Lamentations 4 1 22 CSB Terrors of the

Lamentations 4: 1 -22 CSB

Terrors of the Besieged City א Aleph

1 How the gold has become tarnished, the fine gold become dull!The stones of the temple lie scatteredat the head of every street. ב Beth

2 Zion’s precious children —once worth their weight in pure gold —how they are regarded as clay jars, the work of a potter’s hands! ג Gimel

3 Even jackals offer their breaststo nurse their young, but my dear people have become cruellike ostriches in the wilderness. ד Daleth

4 The nursing baby’s tongueclings to the roof of his mouth from thirst. Infants beg for food, but no one gives them any. ה He

5 Those who used to eat delicaciesare destitute in the streets; those who were reared in purple garmentshuddle in trash heaps. ו Waw

6 The punishment of my dear peopleis greater than that of Sodom, which was overthrown in an instantwithout a hand laid on it. ז Zayin

7 Her dignitaries were brighter than snow, whiter than milk; their bodies were more ruddy than coral, their appearance like lapis lazuli. ח Cheth

8 Now they appear darker than soot; they are not recognized in the streets. Their skin has shriveled on their bones; it has become dry like wood. ט Teth

9 Those slain by the sword are better offthan those slain by hunger, who waste away, pierced with painbecause the fields lack produce. י Yod

10 The hands of compassionate womenhave cooked their own children; they became their foodduring the destruction of my dear people. כ Kaph

11 The Lord has exhausted his wrath, poured out his burning anger; he has ignited a fire in Zion, and it has consumed her foundations. ל Lamed

12 The kings of the earthand all the world’s inhabitants did not believethat an enemy or adversarycould enter Jerusalem’s gates. מ Mem

13 Yet it happened because of the sins of her prophetsand the iniquities of her priests, who shed the blood of the righteous within her. נ Nun

14 Blind, they stumbled in the streets, defiled by this blood, so that no one daredto touch their garments. ס Samek

15 “Stay away! Unclean!” people shouted at them. “Away, away! Don’t touch us!” So they wandered aimlessly. It was said among the nations, “They can stay here no longer. ” פ Pe

16 The Lord himself has scattered them; he no longer watches over them. The priests are not respected; the elders find no favor. ע Ayin

17 All the while our eyes were failingas we looked in vain for help; we watched from our towersfor a nation that would not save us. צ Tsade

18 Our steps were closely followedso that we could not walk in our streets. Our end approached; our time ran out. Our end had come! ק Qoph

19 Those who chased us were swifterthan eagles in the sky; they relentlessly pursued us over the mountainsand ambushed us in the wilderness. ר Resh

20 The Lord’s anointed, the breath of our life, was captured in their traps. We had said about him, “We will live under his protection among the nations. ” ש Sin

21 So rejoice and be glad, Daughter Edom, you resident of the land of Uz!Yet the cup will pass to you as well; you will get drunk and expose yourself. ת Taw

22 Daughter Zion, your punishment is complete; he will not lengthen your exile. But he will punish your iniquity, Daughter Edom, and will expose your sins.

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