nations.”
Chsen. Rejoice and be glad, O daughter of Idumea, that dwellest in the land: yet the cup of the Lord shall pass through to thee: thou shalt be drunken, and pour forth.
So rejoice and be glad, O Daughter of Edom, you who dwell in the land of Uz. Yet the cup will pass to you as well; you will get drunk and expose yourself.
Thau. O daughter of Sion, thine iniquity has come to an end; he shall no more carry thee captive: he has visited thine iniquities, O daughter of Edom; he has discovered thy sins.
O Daughter of Zion, your punishment is complete; He will not prolong your exile (note: Or He will not exile you again). But He will punish your iniquity, O Daughter of Edom; He will expose your sins.