IV.
The fourth lamentation — a lamentation over the punished people
4:1-22
A.
Afflicted with the lack of food in their siege
vv. 1-10
Lam. 4
:1
4:1
How the gold has become dim!
How the most pure gold has changed!
The
astones of the sanctuary lie poured out
At the head of every street.
Lam. 4
:2
4:2
The precious sons of Zion,
Comparable to fine gold,
How they are esteemed as
aearthen pitchers,
The work of the hands of a potter.
Lam. 4
:3
4:3
Even the jackals present the breast;
They nurse their young ones;
But the daughter of my people has become cruel,
Like the ostriches in the wilderness.
Lam. 4
:4
4:4
The tongue of the sucking child cleaves
To the roof of his mouth for thirst;
The little ones ask for bread,
But no one breaks
it for them.
Lam. 4
:5
4:5
Those who fed on delicacies
Are desolate in the streets;
Those who were brought up in scarlet
Embrace dung heaps.
Lam. 4
:6
4:6
And the iniquity of the daughter of my people is greater
Than the sin of
aSodom,
Which was overthrown as in a moment;
And no hands were laid on her.
Lam. 4
:7
4:7
Her nobles were purer than snow;
They were whiter than milk;
They were redder in body than corals;
Their figure was like sapphire.
Lam. 4
:8
4:8
Their visage is
adarker than black
coal;
They are not recognized in the streets.
Their skin has shriveled up on their bones;
It has dried up; it has become like wood.
Lam. 4
:9
4:9
Those who were slain by the sword are better
Than those slain by famine;
For these pine away stricken through,
Because of the lack of the produce of the field.
Lam. 4
:10
4:10
The hands of compassionate women
Have boiled their own children;
They have become their food
In the destruction of the daughter of my people.
B.
Consumed by the burning anger of Jehovah's wrath
vv. 11-20
Lam. 4
:11
4:11
Jehovah has accomplished His wrath;
He has poured out His burning anger.
And He has kindled a fire in Zion,
And it has consumed its foundations.
Lam. 4
:12
4:12
The kings of the earth did not believe,
Neither did any of the inhabitants of the world,
That the adversary and the enemy would enter
Into the gates of Jerusalem.
Lam. 4
:13
4:13
It is because of the sins of her prophets,
And the iniquities of her priests,
Who have shed the
ablood of the righteous
In her midst.
Lam. 4
:14
4:14
They have wandered about blind in the streets;
They are polluted with blood;
So that men cannot touch
Their garments.
Lam. 4
:15
4:15
They cried out to them, Depart!
aUnclean!
Depart, depart; do not touch!
When they fled away and wandered about, men said among the nations,
They will no longer sojourn
there.
Lam. 4
:16
4:16
The anger of Jehovah has scattered them;
He will no longer regard them.
They did not honor the priests,
Nor did they favor the elders.
Lam. 4
:17
4:17
Our eyes do yet fail,
Looking in vain for our help;
In our watching we watched
For a nation that could not save.
Lam. 4
:18
4:18
They hunted our steps,
So that we cannot walk in our streets;
Our end drew near; our days were fulfilled;
For our end had come.
Lam. 4
:19
4:19
Our pursuers were swifter
Than the
aeagles of heaven;
They hotly pursued us on the mountains;
They lay in wait for us in the wilderness.
Lam. 4
:20
4:20
The breath of our nostrils, the
aanointed of Jehovah,
Has been captured in their pits,
Of whom we said, Under his shadow
We will live among the nations.
C.
Their hope in the future
vv. 21-22
Lam. 4
:21
4:21
Rejoice and be glad, O daughter of Edom,
Who dwells in the land of Uz.
Yet the cup will pass through to you also;
You will become drunk and make yourself naked.
Lam. 4
:22
4:22
The apunishment for your iniquity has been accomplished, O daughter of Zion;
He will no longer take you into exile.
But He will
1punish your iniquity, O daughter of
bEdom;
He will uncover your sins.
