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Read the Bible

Complete Jewish Bible

Lamentations 4:15

"Keep away! Unclean!" people shout at them, "Keep away! Away! Don't touch us!" They flee, to wander here and there; but no nation allows them to stay.

Bible Study Resources

Dictionaries:

- Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Consecrate;   God;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Lamentations, Book of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Acrostic;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Messiah;  

Encyclopedias:

- The Jewish Encyclopedia - Church Fathers;   Color;   Poetry;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
“Stay away! Unclean!” people shouted at them.“Away, away! Don’t touch us!” So they wandered aimlessly.It was said among the nations,“They can stay here no longer.”
Hebrew Names Version
Depart you, they cried to them, Unclean! depart, depart, don't touch! When they fled away and wandered, men said among the nations, They shall no more sojourn [here].
King James Version
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.
English Standard Version
"Away! Unclean!" people cried at them. "Away! Away! Do not touch!" So they became fugitives and wanderers; people said among the nations, "They shall stay with us no longer."
New American Standard Bible
"Keep away! Unclean!" they cried out of themselves. "Keep away, keep away, do not touch!" For they distanced themselves as well as wandered; People among the nations said, "They shall not continue to reside with us."
New Century Version
"Go away! You are unclean," people shouted at them. "Get away! Get away! Don't touch us!" So they ran away and wandered. Even the other nations said, "Don't stay here."
Amplified Bible
People cried to them, "Go away! Unclean! Depart! Depart! Do not touch!" So they fled, then they wandered [as fugitives]; People among the nations said, "They shall not stay here any longer with us."
World English Bible
Depart you, they cried to them, Unclean! depart, depart, don't touch! When they fled away and wandered, men said among the nations, They shall no more sojourn [here].
Geneva Bible (1587)
But they cried vnto them, Depart, ye polluted, depart, depart, touch not: therefore they fled away, and wandered: they haue sayd among the heathen, They shal no more dwell there.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Depart! Unclean!" they cried of themselves. "Depart, depart, do not touch!" So they fled and wandered; Men among the nations said, "They shall not continue to dwell with us."
Legacy Standard Bible
"Depart! Unclean!" they cried of themselves."Depart, depart, do not touch!"So they fled and wandered;Men among the nations said,"They shall not continue to sojourn with us."
Berean Standard Bible
"Go away! Unclean!" men shouted at them. "Away, away! Do not touch us!" So they fled and wandered. Among the nations it was said, "They can stay here no longer."
Contemporary English Version
Instead, everyone shouted, "Go away! Don't touch us! You're filthy and unfit to belong to God's people!" So they had to leave and become refugees. But foreign nations told them, "You can't stay here!"
Darby Translation
They cried unto them, Depart! Unclean! Depart! depart, touch not! When they fled away, and wandered about, it was said among the nations, They shall no more sojourn [there].
Easy-to-Read Version
People shouted, "Go away! Go away! Don't touch us." They wandered around and had no home. People in other nations said, "We don't want them to live with us."
George Lamsa Translation
Separate yourselves from them, call them unclean; depart, depart, do not touch them; for they have caused provocations and are troubled; among the Gentiles the people said, They shall no more sojourn there.
Good News Translation
"Get away!" people shouted. "You're defiled! Don't touch me!" So they wandered from nation to nation, welcomed by no one.
Lexham English Bible
"Go away! Defiled!" they shout to them. "Go away! Go away! Do not touch!" so they left, they left; it was said among the nations, "They will no longer dwell with us."
Literal Translation
They cried out to them, Depart! Unclean! Depart, depart! Touch not! Indeed they fled and reeled. They said among the nations, They will not continue to live there.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
But they cried vnto euery ma: fle the staynynge, awaye, get you hece, touch it not. Yee (sayde they) ye must be brent, ye must dwell amonge the Gentiles, & byde no longer here.
American Standard Version
Depart ye, they cried unto them, Unclean! depart, depart, touch not! When they fled away and wandered, men said among the nations, They shall no more sojourn here.
Bible in Basic English
Away! unclean! they were crying out to them, Away! away! let there be no touching: when they went away in flight and wandering, men said among the nations, There is no further resting-place for them.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
'Depart ye! unclean!' men cried unto them, 'Depart, depart, touch not'; yea, they fled away and wandered; men said among the nations: 'They shall no more sojourn here.'
King James Version (1611)
They cryed vnto them; Depart yee, it is vncleane, depart, depart, touch not, when they fled away and wandred: they said among the heathen, They shall no more soiourne there.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
But they cryed vnto them, flee ye polluted, away, get you hence, touche not: for they are vncleane and be remoued, yea they haue said among the heathen, they shall no more dwell in this citie.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
SAMECH. Depart ye from the unclean ones: call ye them: depart, depart, touch them not: for they are on fire, yea, they stagger: say ye among the nations, They shall no more sojourn there.
English Revised Version
Depart ye, they cried unto them, Unclean! depart, depart, touch not: when they fled away and wandered, men said among the nations, They shall no more sojourn here.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Samet. Thei crieden to hem, Departe awei, ye defoulide men, departe ye, go ye awei, nyle ye touche; forsothe thei chidden, and weren stirid; thei seiden among hethene men, God schal no more leie to, that he dwelle among hem.
Update Bible Version
Depart, they cried to them, Unclean! depart, depart, don't touch! When they fled away and wandered, men said among the nations, They shall no more sojourn [here].
Webster's Bible Translation
They cried to 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].
New English Translation

