Lamentations 4

1 How the gold has become tarnished, the pure gold has become dull! The gems of the temple lie scattered on every street corner.

1 كَيْفَ اكْمَدَّ الذَّهَبُ وَاكْدَرَّ لَوْنُ النُّضَارِ الخَالِصِ؟ كَيْفَ تَبَعْثَرَتْ حِجَارَةُ الْقُدْسِ فِي نَاصِيَةِ كُلِّ شَارِعٍ؟

2 How the precious sons of Zion, once worth their weight in pure gold, are now esteemed as jars of clay, the work of a potter’s hands!

2 كَيْفَ حُسِبَ أَبْنَاءُ صِهْيَوْنَ الْكِرَامُ الْمَوْزُونُونَ بِالذَّهَبِ النَّقِيِّ، كَآنِيَةٍ خَزَفِيَّةٍ مِنْ عَمَلِ يَدِ الْفَخَّارِيِّ؟

3 Even jackals offer their breasts to nurse their young, but the daughter of my people has become cruel, like an ostrich in the wilderness.

3 حَتَّى بَنَاتُ آوَى تَكْشِفُ عَنْ ثَدْيهَا وَتُرْضِعُ أَجْرَاءَهَا، أَمَّا ابْنَةُ شَعْبِي فَقَاسِيَةٌ كَالنَّعَامِ فِي الصَّحْرَاءِ.

4 The nursing infant’s tongue clings in thirst to the roof of his mouth. Little children beg for bread, but no one gives them any.

4 قَدِ الْتَصَقَ لِسَانُ الرَّضِيعِ بِحَنَكِهِ عَطَشاً، وَالْتَمَسَ الأَطْفَالُ خُبْزاً وَلَيْسَ مَنْ يُعْطِيهِ لَهُمْ.

5 Those who once ate delicacies are destitute in the streets; those brought up in crimson huddle in ash heaps.

5 هَلَكَ فِي الشَّوَارِعِ الَّذِينَ كَانُوا يَأْكُلُونَ الطَّيِّبَاتِ، وَاحْتَضَنَ الْمَزَابِلَ المُتَرَبُّونَ عَلَى لِبْسِ الْحَرِيرِ.

6 The punishment of the daughter of my people is greater than that of Sodom, which was overthrown in an instant without a hand turned to help her.

6 لأَنَّ عِقَابَ إِثْمِ ابْنَةِ شَعْبِي أَعْظَمُ مِنْ عِقَابِ خَطِيئَةِ سَدُومَ الَّتِي انْقَلَبَتْ فِي لَحْظَةٍ، مِنْ غَيْرِ أَنْ تَمْتَدَّ إِلَيْهَا يَدُ إِنْسَانٍ.

7 Her dignitaries were brighter than snow, whiter than milk; their bodies were more ruddy than rubies, their appearance like sapphires.

7 كَانَ نُبَلاؤُهَا أَنْقَى مِنَ الثَّلْجِ وَأَنْصَعَ مِنَ اللَّبَنِ. أَجْسَادُهُمْ أَكْثَرُ حُمْرَةً مِنَ الْمُرْجَانِ، وَقَامَاتُاهُمْ كَالْيَاقُوتِ الأَزْرَقِ،

8 But now their appearance is 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.

8 فَأَصْبَحَتْ صُورَتُهُمْ أَكْثَرَ سَوَاداً مِنَ الْفَحْمِ، فَلَمْ يُعْرَفُوا فِي الشَّوَارِعِ. لَصِقَتْ جُلُودُهُمْ بِعِظَامِهِمْ، وَصَارَتْ جَافَّةً كَالْحَطَبِ.

9 Those slain by the sword are better off than those who die of hunger, who waste away, pierced with pain because the fields lack produce.

9 كَانَ مَصِيرُ ضَحَايَا السَّيْفِ أَفْضَلَ مِنْ مَصِيرِ ضَحَايَا الْجُوعِ، الَّذِينَ اضْمَحَلُّوا مِنْ طَعْنَةِ عُقْمِ الْحَقْلِ.

10 The hands of compassionate women have cooked their own children, who became their food in the destruction of the daughter of my people.

10 طَهَتْ أَيْدِي الأُمَّهَاتِ الْحَانِيَاتِ أَوْلادَهُنَّ لِيَكُونُوا طَعَاماً لَهُنَّ فِي أَثْنَاءِ دَمَارِ ابْنَةِ شَعْبِي.

11 The LORD has exhausted His wrath; He has poured out His fierce anger; He has kindled a fire in Zion, and it has consumed her foundations.

11 نَفَثَ الرَّبُّ كَامِلَ سُخْطِهِ وَصَبَّ حُمُوَّ غَضَبِهِ، وَأَضْرَمَ نَاراً فِي صِهْيَوْنَ فَالْتَهَمَتْ أُسُسَهَا.

