Skip to the text

Lamentations · Catholic Public Domain Version

Lamentations 4 Catholic Public Domain Version

Leer en español
About CPDV
  • Catholic
  • OT: Latin Vulgate
  • NT: Latin Vulgate
  • Catholic (73 books)
  • Formal (word for word)
  • 2009
  • Public domain

Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings

Notes on this text (3)
CPDV Catholic Public Domain Version
WEB World English Bible (Classic, with Deuterocanon)
1 ALEPH. O how the gold has become dulled, the finest color has been altered, the stones of the sanctuary have been scattered at the head of every street.
1 How the gold has become dim! The most pure gold has changed! The stones of the sanctuary are poured out at the head of every street.
2 BETH. The famous sons of Zion, and those clothed with the foremost gold: how they have become like earthen vessels, the work of the hands of a potter.
2 The precious sons of Zion, comparable to fine gold, how they are esteemed as earthen pitchers, the work of the hands of the potter!
3 GHIMEL. Yet even savages expose their breast and give milk to their young. But the daughter of my people is cruel, like the ostrich in the desert.
3 Even the jackals offer their breast. They nurse their young ones. But the daughter of my people has become cruel, like the ostriches in the wilderness.
4 DALETH. The tongue of the infant adheres to his palate out of thirst. The little ones have asked for bread, and there was no one to break it for them.
4 The tongue of the nursing child clings to the roof of his mouth for thirst. The young children ask for bread, and no one breaks it for them.
5 HE. Those who were fed indulgently have passed away in the roads. Those who were nourished with saffron have welcomed filth.
5 Those who ate delicacies are desolate in the streets. Those who were brought up in purple embrace dunghills.
6 VAU. And the iniquity of the daughter of my people has been made greater than the sin of Sodom, which was overthrown in a moment, and yet hands did not take captives in her.
6 For the iniquity of the daughter of my people is greater than the sin of Sodom, which was overthrown as in a moment. No hands were laid on her.
7 ZAIN. Her Nazirites were whiter than snow, shinier than milk, more ruddy than ancient ivory, more beautiful than sapphire.
7 Her nobles were purer than snow. They were whiter than milk. They were more ruddy in body than rubies. Their polishing was like sapphire.
8 HETH. Their face has been blacked more than coals, and they are not recognized in the streets. Their skin has adhered to their bones; it dried out and became like wood.
8 Their appearance is blacker than a coal. They are not known in the streets. Their skin clings to their bones. It is withered. It has become like wood.
9 TETH. It was better for those slain by the sword, than for those put to death by famine. For these waste away, being consumed by the sterility of the land.
9 Those who are killed with the sword are better than those who are killed with hunger; for these pine away, stricken through, for lack of the fruits of the field.
10 JOD. The hands of pitiable women have boiled their sons. They became their food in the grief of the daughter of my people.
10 The hands of the pitiful women have boiled their own children. They were their food in the destruction of the daughter of my people.
11 CAPH. The Lord has completed his fury; he has poured out the wrath of his indignation. And he has kindled a fire in Zion, and it has devoured its foundations.
11 Yahweh has accomplished his wrath. He has poured out his fierce anger. He has kindled a fire in Zion, which has devoured its foundations.
12 LAMED. The kings of the earth, and all the inhabitants of the world, did not believe that the adversary and the enemy would enter through the gates of Jerusalem.
12 The kings of the earth didn’t believe, neither did all the inhabitants of the world, that the adversary and the enemy would enter into the gates of Jerusalem.
13 MEM. It is because of the sins of her prophets, and the iniquities of her priests, who have shed the blood of the just in her midst.
13 It is because of the sins of her prophets and the iniquities of her priests, that have shed the blood of the just in the middle of her.
14 NUN. They have wandered in the streets like the blind; they have been defiled with blood. And when they were not able, they held their garments.
14 They wander as blind men in the streets. They are polluted with blood, So that men can’t touch their garments.
15 SAMECH. “Go back, you polluted ones!” they cried out to them. “Go back, go away, do not touch!” Of course, they argued, and being removed, they said among the Gentiles, “He will no longer dwell among them.”
15 “Go away!” they cried to them. “Unclean! Go away! Go away! Don’t touch! When they fled away and wandered, men said among the nations, “They can’t live here any more.”
16 PHE. The face of the Lord has divided them. He will no longer respect them. They were not ashamed before the faces of the priests, nor did they take pity on the elderly.
16 Yahweh’s anger has scattered them. He will not pay attention to them any more. They didn’t respect the persons of the priests. They didn’t favor the elders.
17 AIN. While we were still standing, our eyes failed, expecting help for us in vain, when we looked attentively toward a nation that was not able to save.
17 Our eyes still fail, looking in vain for our help. In our watching we have watched for a nation that could not save.
18 SADE. Our footsteps have slipped on the paths of our own streets. Our end draws near. Our days have been completed, for our end has arrived.
18 They hunt our steps, so that we can’t go in our streets. Our end is near. Our days are fulfilled, for our end has come.
19 COPH. Our persecutors have been swifter than the eagles of the sky. They have been pursuing us above the mountains; they have lain in wait for us in the desert.
19 Our pursuers were swifter than the eagles of the sky. They chased us on the mountains. They set an ambush for us in the wilderness.
20 RES. The spirit of our mouth, Christ the Lord, has been captured by our sins; to him, we said, “In your shadow, we will live among the Gentiles.”
20 The breath of our nostrils, the anointed of Yahweh, was taken in their pits; of whom we said, under his shadow we will live among the nations.
21 SIN. Be glad and rejoice, O daughter of Edom, who dwells in the Land of Uz. The cup will also pass to you; you will be inebriated as well as naked.
21 Rejoice and be glad, daughter of Edom, who dwells in the land of Uz. The cup will pass through to you also. You will be drunken, and will make yourself naked.
22 THAU. Your iniquity has been completed, O daughter of Zion. He will no longer send you away to captivity. He has visited your iniquity, O daughter of Edom; he has uncovered your sins.
22 The punishment of your iniquity is accomplished, daughter of Zion. He will no more carry you away into captivity. He will visit your iniquity, daughter of Edom. He will uncover your sins.
Cross references (22)

Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.

  1. 1 Ezekiel 7:19–22; Lamentations 2:19; Isaiah 1:21; 2 Kings 25:9–10; Jeremiah 52:13
  2. 2 Isaiah 30:14; Romans 9:21–23; Jeremiah 19:11; 2 Timothy 2:20; 2 Corinthians 4:7
  3. 3 Luke 23:28–29; Ezekiel 5:10; Lamentations 4:10; Lamentations 2:20; Job 39:13–16
  4. 4 Psalm 22:15; Lamentations 2:11–12; Psalm 137:6; Deuteronomy 32:24; Matthew 7:9–11
  5. 5 Luke 16:19; Proverbs 31:21; Amos 6:3–7; Luke 15:16; 1 Timothy 5:6
  6. 6 Genesis 19:25; Isaiah 1:9–10; Luke 12:47; Luke 10:12; Matthew 24:21
  7. 7 Psalm 51:7; Song of Songs 5:10; Psalm 144:12; 1 Samuel 16:12; Numbers 6:2–21
  8. 8 Lamentations 5:10; Job 30:30; Psalm 102:3–5; Job 19:20; Psalm 119:83
  9. 9 Jeremiah 16:4; Ezekiel 24:23; Leviticus 26:39; Ezekiel 33:10
  10. 10 Isaiah 49:15; Lamentations 2:20; 2 Kings 6:26–29; Jeremiah 19:9; Lamentations 4:3
  11. 11 Jeremiah 7:20; Ezekiel 22:31; Lamentations 2:17; Jeremiah 17:27; Ezekiel 20:47–48
  12. 12 Psalm 48:4–6; Deuteronomy 29:24–28; 1 Kings 9:8–9; Jeremiah 21:13
  13. 13 Jeremiah 5:31; Jeremiah 6:13; Matthew 23:31; Jeremiah 26:8–9; Ezekiel 22:26–28
  14. 14 Isaiah 1:15; Jeremiah 2:34; Numbers 19:16; Deuteronomy 28:28–29; Isaiah 56:10
  15. 15 Leviticus 13:45–46
  16. 16 Isaiah 9:14–16; Lamentations 5:12; Deuteronomy 32:26; Jeremiah 24:9; Deuteronomy 28:64–65
  17. 17 Ezekiel 29:16; Isaiah 20:5; 2 Kings 24:7; Jeremiah 2:36; Lamentations 1:7
  18. 18 Amos 8:2; Psalm 140:11; Ezekiel 7:2–12; Lamentations 3:52; Jeremiah 16:16
  19. 19 Habakkuk 1:8; Jeremiah 4:13; Isaiah 5:26–28; Deuteronomy 28:49; Isaiah 30:16–17
  20. 20 2 Samuel 1:14; Genesis 2:7; Ezekiel 12:13; Jeremiah 39:5; 2 Samuel 19:21
  21. 21 Revelation 16:15; Amos 1:11; Job 1:1; Psalm 137:7; Ezekiel 25:12–14
  22. 22 Isaiah 40:2; Jeremiah 50:20; Psalm 137:7; Lamentations 4:6; Malachi 1:4

Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences

What the Fathers said

Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).

How these were chosen

“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).

  1. Quotes verse 4:20 Irenaeus of Lyons, Against Heresies (Book III, Chapter X)

    … salvation, thus: "God hath made known His salvation (salutare) in the sight of the heathen." For He is indeed Saviour, as being the Son and Word of God; but salutary, since [He is] Spirit; for he says: "The Spirit of our countenance, Christ the Lord." But salvation, as being flesh: for "the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us." …

    Read in context · Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 1 (1885)

  2. Quotes verse 4:20 Augustine of Hippo, The City of God (Book XVIII, Chapters 33–35)

    Jeremiah, in prophesying of Christ, says, "The breath of our mouth, the Lord Christ, was taken in our sins," thus briefly showing both that Christ is our Lord and that He suffered for us.

    Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 2 (1887)

  3. Quotes verse 4:20 Cyril of Jerusalem, Catechetical Lectures (Lecture XIII)

    Lamenting then he says, The breath of our countenance, Christ the Lord was taken in our corruptions.

    Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 7 (1894)

  4. Quotes verse 4:20 Basil of Caesarea, On the Holy Spirit (Chapter XIX)

    He is called Spirit, as "God is a Spirit," and "the breath of our nostrils, the anointed of the Lord." He is called holy, as the Father is holy, and the Son is holy, for to the creature holiness was brought in from without, but to the Spirit holiness is the fulfilment of nature, and it is for this reason …

    Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 8 (1895)