§4.1Ἅλεφ.
Aleph.
Πῶς ἀμαυρωθήσεται χρυσίον, ἀλλοιωθήσεται τὸ ἀργύριον τὸ
ἀγαθόν;
How is the gold become dim, how is the good silver changed!
ἐξεχύθησαν λίθοι ἅγιοι ἐπʼ ἀρχῆς πασῶν ἐξόδων.
The holy stones are poured out at the head of every street.
§4.2Bή.
Beth.
υἱοὶ Σειὼν οἱ τίμιοι οἱ ἐπηρμένοι ἐν χρυσίῳ,
πῶς ἐλογίσθησαν εἰς ἄγγια ὀστράκινα, ἔργα χειρῶν
κεραμέως
The precious sons of Zion, comparable to fine gold, how are they esteemed as earthen pitchers, the work of the hands of the potter!
§4.3Γίμελ
Καί γε δράκοντες ἐξέδυσαν μαστούς,
ἐθήλασαν σκύμνοι αὐτῶν θυγατέρας λαοῦ μου εἰς ἀνίατον,
ὡς στρουθίον ἐν ἐρήμῃ.
Gimel. Even the dragons 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.
§4.4Δάλεθ.
Daleth.
Ἐκολλήθη ἡ γλῶσσα θηλάζοντος πρὸς τὸν φάρυγγα αὐτοῦ ἐν
δίψει· νήπια ῆτησαν ἄρτον, ὁ διακλῶν οὐκ ἔστιν αὐτοῖς.
The tongue of the sucking child cleaves to the roof of his mouth for thirst; the young children ask bread, and no man breaks it unto them.
§4.5Ἥ
Οί ἔσθοντες τὰς τροφὰς ἠφανίσθησαν ἐν ταῖς ἐξόδοις,
οἱ τιθηνούμενοι ἐπὶ κόκκῳ περιεβάλοντο κοπρίας.
He. They that did feed delicately are desolate in the streets; they that were brought up in scarlet embrace dunghills.
§4.6Οὐαό.
Waw.
Καὶ ἐμεγαλύνθη ἀνομία θυγατρὸς λαοῦ μου ὑπέρ ἀνομίας
Σοδόμων,
τῆς κατεστραμμένης ὥσπερ σπουδῇ, καὶ οὐκ ἐπόνεσαν ἐν
αὐτῇ χεῖρας.
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.
§4.7Ζάιν.
Zayin.
Ἐκαθαριώθησαν Ναζειραῖοι αὐτῆς ὑπέρ χιόνα, ἔλαμψαν ὑπέρ
γάλα,
ἐπυρώθησαν ὑπέρ λίθους, σαπφείρου τὸ ἀπόσπασμα αὐτῶν.
Her Nazirites were purer than snow, they were whiter than milk, they were more ruddy in body than rubies, their polishing was of sapphire.
§4.8Ἥθ.
Heth.
Ἐσκότασεν ὑπέρ ἀσβόλην τὸ εἶδος αὐτῶν, οὐκ ἐπεγνώσθησαν
ἐν ταῖς ἐξόδοις· ἐπάγη δέρμα αὐτῶν ἐπὶ τὰ ὀστέα αὐτῶν, ἐξηράνθησαν, ἐγενήθησαν
ὥσπερ ξύλον.
Their visage is blacker than a coal, they are not known in the streets; their skin cleaves to their bones, it is withered, it is become like a stick.
§4.9Τήθ.
Teth.
Καλοὶ ἦσαν οἱ τραυματίαι όομφαίας ἡ οἱ τραυματίαι λιμοῦ· ἐπορεύθησαν ἐκκεκεντημένοι ἀπὸ γενημάτων ἀγρῶν.
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.
§4.10Ἰώδ.
Yod.
Χεῖρες γυναικῶν οἰκτειρμόναων ἥψησαν τὰ παιδία αὐτῶν,
ἐγενήθησαν εἰς βρῶσιν αὐταῖς ἐν τῷ συντρίμματι τῆς θυγατρὸς
λαοῦ μου.
The hands of the pitiful women have sodden their own children; they were their meat in the destruction of the daughter of my people.
§4.11Χάφ.
Kaph.
Συνετέλεσεν Κύριος θυμὸν αὐτοῦ, ἐξέχεεν θυμὸν ὀργῆς αὐτοῦ,
καὶ ἀνῆψεν πῦρ ἐν Σειών, καὶ κατέφαγεν τὰ θεμέλια αὐτῆς.
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.
