1 אֵיכָה יוּעַם זָהָב יִשְׁנֶא הַכֶּתֶם הַטֹּוב תִּשְׁתַּפֵּכְנָה אַבְנֵי־קֹדֶשׁ בְּרֹאשׁ כָּל־חוּצֹות׃ ס | 1 How the gold has tarnished, how the fine gold has changed! The sacred stones lie scattered at thecorner of every street. |
2 בְּנֵי צִיֹּון הַיְקָרִים הַמְסֻלָּאִים בַּפָּז אֵיכָה נֶחְשְׁבוּ לְנִבְלֵי־חֶרֶשׂ מַעֲשֵׂה יְדֵי יֹוצֵר׃ ס | 2 The children of Zion, as precious as finest gold -- to think that they should now be reckoned likecrockery made by a potter! |
3 גַּם־ [תַּנִּין כ] (תַּנִּים ק) חָלְצוּ שַׁד הֵינִיקוּ גּוּרֵיהֶן בַּת־עַמִּי לְאַכְזָר [כִּי כ] [עֵנִים כ] (כַּיְעֵנִים ק) בַּמִּדְבָּר׃ ס | 3 The very jackals give the breast, and suckle their young: but the daughter of my people is as cruel asthe ostriches of the desert. |
4 דָּבַק לְשֹׁון יֹונֵק אֶל־חִכֹּו בַּצָּמָא עֹולָלִים שָׁאֲלוּ לֶחֶם פֹּרֵשׂ אֵין לָהֶם׃ ס | 4 The tongue of the baby at the breast sticks to its palate for thirst; little children ask for bread, no onegives them any. |
5 הָאֹכְלִים לְמַעֲדַנִּים נָשַׁמּוּ בַּחוּצֹות הָאֱמֻנִים עֲלֵי תֹולָע חִבְּקוּ אַשְׁפַּתֹּות׃ ס | 5 Those who used to eat only the best, now lie dying in the streets; those who were reared in the purpleclaw at the rubbish heaps, |
6 וַיִּגְדַּל עֲוֹן בַּת־עַמִּי מֵחַטַּאת סְדֹם הַהֲפוּכָה כְמֹו־רָגַע וְלֹא־חָלוּ בָהּ יָדָיִם׃ ס | 6 for the wickedness of the daughter of my people exceeded the sins of Sodom, which was overthrown ina moment without a hand being laid on it. |
7 זַכּוּ נְזִירֶיהָ מִשֶּׁלֶג צַחוּ מֵחָלָב אָדְמוּ עֶצֶם מִפְּנִינִים סַפִּיר גִּזְרָתָם׃ ס | 7 Once her young people were brighter than snow, whiter than milk; rosier than coral their bodies, theirhue like sapphire. |
8 חָשַׁךְ מִשְּׁחֹור תָּאֳרָם לֹא נִכְּרוּ בַּחוּצֹות צָפַד עֹורָם עַל־עַצְמָם יָבֵשׁ הָיָה כָעֵץ׃ ס | 8 Now their faces are blacker than soot, they are not recognised in the streets, the skin has shrunk overtheir bones, as dry as a stick. |
9 טֹובִים הָיוּ חַלְלֵי־חֶרֶב מֵחַלְלֵי רָעָב שֶׁהֵם יָזוּבוּ מְדֻקָּרִים מִתְּנוּבֹת שָׂדָי׃ ס | 9 Happier those killed by the sword than those kil ed by famine: they waste away, sunken for lack of thefruits of the earth. |
10 יְדֵי נָשִׁים רַחֲמָנִיֹּות בִּשְּׁלוּ יַלְדֵיהֶן הָיוּ לְבָרֹות לָמֹו בְּשֶׁבֶר בַּת־עַמִּי׃ ס | 10 With their own hands, kindly women cooked their children; this was their food when the daughter ofmy people was ruined. |
11 כִּלָּה יְהוָה אֶת־חֲמָתֹו שָׁפַךְ חֲרֹון אַפֹּו וַיַּצֶּת־אֵשׁ בְּצִיֹּון וַתֹּאכַל יְסֹודֹתֶיהָ׃ ס | 11 Yahweh indulged his fury, he vented his fierce anger, he lit a fire in Zion which devoured herfoundations. |
