איכה ד׳:כ׳
Lamentations 4:20
Hebrew
אֵיכָה֙ יוּעַ֣ם זָהָ֔ב יִשְׁנֶ֖א הַכֶּ֣תֶם הַטּ֑וֹב תִּשְׁתַּפֵּ֙כְנָה֙ אַבְנֵי־קֹ֔דֶשׁ בְּרֹ֖אשׁ כׇּל־חוּצֽוֹת׃ {ס} בְּנֵ֤י צִיּוֹן֙ הַיְקָרִ֔ים הַמְסֻלָּאִ֖ים בַּפָּ֑ז אֵיכָ֤ה נֶחְשְׁבוּ֙ לְנִבְלֵי־חֶ֔רֶשׂ מַעֲשֵׂ֖ה יְדֵ֥י יוֹצֵֽר׃ {ס} גַּם־[תַּנִּים֙] (תנין) חָ֣לְצוּ שַׁ֔ד הֵינִ֖יקוּ גּוּרֵיהֶ֑ן בַּת־עַמִּ֣י לְאַכְזָ֔ר (כי ענים) [כַּיְעֵינִ֖ים] בַּמִּדְבָּֽר׃ {ס} דָּבַ֨ק לְשׁ֥וֹן יוֹנֵ֛ק אֶל־חִכּ֖וֹ בַּצָּמָ֑א עֽוֹלָלִים֙ שָׁ֣אֲלוּ לֶ֔חֶם פֹּרֵ֖שׂ אֵ֥ין לָהֶֽם׃ {ס} הָאֹֽכְלִים֙ לְמַ֣עֲדַנִּ֔ים נָשַׁ֖מּוּ בַּחוּצ֑וֹת הָאֱמֻנִים֙ עֲלֵ֣י תוֹלָ֔ע חִבְּק֖וּ אַשְׁפַּתּֽוֹת׃ {ס} וַיִּגְדַּל֙ עֲוֺ֣ן בַּת־עַמִּ֔י מֵֽחַטַּ֖את סְדֹ֑ם הַֽהֲפוּכָ֣ה כְמוֹ־רָ֔גַע וְלֹא־חָ֥לוּ בָ֖הּ יָדָֽיִם׃ {ס} זַכּ֤וּ נְזִירֶ֙יהָ֙ מִשֶּׁ֔לֶג צַח֖וּ מֵחָלָ֑ב אָ֤דְמוּ עֶ֙צֶם֙ מִפְּנִינִ֔ים סַפִּ֖יר גִּזְרָתָֽם׃ {ס} חָשַׁ֤ךְ מִשְּׁחוֹר֙ תׇּֽאֳרָ֔ם לֹ֥א נִכְּר֖וּ בַּחוּצ֑וֹת צָפַ֤ד עוֹרָם֙ עַל־עַצְמָ֔ם יָבֵ֖שׁ הָיָ֥ה כָעֵֽץ׃ {ס} טוֹבִ֤ים הָיוּ֙ חַלְלֵי־חֶ֔רֶב מֵֽחַלְלֵ֖י רָעָ֑ב שֶׁ֣הֵ֤ם יָזֻ֙בוּ֙ מְדֻקָּרִ֔ים מִתְּנוּבֹ֖ת שָׂדָֽי׃ {ס} יְדֵ֗י נָשִׁים֙ רַחֲמָ֣נִיּ֔וֹת בִּשְּׁל֖וּ יַלְדֵיהֶ֑ן הָי֤וּ לְבָרוֹת֙ לָ֔מוֹ בְּשֶׁ֖בֶר בַּת־עַמִּֽי׃ {ס} כִּלָּ֤ה יְהֹוָה֙ אֶת־חֲמָת֔וֹ שָׁפַ֖ךְ חֲר֣וֹן אַפּ֑וֹ וַיַּצֶּת־אֵ֣שׁ בְּצִיּ֔וֹן וַתֹּ֖אכַל יְסֹדֹתֶֽיהָ׃ {ס} לֹ֤א הֶאֱמִ֙ינוּ֙ מַלְכֵי־אֶ֔רֶץ (וכל) [כֹּ֖ל] יֹשְׁבֵ֣י תֵבֵ֑ל כִּ֤י יָבֹא֙ צַ֣ר וְאוֹיֵ֔ב בְּשַׁעֲרֵ֖י יְרוּשָׁלָֽ͏ִם׃ {ס} מֵֽחַטֹּ֣אות נְבִיאֶ֔יהָ עֲוֺנֹ֖ת כֹּהֲנֶ֑יהָ הַשֹּׁפְכִ֥ים בְּקִרְבָּ֖הּ דַּ֥ם צַדִּיקִֽים׃ {ס} נָע֤וּ עִוְרִים֙ בַּֽחוּצ֔וֹת נְגֹֽאֲל֖וּ בַּדָּ֑ם בְּלֹ֣א יֽוּכְל֔וּ יִגְּע֖וּ בִּלְבֻשֵׁיהֶֽם׃ {ס} ס֣וּרוּ טָמֵ֞א קָ֣רְאוּ לָ֗מוֹ ס֤וּרוּ ס֙וּרוּ֙ אַל־תִּגָּ֔עוּ כִּ֥י נָצ֖וּ גַּם־נָ֑עוּ אָֽמְרוּ֙ בַּגּוֹיִ֔ם לֹ֥א יוֹסִ֖פוּ לָגֽוּר׃ {ס} פְּנֵ֤י יְהֹוָה֙ חִלְּקָ֔ם לֹ֥א יוֹסִ֖יף לְהַבִּיטָ֑ם פְּנֵ֤י כֹהֲנִים֙ לֹ֣א נָשָׂ֔אוּ (זקנים) [וּזְקֵנִ֖ים] לֹ֥א חָנָֽנוּ׃ {ס} (עודינה) [עוֹדֵ֙ינוּ֙] תִּכְלֶ֣ינָה עֵינֵ֔ינוּ אֶל־עֶזְרָתֵ֖נוּ הָ֑בֶל בְּצִפִּיָּתֵ֣נוּ צִפִּ֔ינוּ אֶל־גּ֖וֹי לֹ֥א יוֹשִֽׁעַ׃ {ס} צָד֣וּ צְעָדֵ֔ינוּ מִלֶּ֖כֶת בִּרְחֹבֹתֵ֑ינוּ קָרַ֥ב קִצֵּ֛נוּ מָלְא֥וּ יָמֵ֖ינוּ כִּי־בָ֥א קִצֵּֽנוּ׃ {ס} קַלִּ֤ים הָיוּ֙ רֹדְפֵ֔ינוּ מִנִּשְׁרֵ֖י שָׁמָ֑יִם עַל־הֶהָרִ֣ים דְּלָקֻ֔נוּ בַּמִּדְבָּ֖ר אָ֥רְבוּ לָֽנוּ׃ {ס} ר֤וּחַ אַפֵּ֙ינוּ֙ מְשִׁ֣יחַ יְהֹוָ֔ה נִלְכַּ֖ד בִּשְׁחִיתוֹתָ֑ם אֲשֶׁ֣ר אָמַ֔רְנוּ בְּצִלּ֖וֹ נִֽחְיֶ֥ה בַגּוֹיִֽם׃ {ס} שִׂ֤ישִׂי וְשִׂמְחִי֙ בַּת־אֱד֔וֹם (יושבתי) [יוֹשֶׁ֖בֶת] בְּאֶ֣רֶץ ע֑וּץ גַּם־עָלַ֙יִךְ֙ תַּעֲבׇר־כּ֔וֹס תִּשְׁכְּרִ֖י וְתִתְעָרִֽי׃ {ס} תַּם־עֲוֺנֵךְ֙ בַּת־צִיּ֔וֹן לֹ֥א יוֹסִ֖יף לְהַגְלוֹתֵ֑ךְ פָּקַ֤ד עֲוֺנֵךְ֙ בַּת־אֱד֔וֹם גִּלָּ֖ה עַל־חַטֹּאתָֽיִךְ׃ {פ}
English Translation
א Alas!
The gold is dulled,adulled Meaning of Heb. uncertain.
Debased the finest gold!
The sacredbsacred Emendation yields “precious.” gems are spilled
At every street corner.
ב The precious children of Zion;
Once valued as gold—
Alas, they are accounted as earthen pots,
Work of a potter’s hands!
ג Even jackals offer the breast
And suckle their young;
But my poor people has turned cruel,
Like ostriches of the desert.
ד The tongue of the suckling cleaves
To its palate for thirst.
Little children beg for bread;
None gives them a morsel.
ה Those who feasted on dainties
Lie famished in the streets;
Those who were reared in purple
Have embraced refuse heaps.
ו The guiltcguilt I.e., punishment. of my poordmy poor See note at 3.48. people
Exceeded the iniquityeiniquity I.e., punishment. of Sodom,
Which was overthrown in a moment,
Without a hand striking it.
ז Her elect were purer than snow,
Whiter than milk;
Their limbs were ruddier than coral,
Their bodiesfbodies Meaning of Heb. uncertain. were like sapphire.
ח Now their faces are blacker than soot,
They are not recognized in the streets;
Their skin has shriveled on their bones,
It has become dry as wood.
ט Better off were the slain of the sword
Than those slain by famine,
Who pined away, [as though] wounded,
For lack ofgWho pined away, [as though] wounded, / For lack of Meaning of Heb. uncertain. the fruits of the field.
י With their own hands, tenderhearted women
Have cooked their children;
Such became their fare,
In the disaster of my poorhmy poor See note at 3.48. people.
כ GOD gave full vent to fury,
And poured out blazing wrath—
Kindling a fire in Zion
That consumed its foundations.
ל The kings of the earth did not believe,
Nor any of the inhabitants of the world,
That foe or adversary could enter
The gates of Jerusalem.
