| 1 How the gold has grown dim, how the pure gold is changed! The holy stones lie scattered at the head of every street. | 1 אֵיכָה יוּעַם זָהָב יִשְׁנֶא הַכֶּתֶם הַטּוֹב תִּשְׁתַּפֵּכְנָה אַבְנֵי־קֹדֶשׁ בְּרֹאשׁ כׇּל־חוּצֽוֹת׃ |
| 2 The precious sons of Zion, worth their weight in fine gold, how they are reckoned as earthen pots, the work of a potter's hands! | 2 בְּנֵי צִיּוֹן הַיְקָרִים הַמְסֻלָּאִים בַּפָּז אֵיכָה נֶחְשְׁבוּ לְנִבְלֵי־חֶרֶשׂ מַעֲשֵׂה יְדֵי יוֹצֵֽר׃ |
| 3 Even the jackals give the breast and suckle their young, but the daughter of my people has become cruel, like the ostriches in the wilderness. | 3 גַּם־תַּנִּים תנין חָלְצוּ שַׁד הֵינִיקוּ גּוּרֵיהֶן בַּת־עַמִּי לְאַכְזָר כי ענים כַּיְעֵינִים בַּמִּדְבָּֽר׃ |
| 4 The tongue of the nursling cleaves to the roof of its mouth for thirst; the children beg for food, but no one gives to them. | 4 דָּבַק לְשׁוֹן יוֹנֵק אֶל־חִכּוֹ בַּצָּמָא עֽוֹלָלִים שָׁאֲלוּ לֶחֶם פֹּרֵשׂ אֵין לָהֶֽם׃ |
| 5 Those who feasted on dainties perish in the streets; those who were brought up in purple lie on ash heaps. | 5 הָאֹֽכְלִים לְמַעֲדַנִּים נָשַׁמּוּ בַּחוּצוֹת הָאֱמֻנִים עֲלֵי תוֹלָע חִבְּקוּ אַשְׁפַּתּֽוֹת׃ |
| 6 For the chastisement of the daughter of my people has been greater than the punishment of Sodom, which was overthrown in a moment, no hand being laid on it. | 6 וַיִּגְדַּל עֲוֺן בַּת־עַמִּי מֵֽחַטַּאת סְדֹם הַֽהֲפוּכָה כְמוֹ־רָגַע וְלֹא־חָלוּ בָהּ יָדָֽיִם׃ |
| 7 Her princes were purer than snow, whiter than milk; their bodies were more ruddy than coral, the beauty of their form was like sapphire. | 7 זַכּוּ נְזִירֶיהָ מִשֶּׁלֶג צַחוּ מֵחָלָב אָדְמוּ עֶצֶם מִפְּנִינִים סַפִּיר גִּזְרָתָֽם׃ |
| 8 Now their visage is blacker than soot, they are not recognized in the streets; their skin has shriveled upon their bones, it has become as dry as wood. | 8 חָשַׁךְ מִשְּׁחוֹר תׇּֽאֳרָם לֹא נִכְּרוּ בַּחוּצוֹת צָפַד עוֹרָם עַל־עַצְמָם יָבֵשׁ הָיָה כָעֵֽץ׃ |
| 9 Happier were the victims of the sword than the victims of hunger, who pined away, stricken by want of the fruits of the field. | 9 טוֹבִים הָיוּ חַלְלֵי־חֶרֶב מֵֽחַלְלֵי רָעָב שֶׁהֵם יָזֻבוּ מְדֻקָּרִים מִתְּנוּבֹת שָׂדָֽי׃ |
| 10 The hands of compassionate women have boiled their own children; they became their food in the destruction of the daughter of my people. | 10 יְדֵי נָשִׁים רַחֲמָנִיּוֹת בִּשְּׁלוּ יַלְדֵיהֶן הָיוּ לְבָרוֹת לָמוֹ בְּשֶׁבֶר בַּת־עַמִּֽי׃ |
| 11 The LORD gave full vent to his wrath, he poured out his hot anger; and he kindled a fire in Zion, which consumed its foundations. | 11 כִּלָּה יְהֹוָה אֶת־חֲמָתוֹ שָׁפַךְ חֲרוֹן אַפּוֹ וַיַּצֶּת־אֵשׁ בְּצִיּוֹן וַתֹּאכַל יְסֹדֹתֶֽיהָ׃ |
