Lamentaciones 4
Reina-Valera 1995
El castigo de Sión
4 ¡Cómo se ha ennegrecido el oro!
¡Cómo ha perdido el oro puro su brillo!
Las piedras del santuario están esparcidas por las encrucijadas de todas las calles.
2 Los hijos de Sión, preciados y estimados más que el oro puro,
¡son ahora como vasijas de barro, obra de manos de alfarero!
3 Aun los chacales dan las ubres para amamantar a sus cachorros,
pero la hija de mi pueblo es cruel como los avestruces del desierto.
4 De sed se le pega al niño de pecho la lengua al paladar;
los pequeñuelos piden pan, y no hay quien se lo dé.
5 Los que comían delicados manjares desfallecen por las calles;
los que se criaron entre púrpura se abrazan a los estercoleros.
6 Porque más fue la iniquidad de la hija de mi pueblo que el pecado de Sodoma,
que fue destruida en un instante, sin manos que se alzaran contra ella.
7 Sus nobles eran más puros que la nieve, más blancos que la leche;
más encendidos sus cuerpos que el coral, más hermoso su talle que el zafiro.
8 Oscuro más que la negrura es ahora su aspecto: no se les reconoce por las calles;
tienen la piel pegada a los huesos, seca como un palo.
9 Más dichosos fueron los muertos a espada que los muertos por el hambre,
porque estos murieron poco a poco por faltarles los frutos de la tierra.
10 Las manos de mujeres piadosas cocieron a sus hijos:
¡Sus propios hijos les sirvieron de comida en el día del desastre de la hija de mi pueblo!
11 Cumplió Jehová su enojo, derramó el ardor de su ira
y encendió en Sión un fuego que consumió hasta sus cimientos.
12 Nunca los reyes de la tierra ni ninguno de los habitantes del mundo
habrían creído que el enemigo y el adversario entraría por las puertas de Jerusalén.
13 Fue por causa de los pecados de sus profetas y las maldades de sus sacerdotes,
que derramaron en medio de ella la sangre de los justos.
14 Titubeaban por las calles como ciegos, contaminados con la sangre,
de modo que no pudieran tocar sus vestiduras.
15 «¡Apartaos! ¡Un inmundo!», les gritaban: «¡Apartaos, apartaos, no toquéis!»
Huyeron, fueron dispersados. Entonces se dijo entre las naciones:
«Nunca más morarán aquí.»
16 En su ira, Jehová los apartó y no los mirará más:
No respetaron la presencia de los sacerdotes ni tuvieron compasión de los viejos.
17 Nuestros ojos desfallecen esperando en vano nuestro socorro;
en nuestra esperanza aguardamos a una nación que no puede salvar.
18 Espiaban nuestros pasos para que no anduviéramos por las calles.
Se acercaba nuestro fin: se habían cumplido nuestros días y el fin había llegado.
19 Más ligeros eran nuestros perseguidores que las águilas del cielo;
sobre los montes nos persiguieron, en el desierto nos pusieron emboscadas.
20 El aliento de nuestras vidas, el ungido de Jehová,
de quien habíamos dicho: «A su sombra tendremos vida entre las naciones», quedó apresado en sus lazos.
21 ¡Goza y alégrate, hija de Edom, tú que habitas en tierra de Uz!,
porque también a ti te llegará esta copa y te embriagarás y vomitarás.
22 Ya está cumplido tu castigo, hija de Sión:
Nunca más hará él que te lleven cautiva.
Castigará él tu iniquidad, hija de Edom,
y descubrirá tus pecados.
Lamentations 4
King James Version
4 How 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.
2 The precious sons of Zion, comparable to fine gold, how are they esteemed as earthen pitchers, the work of the hands of the potter!
3 Even 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.
4 The 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.
5 They that did feed delicately are desolate in the streets: they that were brought up in scarlet embrace dunghills.
6 For 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.
7 Her Nazarites were purer than snow, they were whiter than milk, they were more ruddy in body than rubies, their polishing was of sapphire:
8 Their 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.
9 They 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.
10 The hands of the pitiful women have sodden their own children: they were their meat in the destruction of the daughter of my people.
