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.
4 Sura hii imetungwa kila beti likianzia, na pia kila mstari katika lile beti, na herufi ya alfabeti ya Kiebrania zikifuatana tangu Aleph (A) hadi Taw (T); zote ni 22. 14:1 Eze 7:19Jinsi dhahabu ilivyopoteza mngʼao wake,
dhahabu iliyo safi haingʼai!
Vito vya thamani vimetawanywa
kwenye mwanzo wa kila barabara.
24:2 Isa 51:18; 2Kor 4:7Wana wa Sayuni wenye thamani,
ambao mwanzo uzito wa thamani yao
ulikuwa wa dhahabu,
sasa wanaangaliwa kama vyungu vya udongo,
kazi ya mikono ya mfinyanzi!
34:3 Ay 39:14-16Hata mbweha hutoa matiti yao
kunyonyesha watoto wao,
lakini watu wangu wamekuwa wasio na huruma
kama mbuni jangwani.
44:4 Mao 2:11-12; Za 22:15; 2Fal 18:31; Kum 28:48Kwa sababu ya kiu ulimi wa mtoto mchanga
umegandamana na kaakaa la kinywa chake,
watoto huomba mkate,
lakini hakuna yeyote awapaye.
54:5 Yer 6:2; Isa 3:26; Amo 6:3-7; Ay 24:8; Lk 15:16Wale waliokula vyakula vya kifahari
ni maskini barabarani.
Wale waliokuzwa wakivaa nguo za zambarau
sasa wanalalia majivu.
64:6 Mwa 19:25Adhabu ya watu wangu
ni kubwa kuliko ile ya Sodoma,
ambayo ilipinduliwa ghafula
bila kuwepo mkono wa msaada.
7Wakuu wao walikuwa wamengʼaa kuliko theluji
na weupe kuliko maziwa,
miili yao ilikuwa myekundu kuliko marijani,
kuonekana kwao kama yakuti samawi.
84:8 Ay 30:28; Za 102:3-5; Mao 3:4Lakini sasa ni weusi kuliko masizi;
hawatambulikani barabarani.
Ngozi yao imeshikamana juu ya mifupa yao,
imekuwa mikavu kama fimbo.
94:9 Yer 15:2; 16:4; 2Fal 25:3; Mao 5:10Wale waliouawa kwa upanga ni bora
kuliko wale wanaokufa njaa;
wanateseka kwa njaa, wanatokomea
kwa kukosa chakula kutoka shambani.
104:10 Mao 2:20; Law 26:29; Kum 28:53-57; Eze 5:10; Yer 19:9Kwa mikono yao wenyewe wanawake wenye huruma
wanapika watoto wao wenyewe,
waliokuwa chakula chao
watu wangu walipoangamizwa.
114:11 Yer 17:27; Kum 32:22; Yer 7:20; Ay 20:23; 2Nya 34:21; Eze 22:31Bwana ametoa nafasi kamilifu ya ghadhabu yake;
ameimwaga hasira yake kali.
Amewasha moto katika Sayuni
ambao umeteketeza misingi yake.
124:12 1Fal 9:9; Yer 21:13; Kum 29:24Wafalme wa dunia hawakuamini,
wala mtu yeyote wa duniani,
kwamba adui na watesi wangeweza kuingia
kwenye malango ya Yerusalemu.
134:13 Yer 5:31; Eze 22:28; Mik 3:11; 2Fal 21:16; Mt 23:31Lakini hili lilitokea kwa sababu ya dhambi za manabii wake,
na maovu ya makuhani wake,
waliomwaga ndani yake
damu ya wenye haki.
144:14 Isa 59:10; Yer 2:34; 19:4Sasa wanapapasa papasa barabarani
kama watu ambao ni vipofu.
Wamenajisiwa kabisa kwa damu,
hata hakuna anayethubutu kugusa mavazi yao.
154:15 Yer 44:14; Law 13:46; Mik 2:10Watu wanawapigia kelele, “Ondokeni! Ninyi ni najisi!
Ondokeni! Ondokeni! Msituguse!”
Wanapokimbia na kutangatanga huku na huko,
watu miongoni mwa mataifa wanasema,
“Hawawezi kukaa hapa zaidi.”
164:16 Isa 9:14-16; Mao 5:12Bwana mwenyewe amewatawanya;
hawaangalii tena.
Makuhani hawaonyeshwi heshima,
wazee hawakubaliki.
174:17 Mwa 15:18; Eze 29:16; Yer 37:7; Isa 20:5-6; 2Fal 24:7Zaidi ya hayo, macho yetu yalichoka,
kwa kutazamia bure msaada;
tuliangalia kutoka minara yetu
kwa taifa lisiloweza kutuokoa.
184:18 Eze 7:2-12; Amo 8:2; Yer 51:33; 2Fal 25:4; Yer 51:33Watu walituvizia katika kila hatua
hata hatukuweza kutembea katika barabara zetu.
Mwisho wetu ulikuwa karibu, siku zetu zilikuwa zimetimia,
kwa maana mwisho wetu ulikuwa umefika.
194:19 Kum 28:49; Law 26:36; Isa 5:26-28; Yer 52:7Waliotufuatia walikuwa wepesi
kuliko tai angani;
walitusaka juu milimani
na kutuvizia jangwani.
204:20 1Sam 26:9; 2Sam 19:21; Yer 39:5; Eze 19:4-8; 12:12-13; Mwa 2:7; Yer 52:9Mpakwa mafuta wa Bwana, pumzi ya uhai wetu hasa,
alinaswa katika mitego yao.
Tulifikiri kwamba chini ya kivuli chake
tungeliweza kuishi miongoni mwa mataifa.
214:21 Za 16:5; Yer 25:15; Eze 35:15; Hab 2:16; Mwa 10:23; Isa 34:6-10; Amu 1:11Shangilia na ufurahi, ee Binti Edomu,
wewe unayeishi nchi ya Usi.
Lakini kwako pia kikombe kitapitishwa,
Utalewa na kuvuliwa nguo ubaki uchi.
224:22 Isa 40:2; Yer 33:8; Eze 25:12-14; Mal 1:4; Za 137:7Ee Binti Sayuni, adhabu yako itaisha,
hatarefusha muda wako wa kukaa uhamishoni.
Lakini, ee Binti Edomu, ataadhibu dhambi yako,
na atafunua uovu wako.