12 לֹא הֶאֱמִינוּ מַלְכֵי־אֶרֶץ [וְכֹל כ] (כֹּל ק) יֹשְׁבֵי תֵבֵל כִּי יָבֹא צַר וְאֹויֵב בְּשַׁעֲרֵי יְרוּשָׁלִָם׃ ס | 12 The kings of the earth never believed, nor did any of the inhabitants of the world, that foe or enemywould ever penetrate the gates of Jerusalem. |
13 מֵחַטֹּאת נְבִיאֶיהָ עֲוֹנֹות כֹּהֲנֶיהָ הַשֹּׁפְכִים בְּקִרְבָּהּ דַּם צַדִּיקִים׃ ס | 13 Owing to the sins of her prophets and the crimes of her priests, who had shed the blood of the upright,in the heart of the city, |
14 נָעוּ עִוְרִים בַּחוּצֹות נְגֹאֲלוּ בַּדָּם בְּלֹא יוּכְלוּ יִגְּעוּ בִּלְבֻשֵׁיהֶם׃ ס | 14 they wandered blindly through the streets, polluted with blood, so that no one dared to touch theirclothes. |
15 סוּרוּ טָמֵא קָרְאוּ לָמֹו סוּרוּ סוּרוּ אַל־תִּגָּעוּ כִּי נָצוּ גַּם־נָעוּ אָמְרוּ בַּגֹּויִם לֹא יֹוסִיפוּ לָגוּר׃ ס | 15 'Keep away! Unclean!' people shouted, 'Keep away! Keep away! Don't touch!' If they left and fled tothe nations, they were not al owed to stay there either. |
16 פְּנֵי יְהוָה חִלְּקָם לֹא יֹוסִיף לְהַבִּיטָם פְּנֵי כֹהֲנִים לֹא נָשָׂאוּ [זְקֵנִים כ] (וּזְקֵנִים ק) לֹא חָנָנוּ׃ ס | 16 The face of Yahweh destroyed them, he wil look on them no more. There was no respect for thepriests, no deference for the elders. |
17 [עֹודֵינָה כ] (עֹודֵינוּ ק) תִּכְלֶינָה עֵינֵינוּ אֶל־עֶזְרָתֵנוּ הָבֶל בְּצִפִּיָּתֵנוּ צִפִּינוּ אֶל־גֹּוי לֹא יֹושִׁעַ׃ ס | 17 Continual y we were wearing out our eyes, watching for help -- in vain. From our towers we watchedfor a nation which could not save us anyway. |
18 צָדוּ צְעָדֵינוּ מִלֶּכֶת בִּרְחֹבֹתֵינוּ קָרַב קִצֵּינוּ מָלְאוּ יָמֵינוּ כִּי־בָא קִצֵּינוּ׃ ס | 18 Men dogged our steps, to keep us out of our streets. Our end was near, our days were done, our endhad come. |
19 קַלִּים הָיוּ רֹדְפֵינוּ מִנִּשְׁרֵי שָׁמָיִם עַל־הֶהָרִים דְּלָקֻנוּ בַּמִּדְבָּר אָרְבוּ לָנוּ׃ ס | 19 Our pursuers were swifter than eagles in the sky; they hounded our steps through the mountains, theylay in ambush for us in the wilds. |
20 רוּחַ אַפֵּינוּ מְשִׁיחַ יְהוָה נִלְכַּד בִּשְׁחִיתֹותָם אֲשֶׁר אָמַרְנוּ בְּצִלֹּו נִחְיֶה בַגֹּויִם׃ ס | 20 The breath of our nostrils, Yahweh's anointed, was caught in their traps, he of whom we said, 'In hisshadow we shall live among the nations.' |
21 שִׂישִׂי וְשִׂמְחִי בַּת־אֱדֹום [יֹושַׁבְתִּי כ] (יֹושֶׁבֶת ק) בְּאֶרֶץ עוּץ גַּם־עָלַיִךְ תַּעֲבָר־כֹּוס תִּשְׁכְּרִי וְתִתְעָרִי׃ ס | 21 Rejoice, exult, daughter of Edom, you who reside in Uz! To you in turn the cup wil pass; you wil getdrunk and strip yourself naked! |
22 תַּם־עֲוֹנֵךְ בַּת־צִיֹּון לֹא יֹוסִיף לְהַגְלֹותֵךְ פָּקַד עֲוֹנֵךְ בַּת־אֱדֹום גִּלָּה עַל־חַטֹּאתָיִךְ׃ פ | 22 Your wickedness is atoned for, daughter of Zion, he will never banish you again. But your wickedness,daughter of Edom, wil he punish, your sins he will lay bare! |