Yēlìmǐāigē 4

1 Huángjīn hé qí shī guāng ; chún jīn hé qí biàn sè. shèng suǒ de shítou dǎo zaì gè shì kǒu shang .

2 Xī \'ān bǎoguì de zhòng zǐ hǎobǐ jīng jīn , xiànzaì hé jìng suàn wèi yáo jiàng shǒu suǒ zuò de wǎ píng .

3 Yĕ gǒu shàngqiĕ bǎ nǎi rǔ bǔ qí zǐ , wǒ mín de fùrén dǎo chéngwéi cánrĕn , hǎoxiàng kuàngyĕ de tuó niǎo yìbān .

4 Chī nǎiháizi de shétou yīn gān kĕ tiē zhù shang táng . háitóng qiú bǐng , wú rén bò gĕi tāmen .

5 Sùlái chī mĕihǎo shíwù de , xiànjīn zaì jiē shang biàn wéi gū Hán . sùlái wò zhūhóng rùzi de , xiànjīn tǎng wò fèn duī .

6 Dōu yīn wǒ zhòng mín de zuìniè bǐ Suǒduōmǎ de zuì hái dà . Suǒduōmǎ suīrán wú rén jiā shǒu yú tā , háishì zhuǎn yǎn zhī jiān beì qīngfù .

7 Xī \'ān de guìzhòu sùlái bǐ xuĕ chún jìng , bǐ nǎi gēng bái . tāmende shēntǐ bǐ hóng bǎo yù ( huò zuò shān hú ) gēng hóng , xiàng guāng rùn de lánbǎoshí yíyàng .

8 Xiànzaì tāmende miànmào bǐ méi tàn gèng hēi , yǐzhì zaì jiē shang wú rén rènshi . tāmende pí fū jǐn tiē gútou , kū gān rútóng gǎo mù .

9 È sǐ de bù rú beì dāo shā de , yīnwei zhè shì quē le tiánjiān de tǔchǎn , jiù shēntǐ shuāi ruò , jiànjiàn xiāomiè .

10 Cíbēi de fùrén , dāng wǒ zhòng mín beì huǐmiè de shíhou , qīn shǒu zhǔ zìjǐ de érnǚ zuòwéi shíwù .

11 Yēhéhuá fānù chéngjiù tā suǒ déng de , dǎo chū tāde liè nù . zaì Xī \'ān shǐ huǒ zhe qǐ , shāo huǐ Xī \'ān de gēnjī .

12 Dì shang de jūnwáng hé shìshang de jūmín dōu bú xìn dírén hé chóudí néng jìn Yēlùsǎlĕng de chéng mén .

13 Zhè dōu yīn tā xiānzhī de zuìè hé jìsī de zuìniè . tāmen zaì chéng zhōng liú le yì rén de xuè .

14 Tāmen zaì jiē shang rú xiāzi luàn zǒu , yòu beì xuè diànwū , yǐzhì rén bùnéng mó tāmende yīfu .

15 Rén xiàng tāmen hǎn zhe shuō , bù jiéjìng de , duǒ kāi , duǒ kāi . búyào āijìn wǒ . tāmen taó zǒu piāoliú de shíhou , liè guó zhōng yǒu rén shuō , tāmen bùkĕ réng zaì zhèlǐ jìjū .

16 Yēhéhuá fānù , jiāng tāmen fēnsàn , bú zaì juàngù tāmen . rén bù zhòng kàn jìsī , yĕ bù hòu dāi zhǎnglǎo .

17 Wǒmen yǎngwàng rén lái bāngzhu , yǐzhì yǎnmù shī míng , háishì wǎngrán . wǒmen suǒ pànwàng de , jìng pànwàng yī gè bùnéng jiù rén de guó .

18 Chóudí zhuīgǎn wǒmen de jiǎobù xiàng dá liè de , yǐzhì wǒmen bú gǎn zaì zìjǐ de jiē shang xíng zǒu . wǒmen de jiéjú línjìn . wǒmen de rìzi mǎnzū . wǒmen de jiéjú lái dào le .

19 Zhuīgǎn wǒmen de bǐ kōng zhōng de yīng gèng kuaì . tāmen zaì shān shang zhuībī wǒmen , zaì kuàngyĕ máifu , dĕnghòu wǒmen .

20 Yēhéhuá de shòu gāo zhĕ hǎobǐ wǒmen bí zhōng de qì , zaì tāmende kēng zhōng beì zhuō zhù . wǒmen céng lún dào tā shuō , wǒmen bì zaì tā yīn xià , zaì liè guó zhōng cún huó .

21 Zhù Wūsī dì de Yǐdōng mín nǎ , zhǐguǎn huānxǐ kuaìlè . kǔ bēi yĕ bì chuán dào nǐ nàli . nǐ bì hē zuì , yǐzhì lòu tǐ .

22 Xī \'ān de mín nǎ , nǐ zuìniè de xíngfá shòu zú le , Yēhéhuá bì bú shǐ nǐ zaì beìlǔ qù . Yǐdōng de mín nǎ , tā bì zhuī tǎo nǐde zuìniè , xiǎnlù nǐde zuìè .

Yēlìmǐāigē 4 Commentary

Chapter 4

The deplorable state of the nation is contrasted with its ancient prosperity.

Verses 1-12 What a change is here! Sin tarnishes the beauty of the most exalted powers and the most excellent gifts; but that gold, tried in the fire, which Christ bestows, never will be taken from us; its outward appearance may be dimmed, but its real value can never be changed. The horrors of the siege and destruction of Jerusalem are again described. Beholding the sad consequences of sin in the church of old, let us seriously consider to what the same causes may justly bring down the church now. But, Lord, though we have gone from thee in rebellion, yet turn to us, and turn our hearts to thee, that we may fear thy name. Come to us, bless us with awakening, converting, renewing, confirming grace.

Verses 13-20 Nothing ripens a people more for ruin, nor fills the measure faster, than the sins of priests and prophets. The king himself cannot escape, for Divine vengeance pursues him. Our anointed King alone is the life of our souls; we may safely live under his shadow, and rejoice in Him in the midst of our enemies, for He is the true God and eternal life.

Verses 21-22 Here it is foretold that an end should be put to Zion's troubles. Not the fulness of punishment deserved, but of what God has determined to inflict. An end shall be put to Edom's triumphs. All the troubles of the church and of the believer will soon be accomplished. And the doom of their enemies approaches. The Lord will bring their sins to light, and they shall lie down in eternal sorrow. Edom here represents all the enemies of the church. And the corruption, and sin of Israel, which the prophet has proved to be universal, justifies the judgments of the Lord. It shows the need of that grace in Christ Jesus, which the sin and corruption of all mankind make so necessary.

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO LAMENTATIONS 4

The prophet begins this chapter with a complaint of the ill usage of the dear children of God, and precious sons of Zion, La 4:1,2; relates the dreadful effects of the famine during the siege of Jerusalem, La 4:3-10; the taking and destruction of that city he imputes to the wrath of God; and represents it as incredible to the kings and inhabitants of the earth, La 4:11,12; the causes of which were the sins of the prophets, priests, and people, La 4:13-16; expresses the vain hopes they once had, but now were given up entirely, their king being taken, La 4:17-20; and the chapter is concluded with a prophecy of the destruction of the Edomites, and of the return of the Jews from captivity, La 4:21,22.