12 The kings of the earth did not believe, nor any people of the world, that an enemy or a foe could enter the gates of Jerusalem.

12 لَمْ يُصَدِّقْ مُلُوكُ الأَرْضِ وَسُكَّانُ الْمَعْمُورَةِ أَنَّ الْعَدُوَّ وَالْخَصْمَ يَقْتَحِمَانِ بَوَّابَاتِ أُورُشَلِيمَ.

13 But this was for the sins of her prophets and the guilt of her priests, who shed the blood of the righteous in her midst.

13 عِقَاباً لَهَا عَلَى خَطَايَا أَنْبِيَائِهَا وَآثَامِ كَهَنَتِهَا، الَّذِينَ سَفَكُوا فِي وَسَطِهَا دَمَ الصِّدِّيقِينَ.

14 They wandered blind in the streets, defiled by this blood, so that no one dared to touch their garments.

14 تَاهُوا كَعُمْيٍ فِي الشَّوَارِعِ، مُلَطَّخِينَ بِالدَّمِ حَتَّى لَمْ يَقْدِرْ أَحَدٌ أَنْ يَلْمُسَ ثِيَابَهُمْ.

15 “Go away! Unclean!” men shouted at them. “Away, away! Do not touch us!” So they fled and wandered. Among the nations it was said, “They can stay here no longer.”

15 هَتَفُوا بِهِمْ: «ابْتَعِدُوا: تَنَحَّوْا لَا تَلْمَسُوا شَيْئاً». فَهَرَبُوا وَتَشَرَّدُوا! غَيْرَ أَنَّ أَهْلَ الأُمَمِ قَالُوا: لَا يُمْكِنُ أَنْ يَسْكُنُوا مَعَنَا!

16 The presence of the LORD has scattered them; He regards them no more. The priests are shown no honor; the elders find no favor.

16 قَدْ بَدَّدَهُمُ الرَّبُّ نَفْسُهُ، وَلَمْ يَعُدْ يَعْبَأُ بِهِمْ، لَمْ يُكْرِمُوا الْكَهَنَةَ وَلَمْ يَتَرَأَّفُوا بِالشُّيُوخِ.

17 All the while our eyes were failing as we looked in vain for help. We watched from our towers for a nation that could not save us.

17 كَلَّتْ عُيُونُنَا مِنْ تَرَقُّبِ نُصْرَةٍ بَاطِلَةٍ. فِي أَبْرَاجِنَا انْتَظَرْنَا مَعُونَةَ أُمَّةٍ لَا تُخَلِّصُ.

18 They stalked our every step, so that we could not walk in our streets. Our end drew near, our time ran out, for our end had come!

18 تَصَيَّدَ الرِّجَالُ خَطْوَاتِنَا حَتَّى لَا نَخْطُوَ فِي شَوَارِعِنَا. آذَنَتْ نِهَايَتُنَا، وَتَمَّتْ أَيَّامُنَا وَأَزِفَتْ خَاتِمَتُنَا.

19 Those who chased us were swifter than the eagles in the sky; they pursued us over the mountains and ambushed us in the wilderness.

19 كَانَ مُطَارِدُونَا أَسْرَعَ مِنْ نُسُورِ السَّمَاءِ، تَعَقَّبُونَا عَلَى الْجِبَالِ، وَتَرَبَّصُوا بِنَا فِي الصَّحْرَاءِ.

20 The LORD’s anointed, the breath of our life, was captured in their pits. We had said of him, “Under his shadow we will live among the nations.”

20 وَقَعَ فِي حُفَرِهِمْ مَصْدَرُ حَيَاتِنَا، الْمَلِكُ الَّذِي اخْتَارَهُ الرَّبُّ، الَّذِي قُلْنَا: فِي ظِلِّهِ نَعِيشُ بَيْنَ الأُمَمِ.

21 So rejoice and be glad, O Daughter of Edom, you who dwell in the land of Uz. Yet the cup will pass to you as well; you will get drunk and expose yourself.

21 ابْتَهِجِي وَافْرَحِي يَا ابْنَةَ أَدُومَ، يَا سَاكِنَةَ عَوْصٍ. إِنَّمَا هَذِهِ الْكَأْسُ سَتَجُوزُ عَلَيْكِ أَيْضاً فَتَسْكَرِينَ وَتَتَعَرَّيْنَ.

22 O Daughter of Zion, your punishment is complete; He will not prolong your exile. But He will punish your iniquity, O Daughter of Edom; He will expose your sins.

22 قَدْ تَمَّ إِثْمُكِ يَا ابْنَةَ صِهْيَوْنَ، وَلَنْ يُطِيلَ (اللهُ) مِنْ حِقْبَةِ سَبْيِكِ. أَمَّا أَنْتِ يَا ابْنَةَ أَدُومَ فَإِنَّهُ يُعَاقِبُكِ وَيَفْضَحُ خَطَايَاكِ.