{"book":"Lamentations","slug":"lamentations","ch":4,"genre":"poetry","sub":"Lamentations","prev":"lamentations/3","next":"lamentations/5","verses":[{"v":1,"t":"How the gold has become tarnished, the pure gold has become dull! The gems of the temple lie scattered on every street corner.","f":["This chapter is an acrostic poem, each verse beginning with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet."],"lines":[{"style":"indent1stline","t":"How the gold has become tarnished,"},{"style":"indent2","t":"the pure gold has become dull!"},{"style":"indent1","t":"The gems of the temple lie scattered"},{"style":"indent2","t":"on every street corner."}],"h":"The Distress of Zion","style":"indent1stline"},{"v":2,"t":"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!","f":[],"lines":[{"style":"indent1stline","t":"How the precious sons of Zion,"},{"style":"indent2","t":"once worth their weight in pure gold,"},{"style":"indent1","t":"are now esteemed as jars of clay,"},{"style":"indent2","t":"the work of a potter’s hands!"}],"style":"indent1stline"},{"v":3,"t":"Even jackals offer their breasts to nurse their young, [but] the daughter of my people has become cruel, like an ostrich in the wilderness.","f":["Or serpents or dragons"],"lines":[{"style":"indent1stline","t":"Even jackals offer their breasts"},{"style":"indent2","t":"to nurse their young,"},{"style":"indent1","t":"[but] the daughter of my people has become cruel,"},{"style":"indent2","t":"like an ostrich in the wilderness."}],"style":"indent1stline"},{"v":4,"t":"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.","f":[],"lines":[{"style":"indent1stline","t":"The nursing infant’s tongue"},{"style":"indent2","t":"clings in thirst to the roof of his mouth."},{"style":"indent1","t":"Little children beg for bread,"},{"style":"indent2","t":"but no one gives them any."}],"style":"indent1stline"},{"v":5,"t":"Those who once ate delicacies are destitute in the streets; those brought up in crimson huddle in ash heaps.","f":[],"lines":[{"style":"indent1stline","t":"Those who once ate delicacies"},{"style":"indent2","t":"are destitute in the streets;"},{"style":"indent1","t":"those brought up in crimson"},{"style":"indent2","t":"huddle in ash heaps."}],"style":"indent1stline"},{"v":6,"t":"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.","f":["Or iniquity"],"lines":[{"style":"indent1stline","t":"The punishment of the daughter of my people"},{"style":"indent2","t":"is greater than [that] of Sodom,"},{"style":"indent1","t":"which was overthrown in an instant"},{"style":"indent2","t":"without a hand turned to help her."}],"style":"indent1stline"},{"v":7,"t":"Her dignitaries were brighter than snow, whiter than milk; their bodies were more ruddy than rubies, their appearance like sapphires.","f":["Or their polishing or their hair","Hebrew lapis lazuli"],"lines":[{"style":"indent1stline","t":"Her dignitaries were brighter than snow,"},{"style":"indent2","t":"whiter than milk;"},{"style":"indent1","t":"their bodies were more ruddy than rubies,"},{"style":"indent2","t":"their appearance like sapphires."}],"style":"indent1stline"},{"v":8,"t":"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.","f":[],"lines":[{"style":"indent1stline","t":"But now their appearance is blacker than soot;"},{"style":"indent2","t":"they are not recognized in the streets."},{"style":"indent1","t":"Their skin has shriveled on their bones;"},{"style":"indent2","t":"it has become as dry as a stick."}],"style":"indent1stline"},{"v":9,"t":"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.","f":[],"lines":[{"style":"indent1stline","t":"Those slain by the sword are better off"},{"style":"indent2","t":"than those who die of hunger,"},{"style":"indent1","t":"who waste away, pierced with pain"},{"style":"indent2","t":"because the fields lack produce."}],"style":"indent1stline"},{"v":10,"t":"The hands of compassionate women have cooked their own children, who became their food in the destruction of the daughter of my people.","f":[],"lines":[{"style":"indent1stline","t":"The hands of compassionate women"},{"style":"indent2","t":"have cooked their own children,"},{"style":"indent1","t":"who became their food"},{"style":"indent2","t":"in the destruction of the daughter of my people."