Lectionary Calendar
Friday, July 18th, 2025
the Week of Proper 10 / Ordinary 15
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Read the Bible

Contemporary English Version

Lamentations 4:6

My nation was punished worse than the people of Sodom, whose city was destroyed in a flash without the help of human hands.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Sin;   Sodom;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Famine;  

Dictionaries:

- Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - War;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Famine and Drought;   Lamentations, Book of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Acrostic;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Sodom;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Messiah;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Moment;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Saadia;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
The punishment of my dear peopleis greater than that of Sodom,which was overthrown in an instantwithout a hand laid on it.
Hebrew Names Version
For the iniquity of the daughter of my people is greater than the sin of Sedom, That was overthrown as in a moment, and no hands were laid on her.
King James Version
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.
English Standard Version
For the chastisement of the daughter of my people has been greater than the punishment of Sodom, which was overthrown in a moment, and no hands were wrung for her.
New American Standard Bible
For the wrongdoing of the daughter of my people Is greater than the sin of Sodom, Which was overthrown as in a moment, And no hands were turned toward her.
New Century Version
My people have been punished more than Sodom was. Sodom was destroyed suddenly, and no hands reached out to help her.
Amplified Bible
For the [punishment of the] wickedness of the daughter of my people [Jerusalem] Is greater than the [punishment for the] sin of Sodom, Which was overthrown in a moment, And no hands were turned toward her [to offer help].
World English Bible
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.
Geneva Bible (1587)
For the iniquitie of the daughter of my people is become greater then the sinne of Sodom, that was destroyed as in a moment, & none pitched campes against her.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
For the iniquity of the daughter of my people Is greater than the sin of Sodom, Which was overthrown as in a moment, And no hands were turned toward her.
Legacy Standard Bible
So the iniquity of the daughter of my peopleIs greater than the sin of Sodom,Which was overthrown as in a moment,And no hands whirled toward her.
Berean Standard Bible
The punishment of the daughter of my people is greater than that of Sodom, which was overthrown in an instant without a hand turned toward her.
Complete Jewish Bible
For the offense of the daughter of my people is greater than the sin of S'dom, which was overthrown in an instant, without a hand to help her.
Darby Translation
And the punishment of the iniquity of the daughter of my people is greater than the reward of the sin of Sodom, which was overthrown as in a moment, and no hands were violently laid upon her.
Easy-to-Read Version
The sin of the daughter of my people was very great. Their sin was greater than the sins of Sodom and Gomorrah. Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed suddenly. No human hand caused their destruction.
George Lamsa Translation
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 weary in destroying it.
Good News Translation
My people have been punished even more than the inhabitants of Sodom, which met a sudden downfall at the hands of God.
Lexham English Bible
The iniquity of the daughter of my people is greater than the sin of Sodom; it was overthrown in a moment and no hands were laid on her.
Literal Translation
And the iniquity of the daughter of my people is heaped more than the sin of Sodom, which was overthrown as in a moment, and no hands were whirled on her.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
The synne of the doughter of my people is become greater, then ye wickednesse of Sodome, that sodely was destroyed, and not taken with hondes.
American Standard Version
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.
Bible in Basic English
For the punishment of the daughter of my people is greater than the punishment of Sodom, which was overturned suddenly without any hand falling on her.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
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 fell upon her.
King James Version (1611)
For the punishment of the iniquitie of the daughter of my people, is greater then the punishment of the sinne of Sodom, that was ouerthrowen as in a moment, and no hands stayed on her.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
The sinne of the daughter of my people, is become greater then the wickednesse of Sodome, that sodaynely was destroyed, and not taken with handes.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
VAU. And the iniquity of the daughter of my people has been increased beyond the iniquities of Sodoma, the city that was overthrown very suddenly, and none laboured against her with their hands.
English Revised Version
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.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Vau. And the wickidnesse of the douyter of my puple is maad more than the synne of men of Sodom, that was distried in a moment, and hondis token not therynne.
Update Bible Version
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.
Webster's Bible Translation
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.
New English Translation

ו (Vav)

The punishment of my people exceeded that of of Sodom, which was overthrown in a moment with no one to help her.
New King James Version
The punishment of the iniquity of the daughter of my people Is greater than the punishment of the sin of Sodom, Which was overthrown in a moment, With no hand to help her!
New Living Translation
The guilt of my people is greater than that of Sodom, where utter disaster struck in a moment and no hand offered help.
New Life Bible
For the sin of the daughter of my people is worse than the sin of Sodom, which was destroyed all at once without a hand turned to help her.
New Revised Standard
For the chastisement of my people has been greater than the punishment of Sodom, which was overthrown in a moment, though no hand was laid on it.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And the punishment of the daughter of my people hath grown greater than the punishment of Sodom, - which was overthrown as in a moment, when no hands had been laid violently upon her.
Douay-Rheims Bible
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.
Revised Standard Version
For the chastisement of the daughter of my people has been greater than the punishment of Sodom, which was overthrown in a moment, no hand being laid on it.
Young's Literal Translation
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.
THE MESSAGE
The evil guilt of my dear people was worse than the sin of Sodom— The city was destroyed in a flash, and no one around to help.

