Lamentations 4
How the Gold Has Grown Dim
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How the Gold Will Grow Dim
4:1How the gold will grow dim, how the good silver will change!
Holy stones were poured out at the head of every way out.
4:2Zion’s precious sons, exalted in gold—
how they were regarded as earthen vessels, works of a potter’s hands!
4:3Even dragons bared breasts, and their young suckled;
the daughters of my people have become incurable, like a sparrow in the wilderness.
4:4The nursing child’s tongue clung to its throat with thirst.
Infants asked for bread; there is no one to break it for them.
4:5Those who ate luxuries were destroyed at the ways out;
those nursed upon scarlet wrapped themselves in dung heaps.
4:6The lawlessness of the daughter of my people became greater than Sodom’s lawlessness,
which was overthrown as in haste, and they did not labor their hands upon it.
4:7Her Nazirites were made purer than snow and shone beyond milk;
their cut portion glowed red beyond sapphire stones.
4:8Their appearance grew darker than soot; they were unrecognized at the ways out.
Their skin clung to their bones; they dried up and became like wood.
4:9Those wounded by the sword were better off than those wounded by famine;
they went away pierced through, deprived of the fields’ produce.
4:10The hands of compassionate women boiled their children;
they became food for them at the shattering of the daughter of my people.
The Lord Completed His Fury
4:11The Lord completed His fury and poured out His furious anger.
He kindled a fire in Zion, and it consumed her foundations.
4:12The kings of the earth, all who dwell in the inhabited world, did not believe
that enemy and oppressor would enter through Jerusalem’s gates.
4:13It was because of her prophets’ sins and her priests’ injustices,
those who shed righteous blood in her midst.
4:14Her watchmen were shaken at the ways out, polluted with blood;
when they were unable, they touched their garments.
4:15Keep away from unclean people—call them—keep away, keep away! Do not touch,
for they were set aflame and shaken. Say among the nations, They shall sojourn no longer.
4:16The Lord’s face is their portion; He will look upon them no longer.
They showed no respect to priests and no mercy to elders.
4:17While we still existed, our eyes failed, looking vainly for our help.
Keeping watch, we watched for a nation that does not save.
4:18We hunted our little ones so they would not walk in our squares.
Our time has drawn near, our days were fulfilled, our time is here.
4:19Those pursuing us became swifter than the eagles of heaven.
They were kindled upon the mountains and lay in wait for us in the wilderness.
4:20The spirit of our face, the Lord’s anointed, was seized in their destructions,
of whom we said, In his shadow we will live among the nations.
Rejoice, Daughter of Idumea
4:21Rejoice and be glad, daughter of Idumea, dwelling upon the land!
To you too the Lord’s cup will pass; you will become drunk and pour it out.
4:22Your lawlessness has ended, Daughter Zion; He will deport you no longer.
He has visited your acts of lawlessness, Daughter Edom; He has uncovered your acts of ungodliness.
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Saints Translation · Liturgical reading edition · V1 · working draft awaiting specialist review.