ס (Samek)

People cry to them, "Turn away! You are unclean! Turn away! Turn away! Don't touch us!" So they have fled and wander about; but the nations say, "They may not stay here any longer."
New King James Version
They cried out to them, "Go away, unclean! Go away, go away, Do not touch us!" When they fled and wandered, Those among the nations said, "They shall no longer dwell here."
New Living Translation
"Get away!" the people shouted at them. "You're defiled! Don't touch us!" So they fled to distant lands and wandered among foreign nations, but none would let them stay.
New Life Bible
People cried to them, "Go away! You are unclean! Leave! Go away! Do not touch!" So they ran away and traveled from place to place. Men among the nations said, "They must not stay with us any longer."
New Revised Standard
"Away! Unclean!" people shouted at them; "Away! Away! Do not touch!" So they became fugitives and wanderers; it was said among the nations, "They shall stay here no longer."
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Turn aside! Unclean! have they cried to them, Turn aside! Turn aside! Do not touch! because they have fled, yea, wandered, Men said among the nations, They will not again tarry;
Douay-Rheims Bible
Samech. Depart you that are defiled, they cried out to them: Depart, get ye hence, touch not: for they quarrelled, and being removed, they said among the Gentiles: He will no more dwell among them.
Revised Standard Version
"Away! Unclean!" men cried at them; "Away! Away! Touch not!" So they became fugitives and wanderers; men said among the nations, "They shall stay with us no longer."
Young's Literal Translation
`Turn aside -- unclean,' they called to them, `Turn aside, turn aside, touch not,' For they fled -- yea, they have wandered, They have said among nations: `They do not add to sojourn.'
THE MESSAGE
People yell at them, "Get out of here, dirty old men! Get lost, don't touch us, don't infect us!" They have to leave town. They wander off. Nobody wants them to stay here. Everyone knows, wherever they wander, that they've been kicked out of their own hometown.