Contextual Overview

1 The Prophet Speaks: The purest gold is ruined and has lost its shine; jewels from the temple lie scattered in the streets. 2 These are Zion's people, worth more than purest gold; yet they are counted worthless like dishes of clay. 3 Even jackals nurse their young, but my people are like ostriches that abandon their own. 4 Babies are so thirsty that their tongues are stuck to the roof of the mouth. Children go begging for food, but no one gives them any. 5 All who ate expensive foods lie starving in the streets; those who grew up in luxury now sit on trash heaps. 6 My nation was punished worse than the people of Sodom, whose city was destroyed in a flash without the help of human hands. 7 The leaders of Jerusalem were purer than snow and whiter than milk; their bodies were healthy and glowed like jewels. 8 Now they are blacker than tar, and no one recognizes them; their skin clings to their bones and is drier than firewood. 9 Being killed with a sword is better than slowly starving to death. 10 Life in the city is so bad that loving mothers have boiled and eaten their own children.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

punishment of the iniquity of the daughter: or, iniquity of the daughter, etc. Isaiah 1:9, Isaiah 1:10, Ezekiel 16:48-50, Matthew 11:23, Matthew 11:24, Luke 10:12, Luke 12:47

the punishment: Lamentations 4:9, Genesis 19:25, Daniel 9:12, Matthew 24:21

Reciprocal: Genesis 19:24 - the Lord Exodus 33:5 - in a moment Deuteronomy 32:32 - of the vine of Sodom Jeremiah 4:11 - daughter Jeremiah 6:26 - daughter Jeremiah 30:7 - so Lamentations 1:12 - if Lamentations 4:22 - The punishment of thine iniquity Ezekiel 5:9 - that which Ezekiel 16:46 - thy younger sister Ezekiel 16:50 - therefore Daniel 8:25 - but Mark 13:19 - in those Romans 9:29 - we had been Revelation 18:17 - in one

Cross-References

Genesis 4:1
Adam and Eve had a son. Then Eve said, "I'll name him Cain because I got him with the help of the Lord ."
Genesis 4:3
One day, Cain gave part of his harvest to the Lord ,
Genesis 4:4
and Abel also gave an offering to the Lord . He killed the first-born lamb from one of his sheep and gave the Lord the best parts of it. The Lord was pleased with Abel and his offering,
Genesis 4:5
but not with Cain and his offering. This made Cain so angry that he could not hide his feelings.
Genesis 4:8
Cain said to his brother Abel, "Let's go for a walk." And when they were out in a field, Cain killed him.
Genesis 4:11
And so, I'll put you under a curse. Because you killed Abel and made his blood run out on the ground, you will never be able to farm the land again.
Genesis 4:13
"This punishment is too hard!" Cain said.
Job 5:2
Envy and jealousy will kill a stupid fool.
Isaiah 1:18
I, the Lord , invite you to come and talk it over. Your sins are scarlet red, but they will be whiter than snow or wool.
Jeremiah 2:5
and I, the Lord , will speak. I was never unfair to your ancestors, but they left me and became worthless by following worthless idols.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

For the punishment of the iniquity of the daughter of my people,.... In the long siege of their city, and the evils that attended it, especially the sore famine:

is greater than the punishment of the sin of Sodom; which was destroyed at once by fire from heaven: or it may be rendered, "the iniquity of the daughter of my people is greater than the sin of Sodom" p; though the men of Sodom were great sinners, the Jews were greater, their sins being more aggravated; to this agrees the Targum, which renders the word "sin", and paraphrases the words following thus,

"and there dwelt not in her prophets to prophesy unto her, and turn her by repentance;''

as the Jews had, and therefore their sin was the greater; both senses are true, and the one is the foundation of the other; but the first seems best to agree with what follows:

that was overthrown as in a moment; by a shower of fire from heaven, which consumed it at once; whereas the destruction of Jerusalem was a lingering one, through a long and tedious siege; the inhabitants were gradually wasted and consumed by famine, pestilence, and sword, and so their punishment greater than Sodom's:

and no hand stayed on her; that is, on Sodom; the hand of God was immediately upon her, and dispatched her at once, but not the hands of men; as the hands of the Chaldeans were upon the Jews, afflicting and distressing them a long time, which made their ease the worse.

p מחטאת----Nwe ldgyw "et ingens fuit iniquitas--prae peccato", Montanus; "et major extitit pravitas--prae peccato", Cocceius. So V. L.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Rather, “For” the iniquity “of the daughter of my people was greater than” the sin “of Sodom.” The prophet deduces this conclusion from the greatness of Judah’s misery (compare Jeremiah 30:11; see also Luke 13:1-5).

No hands stayed on her - Or, “no hands were round about her.” Sodom’s sufferings in dying were brief: there were no starving children, no mothers cooking their offspring for food.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 6. For the punishment — He thinks the punishment of Jerusalem far greater than that of Sodom. That was destroyed in a moment, while all her inhabitants were in health and strength; Jerusalem fell by the most lingering calamities; her men partly destroyed by the sword, and partly by the famine.

Instead of no hands stayed on her, Blayney translates, "Nor were hands weakened in her." Perhaps the meaning is, "Sodom was destroyed in a moment without any human labour." It was a judgment from God himself: so the sacred text: "The LORD rained down fire and brimstone from the Lord out of heaven." See Genesis 19:24.


 
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