| 12 The kings of the earth did not believe, or any of the inhabitants of the world, that foe or enemy could enter the gates of Jerusalem. | 12 לֹא הֶאֱמִינוּ מַלְכֵי־אֶרֶץ וכל כֹּל יֹשְׁבֵי תֵבֵל כִּי יָבֹא צַר וְאוֹיֵב בְּשַׁעֲרֵי יְרוּשָׁלִָֽם׃ |
| 13 This was for the sins of her prophets and the iniquities of her priests, who shed in the midst of her the blood of the righteous. | 13 מֵֽחַטֹּאות נְבִיאֶיהָ עֲוֺנֹת כֹּהֲנֶיהָ הַשֹּׁפְכִים בְּקִרְבָּהּ דַּם צַדִּיקִֽים׃ |
| 14 They wandered, blind, through the streets, so defiled with blood that none could touch their garments. | 14 נָעוּ עִוְרִים בַּֽחוּצוֹת נְגֹֽאֲלוּ בַּדָּם בְּלֹא יֽוּכְלוּ יִגְּעוּ בִּלְבֻשֵׁיהֶֽם׃ |
| 15 "Away! Unclean!" men cried at them; "Away! Away! Touch not!" So they became fugitives and wanderers; men said among the nations, "They shall stay with us no longer." | 15 סוּרוּ טָמֵא קָרְאוּ לָמוֹ סוּרוּ סוּרוּ אַל־תִּגָּעוּ כִּי נָצוּ גַּם־נָעוּ אָֽמְרוּ בַּגּוֹיִם לֹא יוֹסִפוּ לָגֽוּר׃ |
| 16 The LORD himself has scattered them, he will regard them no more; no honor was shown to the priests, no favor to the elders. | 16 פְּנֵי יְהֹוָה חִלְּקָם לֹא יוֹסִיף לְהַבִּיטָם פְּנֵי כֹהֲנִים לֹא נָשָׂאוּ זקנים וּזְקֵנִים לֹא חָנָֽנוּ׃ |
| 17 Our eyes failed, ever watching vainly for help; in our watching we watched for a nation which could not save. | 17 עודינה עוֹדֵינוּ תִּכְלֶינָה עֵינֵינוּ אֶל־עֶזְרָתֵנוּ הָבֶל בְּצִפִּיָּתֵנוּ צִפִּינוּ אֶל־גּוֹי לֹא יוֹשִֽׁעַ׃ |
| 18 Men dogged our steps so that we could not walk in our streets; our end drew near; our days were numbered; for our end had come. | 18 צָדוּ צְעָדֵינוּ מִלֶּכֶת בִּרְחֹבֹתֵינוּ קָרַב קִצֵּנוּ מָלְאוּ יָמֵינוּ כִּי־בָא קִצֵּֽנוּ׃ |
| 19 Our pursuers were swifter than the vultures in the heavens; they chased us on the mountains, they lay in wait for us in the wilderness. | 19 קַלִּים הָיוּ רֹדְפֵינוּ מִנִּשְׁרֵי שָׁמָיִם עַל־הֶהָרִים דְּלָקֻנוּ בַּמִּדְבָּר אָרְבוּ לָֽנוּ׃ |
| 20 The breath of our nostrils, the LORD's anointed, was taken in their pits, he of whom we said, "Under his shadow we shall live among the nations." | 20 רוּחַ אַפֵּינוּ מְשִׁיחַ יְהֹוָה נִלְכַּד בִּשְׁחִיתוֹתָם אֲשֶׁר אָמַרְנוּ בְּצִלּוֹ נִֽחְיֶה בַגּוֹיִֽם׃ |
| 21 Rejoice and be glad, O daughter of Edom, dweller in the land of Uz; but to you also the cup shall pass; you shall become drunk and strip yourself bare. | 21 שִׂישִׂי וְשִׂמְחִי בַּת־אֱדוֹם יושבתי יוֹשֶׁבֶת בְּאֶרֶץ עוּץ גַּם־עָלַיִךְ תַּעֲבׇר־כּוֹס תִּשְׁכְּרִי וְתִתְעָרִֽי׃ |
| 22 The punishment of your iniquity, O daughter of Zion, is accomplished, he will keep you in exile no longer; but your iniquity, O daughter of Edom, he will punish, he will uncover your sins. | 22 תַּם־עֲוֺנֵךְ בַּת־צִיּוֹן לֹא יוֹסִיף לְהַגְלוֹתֵךְ פָּקַד עֲוֺנֵךְ בַּת־אֱדוֹם גִּלָּה עַל־חַטֹּאתָֽיִךְ׃ |