Lamentations 4

Lamentations · Chapter 4

Lamentations 4:17

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
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.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.Our eyes do yet fail in looking for our vain help: In our watching we have watched for a nation that could not save.

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
yet weעוֹדֵ֙ינוּ֙o-dei-nuH5750
still

עוֹד (od) subst 1) a going round, continuance adv 2) still, yet, again, besides 2a) still, yet (of continuance or persistence) 2b) still, yet, more (of addition or repetition) 2c) again 2d) still, moreover, besides Aramaic equivalent: od (עוֹד "still" H5751)

they failedתִּכְלֶ֣ינָהtikh-LEI-nahH3615J
to end: finish

כָּלָה (ka.lah) : finish 1) to accomplish, cease, consume, determine, end, fail, finish, be complete, be accomplished, be ended, be at an end, be finished, be spent 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to be complete, be at an end 1a2) to be completed, be finished 1a3) to be accomplished, be fulfilled 1a4) to be determined, be plotted (bad sense) 1a5) to be spent, be used up 1a6) to waste away, be exhausted, fail 1a7) to come to an end, vanish, perish, be destroyed 1b) (Piel) 1b1) to complete, bring to an end, finish 1b2) to complete (a period of time) 1b3) to finish (doing a thing) 1b4) to make an end, end …

eyes ourעֵינֵ֔ינוּ'ei-NEI-nuH5869A
eye

עַ֫יִן (a.yin) : eye 1) eye 1a) eye 1a1) of physical eye 1a2) as showing mental qualities 1a3) of mental and spiritual faculties (fig.)

toאֶל־'el-H0413
to(wards)

אֶל (el) 1) to, toward, unto (of motion) 2) into (limit is actually entered) 2a) in among 3) toward (of direction, not necessarily physical motion) 4) against (motion or direction of a hostile character) 5) in addition to, to 6) concerning, in regard to, in reference to, on account of 7) according to (rule or standard) 8) at, by, against (of one's presence) 9) in between, in within, to within, unto (idea of motion to)

help ourעֶזְרָתֵ֖נוּ'ez-ra-TE-nuH5833
help

עֶזְרָה (ez.rah) 1) help, succour, assistance 1a) help, succour 1b) one who helps

futilityהָ֑בֶלHA-velH1892
vanity

הֶ֫בֶל (he.vel) 1) vapour, breath 1a) breath, vapour 1b) vanity (fig.) adv 2) vainly

in watchtower ourבְּצִפִּיָּתֵ֣נוּbe-tzi-pi-ya-TE-nuH6836
watch

צְפִּיָּה (tse.phiy.yah) lookout post, lookout, watchtower

we watchedצִפִּ֔ינוּtzi-PI-nuH6822
to watch

צָפָה (tsa.phah) 1) to look out or about, spy, keep watch, observe, watch 1a)(Qal) to keep watch, spy 1b) (Piel) to watch, watch closely

toאֶל־'el-H0413
to(wards)

אֶל (el) 1) to, toward, unto (of motion) 2) into (limit is actually entered) 2a) in among 3) toward (of direction, not necessarily physical motion) 4) against (motion or direction of a hostile character) 5) in addition to, to 6) concerning, in regard to, in reference to, on account of 7) according to (rule or standard) 8) at, by, against (of one's presence) 9) in between, in within, to within, unto (idea of motion to)

a nationגּ֖וֹיGoyH1471A
nation

גּוֹי (goy) 1) nation, people 1a) nation, people 1a1) usually of non-Hebrew people 1a2) of descendants of Abraham 1a3) of Israel 1b) of swarm of locusts, other animals (fig.)

[which] notלֹ֥אlo'H3808
not

לֹא (lo) 1) not, no 1a) not (with verb-absolute prohibition) 1b) not (with modifier-negation) 1c) nothing (subst) 1d) without (with particle) 1e) before (of time) Aramaic equivalent: la (לָא "not" H3809)

it will saveיוֹשִֽׁעַ׃ סyo-SHI-a'H3467
to save

יָשַׁע (ya.sah) 1) to save, be saved, be delivered 1a) (Niphal) 1a1) to be liberated, be saved, be delivered 1a2) to be saved (in battle), be victorious 1b) (Hiphil) 1b1) to save, deliver 1b2) to save from moral troubles 1b3) to give victory to

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