§4.12Αάβδ.
Lamed.
Οὐκ ἐπίστευσαν βασιλεῖς γῆς, πάντες οἱ κατοικοῦντες τὴν
οἰκουμένην,
ὅτι εἰσελεύσεται ἐχθρὸς καὶ ἐκθλίίδων διὰ τῶν πυλῶν Ἰε. ρουσαλήμ.
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.
§4.13Μήμ.
Mem.
Ἐξ ἁμαρτιῶν προφητῶν αὐτῆς, ἀδικιῶν ἱερέων αὐτῆς,
τῶν εκχεοντων αἶμα δίκαιον ἐν μέσῳ αὐτῆς.
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.
§4.14Nούν.
Nun.
Ἐσαλεύθησαν ἐγρήγοροι αὐτῆς ἐν ταῖς ἐξόδοις,
ἐμολύνθησαν ἐν αἵματι ἐν τῷ μὴ δύνασθαι αὐτούς,
ἥψαντο ἐνδυμάτων αὐτῶν.
Her watchmen have wandered in the streets, they have polluted themselves with blood, so that men could not touch their garments.
§4.15Σάμεχ.
Samekh.
Ἀπόστητε ἀκαθάρτων, καλέσατε αὐτοὺς Ἀπόστητε ἀπόστητε,
μὴ ἄπτεσθε,
ὅτι ἀνήφθησαν καί γε ἐσαλεύθησαν· εἶπατε ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν οὐ μὴ προσθῶσιν τοῦ παροικεῖν.
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.
§4.16Ἄιν.
Ayin.
Πρόσωπον Κυρίου μερὶς αὐτῶν, οὐ προσθήσει ἐπιβλέψαι
αὐτοῖς· πρόσωπον ἱερέων οὐκ ἔλαβον, προφήτας οὐκ ἠλέησαν.
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 prophets.
§4.17Φή.
Pe.
Ἔτι ὄντων ἡμῶν ἐξέλιπον οἱ ὀφθαλμοὶ ἡμῶν,
εἰς τὴν βοήθειαν ἡμῶν μάταια ἀποσκοπευόντων ἡμῶν.
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.
§4.18Ταδή.
Tsade.
Ἀπεσκοπεύσαμεν εἰς ἔθνος οὐ σῶζον,
ἐθηρεύσαμεν μικροὺς ἡμῶν τοῦ μὴ πορεύεσθαι ἐν ταῖς πλατείαις ἡμῶν.
We watched for a nation that could not save, they hunt our steps, that we cannot go in our streets.
§4.19Κὼφ.
Qoph.
Ἤγγικεν ὁ καιρὸς ἡμῶν, ἐπληρώθησαν αἱ ἡμέραι ἡμῶν, πάρεστιν
ὁ καιρὸς ἡμῶν· κοῦφοι ἐγένοντο οἱ διώκοντες ἡμᾶς ὑπέρ ἀετοὺς οὐρανοῦ,
ἐπὶ τῶν ὀρέων ἐξέπτησαν, ἐν ἐρήμῳ ἐνήδρευσαν ἡμᾶς.
Our end is near, our days are fulfilled; for our end is come; our persecutors are swifter than the eagles of the heaven, they pursued us upon the mountains, they laid wait for us in the wilderness.
§4.20'Ρήχς.
Resh.
Πνεῦμα προσώπου ἡμῶν χριστὸς Κύριος συνελήμφθη ἐν ταῖς
διαφθοραῖς αὐτῶν,
οὖ εἶπαμεν Ἐν τῇ σκιῷ αὐτοῦ ζησόμεθα ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν.
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.
§4.21Χσέν.
Shin.
Χαῖρε καὶ εὐφραίνου, θύγατερ Ἰδουμαίας ἡ κατοικοῦσα ἐπὶ γῆς. καί γε ἐπὶ σὲ διελεύσεται τὸ ποτήριον Κυρίου, μεθυσθήσῃ
καὶ ἀποχεεῖς.
Rejoice and be glad, O daughter of Edom, that dwellest in the land; the cup also shall pass through unto thee; thou shalt be drunken, and shalt make thyself naked.
§4.22θαύ
Ἐξέλιπεν ἡ ἀνομία σου, θύγατερ Σειών,
οὐ προσθήσει ἀποικίσαι σε. ἐπεσκέψατο ἀνομίας σου, θυγάτηρ Ἐδώμ,
ἀπεκάλυψεν ἐπὶ τὰ ἀσεβήματά σου.
Taw. 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.