11 The 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.
12 The 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.
13 For the sins of her prophets, and the iniquities of her priests, that have shed the blood of the just in the midst of her,
14 They have wandered as blind men in the streets, they have polluted themselves with blood, so that men could not touch their garments.
15 They 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.
16 The 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.
17 As 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.
18 They hunt our steps, that we cannot go in our streets: our end is near, our days are fulfilled; for our end is come.
19 Our persecutors are swifter than the eagles of the heaven: they pursued us upon the mountains, they laid wait for us in the wilderness.
20 The 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.
21 Rejoice 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.
22 The 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.
Lamentations 4
New King James Version
The Degradation of Zion
4 How the gold has become dim!
How changed the fine gold!
The stones of the sanctuary are [a]scattered
At the head of every street.
2 The precious sons of Zion,
[b]Valuable as fine gold,
How they are [c]regarded (A)as clay pots,
The work of the hands of the potter!
3 Even the jackals present their breasts
To nurse their young;
But the daughter of my people is cruel,
(B)Like ostriches in the wilderness.
4 The tongue of the infant clings
To the roof of its mouth for thirst;
(C)The young children ask for bread,
But no one breaks it for them.
5 Those who ate delicacies
Are desolate in the streets;
Those who were brought up in scarlet
(D)Embrace ash heaps.
6 The punishment of the iniquity of the daughter of my people
Is greater than the punishment of the (E)sin of Sodom,
Which was (F)overthrown in a moment,
With no hand to help her!
7 Her [d]Nazirites were [e]brighter than snow
And whiter than milk;
They were more ruddy in body than rubies,
Like sapphire in their [f]appearance.
8 Now their appearance is blacker than soot;
They go unrecognized in the streets;
(G)Their skin clings to their bones,
It has become as dry as wood.
9 Those slain by the sword are better off
Than those who die of hunger;
For these (H)pine away,
Stricken for lack of the fruits of the (I)field.
10 The hands of the (J)compassionate women
Have [g]cooked their (K)own children;
They became (L)food for them
In the destruction of the daughter of my people.
11 The Lord has fulfilled His fury,
(M)He has poured out His fierce anger.
(N)He kindled a fire in Zion,
And it has devoured its foundations.
12 The kings of the earth,
And all inhabitants of the world,
Would not have believed
That the adversary and the enemy
Could (O)enter the gates of Jerusalem—
13 (P)Because of the sins of her prophets
And the iniquities of her priests,
(Q)Who shed in her midst
The blood of the just.
14 They wandered blind in the streets;
(R)They have defiled themselves with blood,
(S)So that no one would touch their garments.
15 They cried out to them,
“Go away, (T)unclean!
Go away, go away,
Do not touch us!”
When they fled and wandered,
Those among the nations said,
“They shall no longer dwell here.”
16 The [h]face of the Lord scattered them;
He no longer regards them.
(U)The people do not respect the priests
Nor show favor to the elders.
17 Still (V)our eyes failed us,
Watching vainly for our help;
In our watching we watched
For a nation that could not save us.
18 (W)They [i]tracked our steps
So that we could not walk in our streets.
(X)Our end was near;
Our days were over,
For our end had come.
19 Our pursuers were (Y)swifter
Than the eagles of the heavens.
They pursued us on the mountains
And lay in wait for us in the wilderness.
20 The (Z)breath of our nostrils, the anointed of the Lord,
(AA)Was caught in their pits,
Of whom we said, “Under his shadow
We shall live among the nations.”
21 Rejoice and be glad, O daughter of (AB)Edom,
You who dwell in the land of Uz!
(AC)The cup shall also pass over to you
And you shall become drunk and make yourself naked.
22 (AD)The punishment of your iniquity [j]is accomplished,
O daughter of Zion;
He will no longer send you into captivity.
(AE)He will punish your iniquity,
O daughter of Edom;
He will uncover your sins!