מ It was for the sins of her prophets,
The iniquities of her priests,
Who had shed in her midst
The blood of the just.
נ They wandered blindly through the streets,
Defiled with blood,
So that no one was able
To touch their garments.
ס “Away! Unclean!” people shouted at them,
“Away! Away! Touch not!”
So they wandered and wandered again;
For the nations had resolved:
“They shall stay here no longer.”
פ GOD’s countenance has turned away from them,iGOD’s countenance has turned away from them Meaning of Heb. uncertain.
And will look on them no more.
They showed no regard for priests,
No favor to elders.
ע Even now our eyes pine away
In vain for deliverance.
As we waited, still we wait
For a nation that cannot help.
צ Our steps were checked,
We could not walk in our squares.jin our squares Or “With long strides.”
Our doom is near, our days are done—
Alas, our doom has come!
ק Our pursuers were swifter
Than the eagles in the sky;
They chased us in the mountains,
Lay in wait for us in the wilderness.
ר The breath of our life, GOD’s anointed,kGOD’s anointed I.e., the last Davidic king on the throne of Judah; cf. 2 Kings 25.4–7.
Was captured in their traps—
He in whose shade we had thought
To live among the nations.
ש Rejoice and exult, Fair Edom,
Who dwell in the land of Uz!
To you, too, the cup shall pass,
You shall get drunk and expose your nakedness.
ת Your iniquity, Fair Zion, is expiated;
You will be exiled no longer.
Your iniquity, Fair Edom, [God] will note,
And uncover your sins.
The gold is dulled,adulled Meaning of Heb. uncertain.
Debased the finest gold!
The sacredbsacred Emendation yields “precious.” gems are spilled
At every street corner.
ב The precious children of Zion;
Once valued as gold—
Alas, they are accounted as earthen pots,
Work of a potter’s hands!
ג Even jackals offer the breast
And suckle their young;
But my poor people has turned cruel,
Like ostriches of the desert.
ד The tongue of the suckling cleaves
To its palate for thirst.
Little children beg for bread;
None gives them a morsel.
ה Those who feasted on dainties
Lie famished in the streets;
Those who were reared in purple
Have embraced refuse heaps.
ו The guiltcguilt I.e., punishment. of my poordmy poor See note at 3.48. people
Exceeded the iniquityeiniquity I.e., punishment. of Sodom,
Which was overthrown in a moment,
Without a hand striking it.
ז Her elect were purer than snow,
Whiter than milk;
Their limbs were ruddier than coral,
Their bodiesfbodies Meaning of Heb. uncertain. were like sapphire.
ח Now their faces are blacker than soot,
They are not recognized in the streets;
Their skin has shriveled on their bones,
It has become dry as wood.
ט Better off were the slain of the sword
Than those slain by famine,
Who pined away, [as though] wounded,
For lack ofgWho pined away, [as though] wounded, / For lack of Meaning of Heb. uncertain. the fruits of the field.
י With their own hands, tenderhearted women
Have cooked their children;
Such became their fare,
In the disaster of my poorhmy poor See note at 3.48. people.
כ GOD gave full vent to fury,
And poured out blazing wrath—
Kindling a fire in Zion
That consumed its foundations.
ל The kings of the earth did not believe,
Nor any of the inhabitants of the world,
That foe or adversary could enter
The gates of Jerusalem.
מ It was for the sins of her prophets,
The iniquities of her priests,
Who had shed in her midst
The blood of the just.
נ They wandered blindly through the streets,
Defiled with blood,
So that no one was able
To touch their garments.
ס “Away! Unclean!” people shouted at them,
“Away! Away! Touch not!”
So they wandered and wandered again;
For the nations had resolved:
“They shall stay here no longer.”
פ GOD’s countenance has turned away from them,iGOD’s countenance has turned away from them Meaning of Heb. uncertain.
And will look on them no more.
They showed no regard for priests,
No favor to elders.
ע Even now our eyes pine away
In vain for deliverance.
As we waited, still we wait
For a nation that cannot help.
צ Our steps were checked,
We could not walk in our squares.jin our squares Or “With long strides.”
Our doom is near, our days are done—
Alas, our doom has come!
ק Our pursuers were swifter
Than the eagles in the sky;
They chased us in the mountains,
Lay in wait for us in the wilderness.
ר The breath of our life, GOD’s anointed,kGOD’s anointed I.e., the last Davidic king on the throne of Judah; cf. 2 Kings 25.4–7.
Was captured in their traps—
He in whose shade we had thought
To live among the nations.
ש Rejoice and exult, Fair Edom,
Who dwell in the land of Uz!
To you, too, the cup shall pass,
You shall get drunk and expose your nakedness.
ת Your iniquity, Fair Zion, is expiated;
You will be exiled no longer.
Your iniquity, Fair Edom, [God] will note,
And uncover your sins.
About This Text
Source
Lamentations
Category
Tanach
Reference
Lamentations 4:20
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