أورشليم بعد سقوطها
1 كَيفَ اغْبَرَّ الذَّهَبُ
وتغَيَّرَ النُضارُ الخالِصُ
وانهالَتِ الحِجارة المُقَدَّسَةُ
في رأسِ كُلِّ شارعٍ.
2 بَنو صِهيَونَ الكِرامُ،
وهُمُ المَوزونونَ بِالإبريزِ،
كَيفَ يُحسَبونَ آنيةً
صنَعَتْها يَدَا خَزَّافٍ!
3 حتّى بناتُ آوى
تُعطي ثَدْيَها لِصِغارِها.
أمَّا بِنْتُ شعبـي فقاسيةٌ
مِثلَ النَّعامِ في البرِّيَّةِ.
4 يَلصَقُ لِسانُ الرَّضيعِ
بِـحَنَكِهِ مِنَ العَطَشِ.
والأطفالُ يَطلُبونَ خُبزا
ولا مَنْ يُعطيهِم كِسْرةً.
5 الّذينَ يأَكُلونَ الطَّيِّباتِ
ماتوا جوعا في الطُّرُقاتِ
والذينَ تَرَبَّوا في الحَريرِ
يَنبُشونَ الطَّعامَ في المَزابِلِ.
6 عِقابُ بِنْتِ شعبـي
أينَ مِنهُ عِقابُ سَدومَ،
تِلكَ الّتي انهَدَمَت في لَحظَةٍ
على يَدِ اللهِ.
7 كانَ شُبَّانُها أنقَى مِنَ الثَّلجِ
وأكثرَ بَياضا مِنَ اللَّبَنِ
وأزهى أجساما مِنَ المَرجانِ،
ولونُ بَشَرَتِهِم كاللاّزَوَرْدِ.
8 وجوهُهُمُ اسوَدَّت أكثرَ مِنَ السَّوادِ
فلا يُعرَفونَ في الشَّوارعِ.
جُلودُهُم لَصِقَت بِــعِظامِهِم
ويَبِسَت كالخَشَبِ.
9 كانَ القَتْلَى بِالسَّيفِ فيها
خَيرا مِنَ القَتْلَى بِالجوعِ.
أُولَئِكَ ماتوا بِطَعنَةٍ
مِنْ فُقدانِ ثِمارِ الحقلِ.
10 حتّى النِّساءُ الحنوناتُ
طَبَخْنَ أولادَهُنَّ،
فكانوا لهُنَّ طَعاما
في نَكبةِ بِنْتِ شعبـي.
11 حقَّقَ الرّبُّ غَيظَهُ
وصَبَّ حِدَّةَ غضَبِهِ
فأشعَلَ نارا في صِهيَونَ
أَكَلَت أُسُسَها.
12 مُلوكُ الأرضِ لم يُصَدِّقوا
ولا سُكَّانُ العالَمِ
أنَّ الطُّغاةَ والأعداءَ
يَدخلونَ أبوابَ أُورُشليمَ.
13 فأنبـياؤُها خَطِئوا
وكَهَنَتُها ارتكَبوا الآثامَ،
سَفكوا دَمَ الأبرارِ
في وسَطِ المدينةِ
14 تاهوا كالعُميانِ في الشَّوارعِ
وتَلَطَّخوا تَلطيخا بِالدَّمِ،
فلم يَتحَمَّلْ أحدٌ
أنْ يَلمسَ مَلابِسَهُ.
15 نادوهُم: «حِيدوا أيُّها الأنجاسُ!
حِيدوا، حِيدوا لا تَلمسوا».
فهَرَبوا وتاهوا بَينَ الأمَمِ،
حَيثُ لم يُسكِنْهُم أحدٌ.
16 وجهُ الرّبِّ شَتَّتَهُم
ولا يَعودُ يَنظُرُ إليهِم.
فلا إكرامَ لِلكَهنَةِ
ولا رَأْفةَ بِالشُّيوخِ.
17 كَلَّت عيونُنا عَبَثا
مِنِ انتِظارِ العَونِ،
مِنْ أَبراجِنا تَرَقَّبْنا
نَجْدةَ أُمَّةٍ لا تُنجِدُ.
18 أعداؤُنا تَرَصَّدوا خطَواتِنا
لِئلاَّ نَسيرَ في شوارِعِنا.
اقتَرَبَت عاقِبَتُنا وتَمَّت أيّامُنا
لأنَّ أجَلَنا وافى.
19 كانَ الّذينَ طارَدونا
أَخَفَّ مِنْ نُسورِ السَّماءِ
تَتَبَّعوا خطَواتِنا على الجِبالِ
وكَمَنوا لنا في البرِّيَّةِ.
20 مَلِكُنا الّذي اختارَهُ الرّبُّ،
أوقَعوهُ في حَبائِلِهِم
وهوَ الّذي قُلنا: «في ظِلِّهِ نَحيا
بَينَ الأمَمِ».
21 إبتَهجي وافرَحي يا بِنْتَ أَدومَ،
أيَّتُها السَّاكِنَةُ في أرضِ عُوصَ.
علَيكِ أيضا سَتَمُرُّ الكأسُ
فتَسكَرينَ وتُظهِرينَ عُريَكِ.
22 زالَ إثْمُكِ يا بِنْتَ صِهيَونَ،
فلا يعودُ يَسبـيكِ الرّبُّ.
لكِنَّهُ يُعاقِبُ إثْمَكِ يا بِنْتَ أَدومَ
ويكشِفُ عَنْ خطاياكِ.
1 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.