Lamentations 4–5

Terrors of the Besieged City

א Alef

4How the gold has become tarnished,

the fine gold become dull!

The stones of the temple ^wlie scattered

at the corner of every street. ^x

ב Bet

²Zion’s precious people—

once worth their weight in pure gold ^y—

how they are regarded as clay jars,

the work of a potter’s hands!

ג Gimel

³Even jackals offer their breasts

to nurse their young,

but my dear people have become cruel

like ostriches ^zin the wilderness.

ד Dalet

⁴The nursing infant’s tongue

clings to the roof of his mouth from thirst. ^a

Little children beg for bread,

but no one gives them any.

ה He

⁵Those who used to eat delicacies

are destitute in the streets;

those who were reared in purple garments ^b

huddle in garbage heaps.

ו Vav

⁶The punishment of my dear people

is greater than that of Sodom, ^c

which was overthrown in an instant

without a hand laid on it.

ז Zayin

⁷Her dignitaries were brighter than snow,

whiter than milk;

their bodies ^dwere more ruddy than coral,

their appearance like sapphire. ^e

ח Khet

⁸Now they appear darker than soot; ^f

they are not recognized in the streets.

Their skin has shriveled on their bones;

it has become dry like wood.

ט Tet

⁹Those slain by the sword are better off

than those slain by hunger,

who waste away, pierced with pain

because the fields lack produce.

י Yod

¹⁰The hands of compassionate women

have cooked their own children; ^g

they became their food

during the destruction of my dear people. ^h

כ Kaf

¹¹The Lord has exhausted His wrath,

poured out His burning anger;

He has ignited a fire in Zion,

and it has consumed her foundations. ⁱ

ל Lamed

¹²The kings of the earth

and all the world’s inhabitants did not believe

that an enemy or adversary

could enter Jerusalem’s gates. ^j

מ Mem

¹³Yet it happened because of the sins of her prophets

and the guilt of her priests,

who shed the blood of the righteous

within her. ^k

נ Nun

¹⁴Blind, they stumbled in the streets, ^l

defiled by this blood, ^m

so that no one dared

to touch their garments.

ס Samek

¹⁵“Stay away! Unclean!” people shouted at them.

“Away, away! Don’t touch us!” ⁿ

So they wandered aimlessly. ^o

It was said among the nations,

“They can stay here no longer.”

פ Pe

¹⁶The Lord Himself has scattered them;

He regards them no more.

The priests are not respected;

the elders find no favor.

ע Ayin

¹⁷All the while our eyes were failing

as we looked in vain for assistance; ^p

we watched from our towers

for a nation ^qthat refused to help.

צ Tsade

¹⁸Our steps were closely followed

so that we could not walk in our streets.

Our end drew near; ^rour time ran out.

Our end had come!

ק Qof

¹⁹Those who chased us were swifter

than eagles in the sky; ^s

they relentlessly pursued us over the mountains

and ambushed us in the wilderness.

ר Resh

²⁰The Lord’s anointed, ^tthe breath of our life, ^uv

was captured in their traps.

We had said about him,

“We will live under his protection among the nations.”

שׂ Sin

²¹So rejoice and be glad, Daughter Edom, ^w

you resident of the land of Uz! ^x

Yet the cup ^ywill pass to you as well;

you will get drunk and expose yourself.

ת Tav

²²Daughter Zion, your punishment is complete;

He will not lengthen your exile. ^z

But He will punish your iniquity, Daughter Edom,

and will expose your sins. ^a

Prayer for Restoration

5Yahweh, remember what has happened to us.

Look, and see our disgrace! ^b

²Our inheritance has been turned over to strangers,

our houses to foreigners.

³We have become orphans, fatherless;

our mothers are widows.

⁴We must pay for the water we drink;

our wood comes at a price.

⁵We are closely pursued;

we are tired, and no one offers us rest.

⁶We made a treaty with ^cEgypt

and with Assyria, to get enough food. ^d

⁷Our fathers sinned; they no longer exist,

but we bear their punishment.

⁸Slaves rule over us; ^e

no one rescues us from their hands.

⁹We secure our food at the risk of our lives

because of the sword in the wilderness.

¹⁰Our skin is as hot ^fas an oven ^g

from the ravages of hunger.

¹¹Women are raped in Zion,

girls in the cities of Judah.

¹²Princes are hung up by their hands;

elders are shown no respect. ^h

¹³Young men labor at millstones; ⁱ

boys stumble under loads of wood.

¹⁴The elders have left the city gate,

the young men, their music. ^j

¹⁵Joy has left our hearts; ^k

our dancing has turned to mourning.

¹⁶The crown has fallen from our head. ^l

Woe to us, for we have sinned. ^m

¹⁷Because of this, our heart is sick;

because of these, our eyes grow dim: ⁿ

¹⁸because of Mount Zion, which lies desolate

and has jackals prowling in it. ^o

¹⁹You, Lord, are enthroned forever;

Your throne endures from generation to generation. ^p

²⁰Why have You forgotten us forever, ^q

abandoned us for our entire lives?

²¹Lord, restore us to Yourself, so we may return; ^r

renew our days as in former times,

²²unless You have completely rejected us

and are intensely angry with us.