Passage
Lamentations 4.7-8
Book: Lamentations · ASV / WEB / KJV / YLT
Immediate context (±2 verses)
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ASV (ASV)
"5. They that did feed delicately are desolate in the streets: They that were brought up in scarlet embrace dunghills. 6. For the iniquity of the daughter of my people is greater than the sin of Sodom, That was overthrown as in a moment, and no hands were laid upon her."
"7. Her nobles were purer than snow, they were whiter than milk; They were more ruddy in body than rubies, their polishing was as 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 are slain with the sword are better than they that are 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 boiled their own children; They were their food in the destruction of the daughter of my people." (Lamentations 4:5-10, ASV)
WEB (WEB)
"5. Those who fed delicately are desolate in the streets: Those who were brought up in scarlet embrace dunghills. 6. For the iniquity of the daughter of my people is greater than the sin of Sodom, That was overthrown as in a moment, and no hands were laid on her."
"7. Her nobles were purer than snow, they were whiter than milk; They were more ruddy in body than rubies, their polishing was as of sapphire. 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 a stick."
"9. Those who are killed with the sword are better than those who are killed with hunger; For these pine away, stricken through, for want of the fruits of the field. 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." (Lamentations 4:5-10, WEB)
KJV (KJV)
"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. punishment of the iniquity: or, iniquity"
"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. blacker: Heb. darker than blackness"
"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. pine: Heb. flow out 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." (Lamentations 4:5-10, KJV)
YLT (YLT)
"5. Those eating of dainties have been desolate in out-places, Those supported on scarlet have embraced dunghills. 6. And greater is the iniquity of the daughter of my people, Than the sin of Sodom, That was overturned as [in] a moment, And no hands were stayed on her."
"7. Purer were her Nazarites than snow, Whiter than milk, ruddier of body than rubies, Of sapphire their form. 8. Darker than blackness hath been their visage, They have not been known in out-places, Cleaved hath their skin unto their bone, It hath withered, it hath been as wood."
"9. Better have been the pierced of a sword Than the pierced of famine, For these flow away, pierced through, Without the increase of the field. 10. The hands of merciful women have boiled their own children, They have been for food to them, In the destruction of the daughter of my people." (Lamentations 4:5-10, YLT)
Setting
- Speaker: Jeremiah (traditional)
- Audience: Judah after the fall of Jerusalem
- Location: Jerusalem ruins
- Time period: composed c. 586-580 BC
Theological reading
Key words
No Strong's-tagged lexicon matches found in this passage. (Lexicon coverage is curated, ~159 of the most apologetically-loaded Greek/Hebrew terms.)
Why these four translations
ris3n chose ASV, WEB, KJV, and YLT for two reasons together. They are the most literal English translations available (formal-equivalence: word-for-word renderings that preserve the Hebrew and Greek grammar rather than smoothing it into modern dynamic-equivalence idiom). And they are in the public domain in the United States, which means fair-use quotation at any length requires no publisher license. Modern licensed translations (NASB95, ESV, NIV) restrict volume of quotation under their copyright terms, so they are not used at stub-level coverage here. NASB95 appears only on hand-curated rich passage hubs under Lockman Foundation's fair-use allowance.
The four:
- ASV (American Standard Version, 1901). The basis of the modern critical-text English tradition.
- WEB (World English Bible, contemporary). Public-domain revision in the ASV line, in current English.
- KJV (King James Version, 1611). Reformation-era, Textus Receptus base.
- YLT (Young's Literal Translation, Robert Young, 1862). Hyper-literal preservation of Hebrew and Greek grammar; useful for word-study work even where English reads stiff.
See Bibles for the full per-translation history, translators, textual basis, strengths, and weaknesses.