| 1 אֵיכָה יוּעַם זָהָב יִשְׁנֶא הַכֶּתֶם הַטֹּוב תִּשְׁתַּפֵּכְנָה אַבְנֵי־קֹדֶשׁ בְּרֹאשׁ כָּל־חוּצֹות׃ ס | 1 How the gold has grown dim, how the pure gold is changed! The holy stones lie scattered at the head of every street. |
| 2 בְּנֵי צִיֹּון הַיְקָרִים הַמְסֻלָּאִים בַּפָּז אֵיכָה נֶחְשְׁבוּ לְנִבְלֵי־חֶרֶשׂ מַעֲשֵׂה יְדֵי יֹוצֵר׃ ס | 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! |
| 3 גַּם־ [תַּנִּין כ] (תַּנִּים ק) חָלְצוּ שַׁד הֵינִיקוּ גּוּרֵיהֶן בַּת־עַמִּי לְאַכְזָר [כִּי כ] [עֵנִים כ] (כַּיְעֵנִים ק) בַּמִּדְבָּר׃ ס | 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. |
| 4 דָּבַק לְשֹׁון יֹונֵק אֶל־חִכֹּו בַּצָּמָא עֹולָלִים שָׁאֲלוּ לֶחֶם פֹּרֵשׂ אֵין לָהֶם׃ ס | 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. |
| 5 הָאֹכְלִים לְמַעֲדַנִּים נָשַׁמּוּ בַּחוּצֹות הָאֱמֻנִים עֲלֵי תֹולָע חִבְּקוּ אַשְׁפַּתֹּות׃ ס | 5 Those who feasted on dainties perish in the streets; those who were brought up in purple lie on ash heaps. |
| 6 וַיִּגְדַּל עֲוֹן בַּת־עַמִּי מֵחַטַּאת סְדֹם הַהֲפוּכָה כְמֹו־רָגַע וְלֹא־חָלוּ בָהּ יָדָיִם׃ ס | 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. |
| 7 זַכּוּ נְזִירֶיהָ מִשֶּׁלֶג צַחוּ מֵחָלָב אָדְמוּ עֶצֶם מִפְּנִינִים סַפִּיר גִּזְרָתָם׃ ס | 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. |
| 8 חָשַׁךְ מִשְּׁחֹור תָּאֳרָם לֹא נִכְּרוּ בַּחוּצֹות צָפַד עֹורָם עַל־עַצְמָם יָבֵשׁ הָיָה כָעֵץ׃ ס | 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. |
| 9 טֹובִים הָיוּ חַלְלֵי־חֶרֶב מֵחַלְלֵי רָעָב שֶׁהֵם יָזוּבוּ מְדֻקָּרִים מִתְּנוּבֹת שָׂדָי׃ ס | 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. |
| 10 יְדֵי נָשִׁים רַחֲמָנִיֹּות בִּשְּׁלוּ יַלְדֵיהֶן הָיוּ לְבָרֹות לָמֹו בְּשֶׁבֶר בַּת־עַמִּי׃ ס | 10 The hands of compassionate women have boiled their own children; they became their food in the destruction of the daughter of my people. |
| 11 כִּלָּה יְהוָה אֶת־חֲמָתֹו שָׁפַךְ חֲרֹון אַפֹּו וַיַּצֶּת־אֵשׁ בְּצִיֹּון וַתֹּאכַל יְסֹודֹתֶיהָ׃ ס | 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. |
| 12 לֹא הֶאֱמִינוּ מַלְכֵי־אֶרֶץ [וְכֹל כ] (כֹּל ק) יֹשְׁבֵי תֵבֵל כִּי יָבֹא צַר וְאֹויֵב בְּשַׁעֲרֵי יְרוּשָׁלִָם׃ ס | 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. |
| 13 מֵחַטֹּאת נְבִיאֶיהָ עֲוֹנֹות כֹּהֲנֶיהָ הַשֹּׁפְכִים בְּקִרְבָּהּ דַּם צַדִּיקִים׃ ס | 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. |
| 14 נָעוּ עִוְרִים בַּחוּצֹות נְגֹאֲלוּ בַּדָּם בְּלֹא יוּכְלוּ יִגְּעוּ בִּלְבֻשֵׁיהֶם׃ ס | 14 They wandered, blind, through the streets, so defiled with blood that none could touch their garments. |
| 15 סוּרוּ טָמֵא קָרְאוּ לָמֹו סוּרוּ סוּרוּ אַל־תִּגָּעוּ כִּי נָצוּ גַּם־נָעוּ אָמְרוּ בַּגֹּויִם לֹא יֹוסִיפוּ לָגוּר׃ ס | 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." |
| 16 פְּנֵי יְהוָה חִלְּקָם לֹא יֹוסִיף לְהַבִּיטָם פְּנֵי כֹהֲנִים לֹא נָשָׂאוּ [זְקֵנִים כ] (וּזְקֵנִים ק) לֹא חָנָנוּ׃ ס | 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. |
| 17 [עֹודֵינָה כ] (עֹודֵינוּ ק) תִּכְלֶינָה עֵינֵינוּ אֶל־עֶזְרָתֵנוּ הָבֶל בְּצִפִּיָּתֵנוּ צִפִּינוּ אֶל־גֹּוי לֹא יֹושִׁעַ׃ ס | 17 Our eyes failed, ever watching vainly for help; in our watching we watched for a nation which could not save. |
| 18 צָדוּ צְעָדֵינוּ מִלֶּכֶת בִּרְחֹבֹתֵינוּ קָרַב קִצֵּינוּ מָלְאוּ יָמֵינוּ כִּי־בָא קִצֵּינוּ׃ ס | 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. |
| 19 קַלִּים הָיוּ רֹדְפֵינוּ מִנִּשְׁרֵי שָׁמָיִם עַל־הֶהָרִים דְּלָקֻנוּ בַּמִּדְבָּר אָרְבוּ לָנוּ׃ ס | 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. |
| 20 רוּחַ אַפֵּינוּ מְשִׁיחַ יְהוָה נִלְכַּד בִּשְׁחִיתֹותָם אֲשֶׁר אָמַרְנוּ בְּצִלֹּו נִחְיֶה בַגֹּויִם׃ ס | 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." |
| 21 שִׂישִׂי וְשִׂמְחִי בַּת־אֱדֹום [יֹושַׁבְתִּי כ] (יֹושֶׁבֶת ק) בְּאֶרֶץ עוּץ גַּם־עָלַיִךְ תַּעֲבָר־כֹּוס תִּשְׁכְּרִי וְתִתְעָרִי׃ ס | 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. |
| 22 תַּם־עֲוֹנֵךְ בַּת־צִיֹּון לֹא יֹוסִיף לְהַגְלֹותֵךְ פָּקַד עֲוֹנֵךְ בַּת־אֱדֹום גִּלָּה עַל־חַטֹּאתָיִךְ׃ פ | 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. |