Footnotes
- Lamentations 4:1 Lit. poured out
- Lamentations 4:2 Lit. Weighed against
- Lamentations 4:2 reckoned
- Lamentations 4:7 Or nobles
- Lamentations 4:7 Or purer
- Lamentations 4:7 Lit. polishing
- Lamentations 4:10 boiled
- Lamentations 4:16 Tg. anger
- Lamentations 4:18 Lit. hunted
- Lamentations 4:22 has been completed
Lamentations 4
International Standard Version
Zion’s Punishment
4 How tarnished the gold has become,
the finest gold debased!
Sacred stones[a] have been scattered
at every street corner.
2 Though the precious people of Zion
were like fine gold,
how they are valued like clay vessels,
the handiwork of a potter!
3 Even wild animals nurse,
suckling their young;
but the women of my people are cruel,
like ostriches in the wilderness.
4 The nursing child’s tongue
cleaves to its palate from thirst.
Young children beg for bread,
but no one gives them any.
5 Those who enjoyed delicacies
lie desolate in the streets.
Those who were reared wearing purple
scavenge in piles of trash.
6 The guilt of my cherished people surpasses the sin of Sodom,
which was overthrown in a moment,
without a hand to help her.
7 Her princes[b] were purer than snow,
whiter than milk.
Their bodies were more ruddy[c] than rubies,
their beards like the color of precious stones.
8 Now their faces are blacker than coal;
they are unrecognized in the streets.
Their skin clings to their bones;
it has become dry like a stick.
9 Those who die by the sword are better off
than those who die from starvation,
who slowly waste away like those pierced through
for lack of food from the fields.
10 With their own hands, compassionate women
boil their own children—
they become their food—
when my beloved people were[d] destroyed.
11 The Lord has exhausted his wrath,
pouring out his fierce anger.
He kindled a fire in Zion,
consuming its foundations.
12 None of the kings of the earth would have believed,
nor the world’s inhabitants,
that the adversary and the enemy
could have breached the gates of Jerusalem.
13 Due to the sins committed by her prophets,
and the iniquities of her priests
who shed in her midst,
the blood of the righteous,
14 people stagger around in the streets like the blind,
defiled by blood
unclean so that no one is able
to touch their clothing.
15 “Go away! Unclean!”
they shouted at them.
“Go away! Go away! Don’t touch!”
When they fled away and wandered,
those among the nations decreed,
“They cannot live here!”
16 The Lord himself separated them;
he will do nothing more for them.
They did not respect their own priests;
they did not honor their elders.
17 Our eyes failed,
searching in vain for hope;
we kept watching and looking
for a nation that would not help.
18 Our steps were closely stalked,
so we couldn’t travel on our own streets.
Our end is near,
our days are over;
indeed, our end has come.
19 Our pursuers were swifter
than soaring eagles;[e]
they pursued us over the mountains,
lying in wait for us in the wilderness.
20 The Lord’s anointed,
the breath of our life,
was captured in their pits.
About him we had said,
“Under his protection we will survive
among the nations.”
21 Celebrate and rejoice, you women[f] of Edom,
who live in the land of Uz.
But to you the cup also will pass—
you will become drunk and stripped naked.
22 The punishment for your sin is complete, you women[g] of Zion,
and God[h] will no longer exile you.
He will punish your iniquity, you women[i] of Edom,
and he will expose your sins.
Footnotes
- Lamentations 4:1 Or gems
- Lamentations 4:7 Or Nazirites
- Lamentations 4:7 I.e. reddish brown skin color
- Lamentations 4:10 Lit. when the daughter of my people was
- Lamentations 4:19 Lit. than eagles of the heavens
- Lamentations 4:21 Lit. daughter
- Lamentations 4:22 Lit. daughter
- Lamentations 4:22 Lit. he
- Lamentations 4:22 Lit. daughter
Copyright © 1995 by United Bible Societies
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 1995-2014 by ISV Foundation. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. Used by permission of Davidson Press, LLC.
