Lamentations 4

Lamentations · Chapter 4

Lamentations 4:6

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
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.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.For the iniquity of the daughter of my people is greater than the sin of Sodom, That was overthrown as in a moment, and no hands were laid upon her.

In context

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Where

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Original Hebrew words

EnglishHebrewSay itStrong'sMeaning
and it has become greatוַיִּגְדַּל֙vai-yig-DALH1431
to magnify

גָּדַל (ga.dal) 1) to grow, become great or important, promote, make powerful, praise, magnify, do great things 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to grow up 1a2) to become great 1a3) to be magnified 1b) (Piel) 1b1) to cause to grow 1b2) to make great, powerful 1b3) to magnify 1c) (Pual) to be brought up 1d) (Hiphil) 1d1) to make great 1d2) to magnify 1d3) to do great things 1e) (Hithpael) to magnify oneself

[the] iniquity ofעֲוֹ֣ן'a-VONH5771I
iniquity: crime

עָוֺן (a.van) : crime 1) perversity, depravity, iniquity, guilt or punishment of iniquity 1a) iniquity 1b) guilt of iniquity, guilt (as great), guilt (of condition) 1c) consequence of or punishment for iniquity

[the] daughter ofבַּת־bat-H1323G
daughter

בַּת (bat) : daughter 1) daughter 1a) daughter, girl, adopted daughter, daughter-in-law, sister, granddaughters, female child, cousin 1a1) as polite address 1a2) as designation of women of a particular place 2) young women, women 1a3) as personification 1a4) daughter-villages 1a5) description of character Also means: bat (בַּת ": village" H1323H)

people myעַמִּ֔י'a-MIH5971A
people

עַם (am) : people/nation 1) nation, people 1a) people, nation 1b) persons, members of one's people, compatriots, country-men

more than [the] sin ofמֵֽחַטַּ֖אתme-cha-TATH2403INo entry
Sodomסְדֹ֑םse-DOMH5467
Sodom

סְדֹם (se.dom) Sodom = "burning" a Canaanite city, usually paired with Gomorrah, located in the area of the Dead Sea and the Jordan river; both cities destroyed by God in judgment Also named: Sodoma (Σόδομα "Sodom" G4670)

which was overthrownהַֽהֲפוּכָ֣הha-ha-fu-KHAHH2015
to overturn

הָפַךְ (ha.phakh) 1) to turn, overthrow, overturn 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to overturn, overthrow 1a2) to turn, turn about, turn over, turn around 1a3) to change, transform 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to turn oneself, turn, turn back 1b2) to change oneself 1b3) to be perverse 1b4) to be turned, be turned over, be changed, be turned against 1b5) to be reversed 1b6) to be overturned, be overthrown 1b7) to be upturned 1c) (Hithpael) 1c1) to transform oneself 1c2) to turn this way and that, turn every way 1d) (Hophal) to turn on someone

likeכְמוֹ־khe-mov-H3644G
like

כְּמוֹ (ke.mo) adv 1) like, as, the like of which conj 2) when, according as, as it were

a momentרָ֔גַעRA-ga'H7281
moment

רֶ֫גַע (re.ga) 1) a moment adv 2) for a moment, at one moment...at another moment with prep 3) in a moment

and notוְלֹא־ve-lo'-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)

they twistedחָ֥לוּCHA-luH2342A
to twist: tremble

חוּל (chul) : tremble/fear 1) to twist, whirl, dance, writhe, fear, tremble, travail, be in anguish, be pained 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to dance 1a2) to twist, writhe 1a3) to whirl, whirl about 1b) (Polel) 1b1) to dance 1b2) to writhe (in travail with), bear, bring forth 1b3) to wait anxiously 1c) (Pulal) 1c1) to be made to writhe, be made to bear 1c2) to be brought forth 1d) (Hophal) to be born 1e) (Hithpolel) 1e1) whirling (participle) 1e2) writhing, suffering torture (participle) 1e3) to wait longingly 1f) (Hithpalpel) to be distressed

handsיָדָֽיִם׃ סya-DA-yimH3027G
hand

יָד (yad) : hand/arm[anatomy] 1) hand 1a) hand (of man) 1b) strength, power (fig.) 1c) side (of land), part, portion (metaph.) (fig.) 1d) (various special, technical senses) 1d1) sign, monument 1d2) part, fractional part, share 1d3) time, repetition 1d4) axle-trees, axle 1d5) stays, support (for laver) 1d6) tenons (in tabernacle) 1d7) a phallus, a hand (meaning unsure) 1d8) wrists

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