Contextual Overview

13 It happened because of the sins of her prophets and the offenses of her cohanim, who, within her walls, shed the blood of the righteous. 14 They wander in the streets like the blind; they are so polluted with blood that nobody is able even to touch their clothing. 15 "Keep away! Unclean!" people shout at them, "Keep away! Away! Don't touch us!" They flee, to wander here and there; but no nation allows them to stay. 16 Adonai himself scattered them; he will no longer look after them; they had no respect for cohanim and showed no kindness to the leaders. 17 As for us, our eyes are worn out from looking in vain for help; we kept on watching and watching for a nation that couldn't save us. 18 They keep dogging our steps, so that we can't go out in our streets. Our end is near, our time is up; yes, our end has come. 19 Those who pursued us were swifter than eagles in the sky. They chased us over the mountains and waylaid us in the desert. 20 Adonai 's anointed, our life-breath, was caught in their pits; though of him we had said, "Under his protection, we can live among the nations."

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Reciprocal: Leviticus 13:45 - Unclean Leviticus 26:33 - General Isaiah 23:12 - there also Jeremiah 9:19 - our Jeremiah 33:24 - thus Lamentations 1:8 - all Lamentations 1:17 - Jerusalem Lamentations 2:9 - her king Lamentations 3:45 - as Zechariah 8:13 - a curse

Cross-References

Genesis 4:24
If Kayin will be avenged sevenfold, then Lemekh seventy-sevenfold!"
Leviticus 26:18
If these things don't make you listen to me, then I will discipline you seven times over for your sins.
Leviticus 26:21
"‘Yes, if you go against me and don't listen to me, I will increase your calamities sevenfold, according to your sins.
Leviticus 26:24
then I too will go against you; and I, yes I, will strike you seven times over for your sins.
Leviticus 26:28
then I will go against you furiously, and I also will chastise you yet seven times more for your sins.
1 Kings 16:7
Through the prophet Yehu the son of Hanani the word of Adonai was proclaimed against Ba‘sha and his house both because he did so much evil from Adonai 's perspective, angering him with his actions and becoming like the house of Yarov‘am, and because he killed [Nadav].
Psalms 59:11
God, who gives me grace, will come to me; God will let me gaze in triumph at my foes.
Psalms 79:12
Repay our neighbors sevenfold where they can feel it for the insults they inflicted on you, Adonai.
Proverbs 6:31
but even he, if caught, must pay back sevenfold; he may have to give up all the wealth that he owns.
Ezekiel 9:4
Adonai said to him, "Go throughout the city, through all Yerushalayim, and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who are sighing and crying over all the disgusting practices that are being committed in it."

Gill's Notes on the Bible

They cried unto them, depart ye, [it is] unclean,.... Or, O ye "unclean" e; that is, the people said so to the priests, being polluted with blood; they abhorred them, did not care they should come nigh them, but bid them keep at distance; they that cleansed others of leprosy were treated as leprous persons themselves, and proclaimed unclean, and shunned as such: and, to show their vehement abhorrence of them, repeated the words,

depart, depart, touch not: that is, touch us not; they who had used to say; to others, stand by yourselves, we are more holy than you, being the Lord's priests and prophets, are treated after the same manner themselves:

when they fled away, and wandered; fled from the city, and wandered among the nations; or when they were swiftly carried away captives, and became vagabonds in other countries:

they said among the Heathens, they shall no more sojourn [there]; being among the Heathens, they took notice of them as very wicked men, and said concerning them, now they are carried out of their own land, they shall never return there any more, and dwell in Jerusalem, and officiate in the temple, as they had formerly done.

e טמא "immunde", Montanus; "immundi", Strigelius. "gens polluta", Vatablus; "discedite polluti", Gataker.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Men cried to these priests, “Away! Unclean! Away! Away! Touch not.” “Unclean” was the cry of the leper whenever he appeared in public: here it is the warning shout of those who meet the murderers.

When they fled away and wandered - These priests fled away from the city, but with uncertain steps, not knowing where to find refuge. They find themselves abhorred abroad as well as at home.

It is quite possible that this verse records a real occurrence, if not during the siege, at all events during the last years of Zedekiah’s reign.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 15. When they fled away — These priests and prophets were so bad, that the very heathen did not like to permit them to sojourn among them. The prophet now resumes the history of the siege.


 
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