}],"style":"indent1stline"},{"v":11,"t":"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.","f":[],"lines":[{"style":"indent1stline","t":"The LORD has exhausted His wrath;"},{"style":"indent2","t":"He has poured out His fierce anger;"},{"style":"indent1","t":"He has kindled a fire in Zion,"},{"style":"indent2","t":"and it has consumed her foundations."}],"style":"indent1stline"},{"v":12,"t":"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.","f":[],"lines":[{"style":"indent1stline","t":"The kings of the earth did not believe,"},{"style":"indent2","t":"nor any people of the world,"},{"style":"indent1","t":"that an enemy or a foe"},{"style":"indent2","t":"could enter the gates of Jerusalem."}],"style":"indent1stline"},{"v":13,"t":"[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.","f":[],"lines":[{"style":"indent1stline","t":"[But this was] for the sins of her prophets"},{"style":"indent2","t":"and the guilt of her priests,"},{"style":"indent1","t":"who shed the blood of the righteous"},{"style":"indent2","t":"in her midst."}],"style":"indent1stline"},{"v":14,"t":"They wandered blind in the streets, defiled by this blood, so that no one dared to touch their garments.","f":[],"lines":[{"style":"indent1stline","t":"They wandered blind in the streets,"},{"style":"indent2","t":"defiled by this blood,"},{"style":"indent1","t":"so that no one dared"},{"style":"indent2","t":"to touch their garments."}],"style":"indent1stline"},{"v":15,"t":"“ 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.”","f":[],"lines":[{"style":"indent1stline","t":"“ Go away! Unclean!”"},{"style":"indent2","t":"men shouted at them."},{"style":"indent1","t":"“ Away, away! Do not touch us!”"},{"style":"indent2","t":"So they fled and wandered."},{"style":"indent1","t":"Among the nations it was said,"},{"style":"indent2","t":"“ They can stay here no longer.”"}],"style":"indent1stline"},{"v":16,"t":"The presence of the LORD has scattered them; He regards them no more. The priests are shown no honor; the elders find no favor.","f":[],"lines":[{"style":"indent1stline","t":"The presence of the LORD has scattered them;"},{"style":"indent2","t":"He regards them no more."},{"style":"indent1","t":"The priests are shown no honor;"},{"style":"indent2","t":"the elders find no favor."}],"style":"indent1stline"},{"v":17,"t":"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.","f":[],"lines":[{"style":"indent1stline","t":"All the while our eyes were failing"},{"style":"indent2","t":"as we looked in vain for help."},{"style":"indent1","t":"We watched from our towers"},{"style":"indent2","t":"for a nation [that] could not save us."}],"style":"indent1stline"},{"v":18,"t":"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!","f":[],"lines":[{"style":"indent1stline","t":"They stalked our every step,"},{"style":"indent2","t":"so that we could not walk in our streets."},{"style":"indent1","t":"Our end drew near, our time ran out,"},{"style":"indent2","t":"for our end had come!"}],"style":"indent1stline"},{"v":19,"t":"Those who chased us were swifter than the eagles in the sky; they pursued us over the mountains and ambushed us in the wilderness.","f":[],"lines":[{"style":"indent1stline","t":"Those who chased us were swifter"},{"style":"indent2","t":"than the eagles in the sky;"},{"style":"indent1","t":"they pursued us over the mountains"},{"style":"indent2","t":"and ambushed us in the wilderness."}],"style":"indent1stline"},{"v":20,"t":"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.”","f":[],"lines":[{"style":"indent1stline","t":"The LORD’s anointed, the breath of our life,"},{"style":"indent2","t":"was captured in their pits."},{"style":"indent1","t":"We had said of him,"},{"style":"indent2","t":"“ Under his shadow we will live among the nations.”"}],"style":"indent1stline"},{"v":21,"t":"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.","f":[],"lines":[{"style":"indent1stline","t":"So rejoice and be glad, O Daughter of Edom,"},{"style":"indent2","t":"[you] who dwell in the land of Uz."},{"style":"indent1","t":"Yet the cup will pass to you as well;"},{"style":"indent2","t":"you will get drunk and expose yourself."}],"style":"indent1stline"},{"v":22,"t":"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.","f":["Or He will not exile you again"],"lines":[{"style":"indent1stline","t":"O Daughter of Zion, your punishment is complete;"},{"style":"indent2","t":"He will not prolong your exile."},{"style":"indent1","t":"But He will punish your iniquity, O Daughter of Edom;"},{"style":"indent2","t":"He will expose your sins."}],"style":"indent1stline"}]}