TorahGrowth

Lamentations

Eichah

The heart of Lamentations in about 3 minutes: 6 passages from 5 chapters, in its own words.

By
Jeremiah
When
After the destruction of Jerusalem, 586 BCE
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In its own words

אֵיכָה֙ יוּעַ֣ם זָהָ֔ב יִשְׁנֶ֖א הַכֶּ֣תֶם הַטּ֑וֹב תִּשְׁתַּפֵּ֙כְנָה֙ אַבְנֵי־קֹ֔דֶשׁ בְּרֹ֖אשׁ כׇּל־חוּצֽוֹת׃

How is the gold become dim! How is the most fine gold changed! The hallowed stones are poured out At the head of every street.

Every word below is the text itself, as written, with its translator named. Texts from Sefaria. Nothing is paraphrased.

Chapter 1

  1. אֵיכָ֣ה ׀ יָשְׁבָ֣ה בָדָ֗ד הָעִיר֙ רַבָּ֣תִי עָ֔ם הָיְתָ֖ה כְּאַלְמָנָ֑ה רַבָּ֣תִי בַגּוֹיִ֗ם שָׂרָ֙תִי֙ בַּמְּדִינ֔וֹת הָיְתָ֖ה לָמַֽס׃

    How doth the city sit solitary, That was full of people! How is she become as a widow! She that was great among the nations, And princess among the provinces, How is she become tributary!

    Lamentations 1:1 · The Holy Scriptures: A New Translation (JPS 1917)

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Chapter 2

  1. ק֣וּמִי ׀ רֹ֣נִּי (בליל) [בַלַּ֗יְלָה] לְרֹאשׁ֙ אַשְׁמֻר֔וֹת שִׁפְכִ֤י כַמַּ֙יִם֙ לִבֵּ֔ךְ נֹ֖כַח פְּנֵ֣י אֲדֹנָ֑י שְׂאִ֧י אֵלָ֣יו כַּפַּ֗יִךְ עַל־נֶ֙פֶשׁ֙ עֽוֹלָלַ֔יִךְ הָעֲטוּפִ֥ים בְּרָעָ֖ב בְּרֹ֥אשׁ כׇּל־חוּצֽוֹת׃

    Arise, cry out in the night, At the beginning of the watches; Pour out thy heart like water Before the face of the Lord; Lift up thy hands toward Him For the life of thy young children, That faint for hunger At the head of every street.’

    Lamentations 2:19 · The Holy Scriptures: A New Translation (JPS 1917)

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Chapter 3

  1. חַֽסְדֵ֤י יְהֹוָה֙ כִּ֣י לֹא־תָ֔מְנוּ כִּ֥י לֹא־כָל֖וּ רַחֲמָֽיו׃ חֲדָשִׁים֙ לַבְּקָרִ֔ים רַבָּ֖ה אֱמוּנָתֶֽךָ׃

    Surely the LORD’S mercies are not consumed, Surely His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Thy faithfulness.

    Lamentations 3:22-23 · The Holy Scriptures: A New Translation (JPS 1917)

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  2. נַחְפְּשָׂ֤ה דְרָכֵ֙ינוּ֙ וְֽנַחְקֹ֔רָה וְנָשׁ֖וּבָה עַד־יְהֹוָֽה׃

    Let us search and try our ways, And return to the LORD.

    Lamentations 3:40 · The Holy Scriptures: A New Translation (JPS 1917)

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Chapter 4

  1. אֵיכָה֙ יוּעַ֣ם זָהָ֔ב יִשְׁנֶ֖א הַכֶּ֣תֶם הַטּ֑וֹב תִּשְׁתַּפֵּ֙כְנָה֙ אַבְנֵי־קֹ֔דֶשׁ בְּרֹ֖אשׁ כׇּל־חוּצֽוֹת׃

    How is the gold become dim! How is the most fine gold changed! The hallowed stones are poured out At the head of every street.

    Lamentations 4:1 · The Holy Scriptures: A New Translation (JPS 1917)

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Chapter 5

  1. הֲשִׁיבֵ֨נוּ יְהֹוָ֤ה ׀ אֵלֶ֙יךָ֙ (ונשוב) [וְֽנָשׁ֔וּבָה] חַדֵּ֥שׁ יָמֵ֖ינוּ כְּקֶֽדֶם׃

    Turn Thou us unto Thee, O LORD, and we shall be turned; Renew our days as of old.

    Lamentations 5:21 · The Holy Scriptures: A New Translation (JPS 1917)

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