The Lamentations of Jeremias — Lamentationes Jeremiæ Prophetæ
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Chapter 4
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1 2 3 4 5
Vulgate><Knox Bible><Douay-Rheims
1
Aleph Quomodo obscuratum est aurum, mutatus est color optimus! dispersi sunt lapides sanctuarii in capite omnium platearum!
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All dim, now, and discoloured, the gold that once shone so fair! Heaped up at every street-corner lie hallowed stones.
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Aleph. How is the gold become dim, the finest colour is changed, the stones of the sanctuary are scattered in the top of every street?
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Beth Filii Sion inclyti, et amicti auro primo: quomodo reputati sunt in vasa testea, opus manuum figuli!
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Bright they shone once in all their renown, the men of Sion, and now what are they? Little regarded as common earthenware, of the potter’s fashioning.
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Beth. The noble sons of Sion, and they that were clothed with the best gold: how are they esteemed as earthen vessels, the work of the potter’s hands?
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Ghimel Sed et lamiæ nudaverunt mammam, lactaverunt catulos suos: filia populi mei crudelis quasi struthio in deserto.
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Cub of jackal is fed at its dam’s breast; and has my people grown unnatural towards its own children, like some ostrich in the desert?
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Ghimel. Even the sea monsters have drawn out the breast, they have given suck to their young: the daughter of my people is cruel, like the ostrich in the desert.
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Daleth Adhæsit lingua lactentis ad palatum ejus in siti; parvuli petierunt panem, et non erat qui frangeret eis.
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Dry throat and parching tongue for babe at the breast; children asking for bread, and never a crust to share with them!
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Daleth. The tongue of the sucking child hath stuck to the roof of his mouth for thirst: the little ones have asked for bread, and there was none to break it unto them.
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He Qui vescebantur voluptuose, interierunt in viis; qui nutriebantur in croceis, amplexati sunt stercora.
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Ever they fared daintily, that now lie starved in the streets; ever went richly arrayed, and now their fingers clutch at the dung-hill.
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He. They that were fed delicately have died in the streets; they that were brought up in scarlet have embraced the dung.
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Vau Et major effecta est iniquitas filiæ populi mei peccato Sodomorum, quæ subversa est in momento, et non ceperunt in ea manus.
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Faithless Juda! Heavier punishment she must needs undergo than guilty Sodom, that perished all in a moment, and never a blow struck.
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Vau. And the iniquity of the daughter of my people is made greater than the sin of Sodom, which was overthrown in a moment, and hands took nothing in her.
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Zain Candidiores Nazaræi ejus nive, nitidiores lacte, rubicundiores ebore antiquo, sapphiro pulchriores.
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Gone, the fair bloom of princely cheeks, snowy-pure, cream-white, red as tinted ivory, and all sapphire-clear;
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Zain. Her Nazarites were whiter than snow, purer than milk, more ruddy than the old ivory, fairer than the sapphire.
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Heth Denigrata est super carbones facies eorum et non sunt cogniti in plateis; adhæsit cutis eorum ossibus: aruit, et facta est quasi lignum.
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Here is no recognizing them, out in the streets, coal-black, skin clinging to bones, dry as wood!
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Heth. Their face is now made blacker than coals, and they are not known in the streets: their skin hath stuck to their bones, it is withered, and is become like wood.
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Teth Melius fuit occisis gladio quam interfectis fame, quoniam isti extabuerunt consumpti a sterilitate terræ.
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It were better to have fallen at the sword’s point than yield thus to the stab of hunger, wasted away through famine.
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Teth. It was better with them that were slain by the sword, than with them that died with hunger: for these pined away being consumed for want of the fruits of the earth.
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Jod Manus mulierum misericordium coxerunt filios suos; facti sunt cibus earum in contritione filiæ populi mei.
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Juda brought low, and mother-love forgotten; that women should eat their own children, cooked with their own hands!
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Jod. The hands of the pitiful women have sodden their own children: they were their meat in the destruction of the daughter of my people.
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Caph Complevit Dominus furorem suum, effudit iram indignationis suæ: et succendit ignem in Sion, et devoravit fundamenta ejus.
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Kindled at last is the Lord’s anger; rains down from heaven the storm of his vengeance, lighting a flame that burns Sion to the ground.
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Caph. The Lord hath accomplished his wrath, he hath poured out his fierce anger: and he hath kindled a fire in Sion, and it hath devoured the foundations thereof.
