Lamentations 4 – NIV & CCB

New International Version

Lamentations 4:1-22

This chapter is an acrostic poem, the verses of which begin with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet. 1How the gold has lost its luster,

the fine gold become dull!

The sacred gems are scattered

at every street corner.

2How the precious children of Zion,

once worth their weight in gold,

are now considered as pots of clay,

the work of a potter’s hands!

3Even jackals offer their breasts

to nurse their young,

but my people have become heartless

like ostriches in the desert.

4Because of thirst the infant’s tongue

sticks to the roof of its mouth;

the children beg for bread,

but no one gives it to them.

5Those who once ate delicacies

are destitute in the streets.

Those brought up in royal purple

now lie on ash heaps.

6The punishment of my people

is greater than that of Sodom,

which was overthrown in a moment

without a hand turned to help her.

7Their princes were brighter than snow

and whiter than milk,

their bodies more ruddy than rubies,

their appearance like lapis lazuli.

8But now they are 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.

9Those killed by the sword are better off

than those who die of famine;

racked with hunger, they waste away

for lack of food from the field.

10With their own hands compassionate women

have cooked their own children,

who became their food

when my people were destroyed.

11The Lord has given full vent to his wrath;

he has poured out his fierce anger.

He kindled a fire in Zion

that consumed her foundations.

12The kings of the earth did not believe,

nor did any of the peoples of the world,

that enemies and foes could enter

the gates of Jerusalem.

13But it happened because of the sins of her prophets

and the iniquities of her priests,

who shed within her

the blood of the righteous.

14Now they grope through the streets

as if they were blind.

They are so defiled with blood

that no one dares to touch their garments.

15“Go away! You are unclean!” people cry to them.

“Away! Away! Don’t touch us!”

When they flee and wander about,

people among the nations say,

“They can stay here no longer.”

16The Lord himself has scattered them;

he no longer watches over them.

The priests are shown no honor,

the elders no favor.

17Moreover, our eyes failed,

looking in vain for help;

from our towers we watched

for a nation that could not save us.

18People stalked us at every step,

so we could not walk in our streets.

Our end was near, our days were numbered,

for our end had come.

19Our pursuers were swifter

than eagles in the sky;

they chased us over the mountains

and lay in wait for us in the desert.

20The Lord’s anointed, our very life breath,

was caught in their traps.

We thought that under his shadow

we would live among the nations.

21Rejoice and be glad, Daughter Edom,

you who live in the land of Uz.

But to you also the cup will be passed;

you will be drunk and stripped naked.

22Your punishment will end, Daughter Zion;

he will not prolong your exile.

But he will punish your sin, Daughter Edom,

and expose your wickedness.

Chinese Contemporary Bible (Simplified)

耶利米哀歌 4:1-22

沦陷的耶路撒冷

1黄金竟失去光泽,

纯金竟变色,

宝石竟被弃之街头。

2锡安的宝贝子民本来贵如黄金,

现在竟被视为陶匠制作的瓦器!

3豺狼尚且哺养自己的幼儿,

我的子民却像荒野的鸵鸟一样残忍无情。

4婴儿干渴难忍,舌头紧贴上膛;

孩童乞求食物,却无人给予。

5昔日锦衣玉食、生活奢侈的,

如今却流落街头,

躺卧在粪堆中。

6虽然无人攻击,所多玛却在顷刻之间倾覆。

我子民比所多玛受到的惩罚更重。

7锡安的首领曾比雪纯净,

比奶更白,

身体比红宝石更红润,

相貌美如蓝宝石。

8现在,他们的面目比煤炭还黑,

走在街上无人认得。

他们骨瘦如柴,干如枯木。

9死于刀下的胜过死于饥饿的,

后者因田间缺粮而活活饿死。

10我的百姓遭毁灭时,

慈母亲手煮自己的儿女充饥。

11耶和华大发烈怒,

倾倒祂的怒气,

锡安燃起大火,

焚毁城的根基。

12世上的君王和居民都不相信敌人能闯进耶路撒冷的城门。

13这都是因为她的先知和祭司的罪行。

他们在城中杀害义人。

14他们如盲人在街上游荡,

沾满血污,

无人敢碰他们的衣服。

15人们向他们喊道:

“走开!你们是不洁的!

走开!走开!不要靠近我们。”

于是他们逃亡、流荡,

列国的人说:

“他们不可住在我们这里。”

16耶和华亲自驱散他们,

不再眷顾他们;

人们不再尊重祭司,

也不再敬重长老。

17我们望眼欲穿,

盼望援军的到来,

盼来的国家却无力拯救我们。

18敌人步步紧逼,

使我们不敢上自己的街。

我们的结局近了,

我们的日子到头了,

我们的末日来了!

19追赶我们的人比飞鹰更快,

他们在山上追捕我们,

在旷野伏击我们。

20耶和华膏立的王——我们的生命之气落入他们的陷阱。

我们原希望借他的荫庇立足于列国中。

21乌斯地区的以东人啊,

只管欢喜作乐吧!

因为盛满耶和华愤怒的杯也要传到你们那里。

你们必喝醉,以致赤身露体。

22锡安城啊!你已经受到了应得的刑罚,

耶和华必不再使你流亡。

以东啊,耶和华要惩罚你,

揭露你的罪恶!