Lamentations 4 NIV NLT Parallel

◄ Lamentations 4 ►

NIV Parallel NLT [BSB CSB ESV HCS KJV ISV NAS NET NIV NLT HEB]

New International Version

New Living Translation

1How the gold has lost its luster, the fine gold become dull! The sacred gems are scattered at every street corner.

1How the gold has lost its luster! Even the finest gold has become dull. The sacred gemstones lie scattered in the streets!

2How the precious children of Zion, once worth their weight in gold, are now considered as pots of clay, the work of a potter's hands!

2See how the precious children of Jerusalem, worth their weight in fine gold, are now treated like pots of clay made by a common potter.

3Even jackals offer their breasts to nurse their young, but my people have become heartless like ostriches in the desert.

3Even the jackals feed their young, but not my people Israel. They ignore their children’s cries, like ostriches in the desert.

4Because of thirst the infant's tongue sticks to the roof of its mouth; the children beg for bread, but no one gives it to them.

4The parched tongues of their little ones stick to the roofs of their mouths in thirst. The children cry for bread, but no one has any to give them.

5Those who once ate delicacies are destitute in the streets. Those brought up in royal purple now lie on ash heaps.

5The people who once ate the richest foods now beg in the streets for anything they can get. Those who once wore the finest clothes now search the garbage dumps for food.

6The punishment of my people is greater than that of Sodom, which was overthrown in a moment without a hand turned to help her.

6The guilt of my people is greater than that of Sodom, where utter disaster struck in a moment and no hand offered help.

7Their princes were brighter than snow and whiter than milk, their bodies more ruddy than rubies, their appearance like lapis lazuli.

7Our princes once glowed with health— brighter than snow, whiter than milk. Their faces were as ruddy as rubies, their appearance like fine jewels.

8But now they are blacker than soot; they are not recognized in the streets. Their skin has shriveled on their bones; it has become as dry as a stick.

8But now their faces are blacker than soot. No one recognizes them in the streets. Their skin sticks to their bones; it is as dry and hard as wood.

9Those killed by the sword are better off than those who die of famine; racked with hunger, they waste away for lack of food from the field.

9Those killed by the sword are better off than those who die of hunger. Starving, they waste away for lack of food from the fields.

10With their own hands compassionate women have cooked their own children, who became their food when my people were destroyed.

10Tenderhearted women have cooked their own children. They have eaten them to survive the siege.

11The LORD has given full vent to his wrath; he has poured out his fierce anger. He kindled a fire in Zion that consumed her foundations.

11But now the anger of the LORD is satisfied. His fierce anger has been poured out. He started a fire in Jerusalem that burned the city to its foundations.

12The kings of the earth did not believe, nor did any of the peoples of the world, that enemies and foes could enter the gates of Jerusalem.

12Not a king in all the earth— no one in all the world— would have believed that an enemy could march through the gates of Jerusalem.

13But it happened because of the sins of her prophets and the iniquities of her priests, who shed within her the blood of the righteous.

13Yet it happened because of the sins of her prophets and the sins of her priests, who defiled the city by shedding innocent blood.

14Now they grope through the streets as if they were blind. They are so defiled with blood that no one dares to touch their garments.

14They wandered blindly through the streets, so defiled by blood that no one dared touch them.

15"Go away! You are unclean!" people cry to them. "Away! Away! Don't touch us!" When they flee and wander about, people among the nations say, "They can stay here no longer."

15“Get away!” the people shouted at them. “You’re defiled! Don’t touch us!” So they fled to distant lands and wandered among foreign nations, but none would let them stay.

16The LORD himself has scattered them; he no longer watches over them. The priests are shown no honor, the elders no favor.

16The LORD himself has scattered them, and he no longer helps them. People show no respect for the priests and no longer honor the leaders.

17Moreover, our eyes failed, looking in vain for help; from our towers we watched for a nation that could not save us.

17We looked in vain for our allies to come and save us, but we were looking to nations that could not help us.

18People stalked us at every step, so we could not walk in our streets. Our end was near, our days were numbered, for our end had come.

18We couldn’t go into the streets without danger to our lives. Our end was near; our days were numbered. We were doomed!

19Our pursuers were swifter than eagles in the sky; they chased us over the mountains and lay in wait for us in the desert.

19Our enemies were swifter than eagles in flight. If we fled to the mountains, they found us. If we hid in the wilderness, they were waiting for us there.

20The LORD's anointed, our very life breath, was caught in their traps. We thought that under his shadow we would live among the nations.

20Our king—the LORD’s anointed, the very life of our nation— was caught in their snares. We had thought that his shadow would protect us against any nation on earth!

21Rejoice and be glad, Daughter Edom, you who live in the land of Uz. But to you also the cup will be passed; you will be drunk and stripped naked.

21Are you rejoicing in the land of Uz, O people of Edom? But you, too, must drink from the cup of the LORD’s anger. You, too, will be stripped naked in your drunkenness.

22Your punishment will end, Daughter Zion; he will not prolong your exile. But he will punish your sin, Daughter Edom, and expose your wickedness.

22O beautiful Jerusalem, your punishment will end; you will soon return from exile. But Edom, your punishment is just beginning; soon your many sins will be exposed.

New International Version (NIV)

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