Lamentations 4

Lamentations · Chapter 4

Lamentations 4:1

1How is the gold become dim! how is the most fine gold changed! the stones of the sanctuary are poured out in the top of every street.2The precious sons of Zion, comparable to fine gold, how are they esteemed as earthen pitchers, the work of the hands of the potter!3Even the sea monsters draw out the breast, they give suck to their young ones: the daughter of my people is become cruel, like the ostriches in the wilderness.4The tongue of the sucking child cleaveth to the roof of his mouth for thirst: the young children ask bread, and no man breaketh it unto them.5They that did feed delicately are desolate in the streets: they that were brought up in scarlet embrace dunghills.6For the punishment of the iniquity of the daughter of my people is greater than the punishment of the sin of Sodom, that was overthrown as in a moment, and no hands stayed on her.7Her Nazarites were purer than snow, they were whiter than milk, they were more ruddy in body than rubies, their polishing was of sapphire:8Their visage is blacker than a coal; they are not known in the streets: their skin cleaveth to their bones; it is withered, it is become like a stick.9They that be slain with the sword are better than they that be slain with hunger: for these pine away, stricken through for want of the fruits of the field.10The hands of the pitiful women have sodden their own children: they were their meat in the destruction of the daughter of my people.11The LORD hath accomplished his fury; he hath poured out his fierce anger, and hath kindled a fire in Zion, and it hath devoured the foundations thereof.12The kings of the earth, and all the inhabitants of the world, would not have believed that the adversary and the enemy should have entered into the gates of Jerusalem.13For the sins of her prophets, and the iniquities of her priests, that have shed the blood of the just in the midst of her,14They have wandered as blind men in the streets, they have polluted themselves with blood, so that men could not touch their garments.15They cried unto them, Depart ye; it is unclean; depart, depart, touch not: when they fled away and wandered, they said among the heathen, They shall no more sojourn there.16The anger of the LORD hath divided them; he will no more regard them: they respected not the persons of the priests, they favoured not the elders.17As for us, our eyes as yet failed for our vain help: in our watching we have watched for a nation that could not save us.18They hunt our steps, that we cannot go in our streets: our end is near, our days are fulfilled; for our end is come.19Our persecutors are swifter than the eagles of the heaven: they pursued us upon the mountains, they laid wait for us in the wilderness.20The breath of our nostrils, the anointed of the LORD, was taken in their pits, of whom we said, Under his shadow we shall live among the heathen.21Rejoice and be glad, O daughter of Edom, that dwellest in the land of Uz; the cup also shall pass through unto thee: thou shalt be drunken, and shalt make thyself naked.22The punishment of thine iniquity is accomplished, O daughter of Zion; he will no more carry thee away into captivity: he will visit thine iniquity, O daughter of Edom; he will discover thy sins.

King James Version (1769)

Other translations

VerseKJVBSBASV
1How is the gold become dim! how is the most fine gold changed! the stones of the sanctuary are poured out in the top of every street.How the gold has become tarnished, the pure gold has become dull! The gems of the temple lie scattered on every street corner.How is the gold become dim! how is the most pure gold changed! The stones of the sanctuary are poured out at the head of every street.

In context

Who is speaking and to whom, what is happening, when and where, and why it matters, each with its sources. Coming with the context cards.

Original Hebrew words

EnglishHebrewSay itStrong'sMeaning
how!אֵיכָה֙'ei-KHAHH0349B
how?

אֵיכָה (e.khah) interrog adv 1) how? interj 2) how! (in lamentation) 3) expression of satisfaction

it is dimmedיוּעַ֣םyu-'AMH6004
to darken

עָמַם (a.mam) 1) to dim, darken, grow dark 1a) (Qal) to dim, eclipse, be held dark 1b) (Hophal) to be dimmed, grow dark

goldזָהָ֔בza-HAVH2091
gold

דְּהַב (de.hav) gold Aramaic of za.hav (זָהָב "gold" H2091)

it is changedיִשְׁנֶ֖אyish-NE'H8132
to change

שָׁנָא (sha.na) 1) to change, alter 1a) (Qal) to change 1b) (Piel) to change, alter 1c) (Pual) to be changed Aramaic equivalent: she.na (שְׁנָא "to change" H8133)

the goldהַכֶּ֣תֶםha-KE-temH3800
gold

כֶּ֫תֶם (ke.tem) gold, pure gold

the fineהַטּ֑וֹבha-TOVH2896A
fine

טָב (tav) good Aramaic of tov (טוֹב "pleasant" H2896A)

they lie scatteredתִּשְׁתַּפֵּ֙כְנָה֙tish-ta-PE-khe-nahH8210J
to pour: pour

שָׁפַךְ (sha.phakh) : pour 1) to pour, pour out, spill 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to pour, pour out 1a2) to shed (blood) 1a3) to pour out (anger or heart) (fig) 1b) (Niphal) to be poured out, be shed 1c) (Pual) to be poured out, be shed 1d) (Hithpael) 1d1) to be poured out 1d2) to pour out oneself

stones ofאַבְנֵי־'av-nei-H0068G
stone

אֶ֫בֶן (e.ven) : stone 1) stone (large or small) 1a) common stone (in natural state) 1b) stone, as material 1b1) of tablets 1b2) marble, hewn stones 1c) precious stones, stones of fire 1d) stones containing metal (ore), tool for work or weapon 1e) weight 1f) plummet (stones of destruction) also made of metal 1g) stonelike objects, eg hailstones, stony heart, ice 1h) sacred object, as memorial Samuel set up to mark where God helped Israel to defeat the Philistines 1i) (simile) 1i1) sinking in water, motionlessness 1i2) strength, firmness, solidity 1i3) commonness 1j) (metaph) 1j1) petrified with terror …

holinessקֹ֔דֶשׁKO-deshH6944G
holiness

קֹ֫דֶשׁ (qo.desh) 1) apartness, holiness, sacredness, separateness 1a) apartness, sacredness, holiness 1a1) of God 1a2) of places 1a3) of things 1b) set-apartness, separateness

at [the] head ofבְּרֹ֖אשׁbe-ROSHH7218INo entry
allכָּל־kol-H3605
all

כֹּל (kol) 1) all, the whole 1a) all, the whole of 1b) any, each, every, anything 1c) totality, everything Aramaic equivalent: kol (כֹּל "all" H3606)

[the] streetsחוּצֽוֹת׃ סchu-TZOTH2351
outside

חוּץ (chuts) outside, outward, street, the outside

Words and meanings from STEPBible data (Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). The capitalized syllable is the stressed one.