Lamentations

<= | Chapter 4 of 5 | =>

Verses (22)
|1||||||| |5||||||||| |10||||||||| |15||||||||| |20||||22|

IV. |The fourth lamentation—a lamentation over the punished people4:1-22

A. |Afflicted with the lack of food in their siege — vv.|1-10
Lam.|4:1|-|How the gold has become dim!How the most pure gold has changed!The |a|stones of the sanctuary lie poured outAt the head of every street.Lam.|4:2|-|The precious sons of Zion,Comparable to fine gold,How they are esteemed as |a|earthen pitchers,The work of the hands of a potter.Lam.|4:3|-|Even the jackals present the breast;They nurse their young ones;But the daughter of my people has become cruel,Like the ostriches in the wilderness.Lam.|4:4|-|The tongue of the sucking child cleavesTo the roof of his mouth for thirst;The little ones ask for bread,But no one breaks it for them.Lam.|4:5|-|Those who fed on delicaciesAre desolate in the streets;Those who were brought up in scarletEmbrace dung heaps.Lam.|4:6|-|And the iniquity of the daughter of my people is greaterThan the sin of |a|Sodom,Which was overthrown as in a moment;And no hands were laid on her.Lam.|4:7|-|Her nobles were purer than snow;They were whiter than milk;They were redder in body than corals;Their figure was like sapphire.Lam.|4:8|-|Their visage is |a|darker than black coal;They are not recognized in the streets.Their skin has shriveled up on their bones;It has dried up; it has become like wood.Lam.|4:9|-|Those who were slain by the sword are betterThan those slain by famine;For these pine away stricken through,Because of the lack of the produce of the field.Lam.|4:10|-|The hands of compassionate womenHave boiled their own children;They have become their foodIn the destruction of the daughter of my people.
B. |Consumed by the burning anger of Jehovah's wrath — vv.|11-20
Lam.|4:11|-|Jehovah has accomplished His wrath;He has poured out His burning anger.And He has kindled a fire in Zion,And it has consumed its foundations.Lam.|4:12|-|The kings of the earth did not believe,Neither did any of the inhabitants of the world,That the adversary and the enemy would enterInto the gates of Jerusalem.Lam.|4:13|-|It is because of the sins of her prophets,And the iniquities of her priests,Who have shed the |a|blood of the righteousIn her midst.Lam.|4:14|-|They have wandered about blind in the streets;They are polluted with blood;So that men cannot touchTheir garments.Lam.|4:15|-|They cried out to them, Depart! |a|Unclean!Depart, depart; do not touch!When they fled away and wandered about, men said among the nations,They will no longer sojourn there.Lam.|4:16|-|The anger of Jehovah has scattered them;He will no longer regard them.They did not honor the priests,Nor did they favor the elders.Lam.|4:17|-|Our eyes do yet fail,Looking in vain for our help;In our watching we watchedFor a nation that could not save.Lam.|4:18|-|They hunted our steps,So that we cannot walk in our streets;Our end drew near; our days were fulfilled;For our end had come.Lam.|4:19|-|Our pursuers were swifterThan the |a|eagles of heaven;They hotly pursued us on the mountains;They lay in wait for us in the wilderness.Lam.|4:20|-|The breath of our nostrils, the |a|anointed of Jehovah,Has been captured in their pits,Of whom we said, Under his shadowWe will live among the nations.
C. |Their hope in the future — vv.|21-22
Lam.|4:21|-|Rejoice and be glad, O daughter of Edom,Who dwells in the land of Uz.Yet the cup will pass through to you also;You will become drunk and make yourself naked.Lam.|4:22|-|The |a|punishment for your iniquity has been accomplished, O daughter of Zion;He will no longer take you into exile.But He will |1|punish your iniquity, O daughter of |b|Edom;He will uncover your sins.

<= | Chapter 4 of 5 | =>

Book of Lamentations
Home




|