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Lamed Non crediderunt reges terræ, et universi habitatores orbis, quoniam ingrederetur hostis et inimicus per portas Jerusalem.
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Little dreamed they, king and common folk the world over, that any assault of the foe should storm Jerusalem gates;
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Lamed. The kings of the earth, and all the inhabitants of the world would not have believed, that the adversary and the enemy should enter in by the gates of Jerusalem.
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Mem Propter peccata prophetarum ejus, et iniquitates sacerdotum ejus, qui effuderunt in medio ejus sanguinem justorum.
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Malice and lawlessness it was of priest and prophet, whereby innocent men came to their deaths, that brought such punishment.
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Mem. 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.
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Nun Erraverunt cæci in plateis, polluti sunt in sanguine; cumque non possent, tenuerunt lacinias suas.
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Now, as they walk blindly through the streets, they are defiled with blood; no help for it, gather their skirts about them as they may;
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Nun. They have wandered as blind men in the streets, they were defiled with blood: and when they could not help walking in it, they held up their skirts.
15
Samech Recedite polluti, clamaverunt eis; recedite, abite, nolite tangere: jurgati quippe sunt, et commoti dixerunt inter gentes: Non addet ultra ut habitet in eis.
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Out of my way! cries one to another; Back, pollution, do not touch me! The very Gentiles protest in alarm, Here is no place for them!
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Samech. Depart you that are defiled, they cried out to them: Depart, get ye hence, touch not: for they quarrelled, and being removed, they said among the Gentiles: He will no more dwell among them.
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Phe Facies Domini divisit eos, non addet ut respiciat eos; facies sacerdotum non erubuerunt, neque senum miserti sunt.
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Protection the Lord gives them no longer, they are dispersed under his frown; the priesthood no honour claims, old age no pity.
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Phe. The face of the Lord hath divided them, he will no more regard them: they respected not the persons of the priests, neither had they pity on the ancient.
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Ain Cum adhuc subsisteremus, defecerunt oculi nostri ad auxilium nostrum vanum; cum respiceremus attenti ad gentem quæ salvare non poterat.
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Quenched is the hope our eyes strained for, while hope was left us; looking for help so eagerly to a nation that had none to give!
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Ain. While we were yet standing, our eyes failed, expecting help for us in vain, when we looked attentively towards a nation that was not able to save.
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Sade Lubricaverunt vestigia nostra in itinere platearum nostrarum; appropinquavit finis noster, completi sunt dies nostri, quia venit finis noster.
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Refuge for us in the treacherous highways is none; we are near the end; all is over, this is the end;
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Sade. Our steps have slipped in the way of our streets, our end draweth near: our days are fulfilled, for our end is come.
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Coph Velociores fuerunt persecutores nostri aquilis cæli; super montes persecuti sunt nos, in deserto insidiati sunt nobis.
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Swifter than flight of eagles the pursuit; even on the mountains they give chase, even in the desert take us by surprise.
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Coph. Our persecutors were swifter than the eagles of the air: they pursued us upon the mountains, they lay in wait for us in the wilderness.
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Res Spiritus oris nostri, christus Dominus, captus est in peccatis nostris, cui diximus: In umbra tua vivemus in gentibus.
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Through our fault he who is breath of life to us, our anointed king, is led away captive; under his shadow we hoped our race should thrive.
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Res. The breath of our mouth, Christ the Lord, is taken in our sins: to whom we said: Under thy shadow we shall live among the Gentiles.
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Sin Gaude et lætare, filia Edom, quæ habitas in terra Hus! ad te quoque perveniet calix: inebriaberis, atque nudaberis.
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Until thy turn comes, shout on, Edom, triumph on, land of Hus; the same cup thou too shalt drink, and be drunken, and stripped bare.
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Sin. Rejoice, and be glad, O daughter of Edom, that dwellest in the land of Hus: to thee also shall the cup come, thou shalt be made drunk, and naked.
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Thau Completa est iniquitas tua, filia Sion: non addet ultra ut transmigret te. Visitavit iniquitatem tuam, filia Edom; discooperuit peccata tua.
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Vengeful audit-day! Sion’s account closed, recovered her fortunes; Edom called to account, discovered her guilt!
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Thau. Thy iniquity is accomplished, O daughter of Sion, he will no more carry thee away into captivity: he hath visited thy iniquity, O daughter of Edom, he hath discovered thy sins.