Lamentations 4:6

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.

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.

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

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.

Contextual Overview

¹ Oh, oh, oh... How gold is treated like dirt, the finest gold thrown out with the garbage, Priceless jewels scattered all over, jewels loose in the gutters. ² And the people of Zion, once prized, far surpassing their weight in gold, Are now treated like cheap pottery, like everyday pots and bowls mass-produced by a potter. ³ Even wild jackals nurture their babies, give them their breasts to suckle. But my people have turned cruel to their babies, like an ostrich in the wilderness. ⁴ Babies have nothing to drink. Their tongues stick to the roofs of their mouths. Little children ask for bread but no one gives them so much as a crust. ⁵ People used to the finest cuisine forage for food in the streets. People used to the latest in fashions pick through the trash for something to wear. ⁶ 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. ⁷ The splendid and sacred nobles once glowed with health. Their bodies were robust and ruddy, their beards like carved stone. ⁸ But now they are smeared with soot, unrecognizable in the street, Their bones sticking out, their skin dried out like old leather. ⁹ Better to have been killed in battle than killed by starvation. Better to have died of battle wounds than to slowly starve to death. ¹⁰ Nice and kindly women boiled their own children for supper. This was the only food in town when my dear people were broken.

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 slept with Eve his wife. She conceived and had Cain. She said, "I've gotten a man, with God 's help!"

Genesis 4:3
Time passed. Cain brought an offering to God from the produce of his farm. Abel also brought an offering, but from the firstborn animals of his herd, choice cuts of meat. God liked Abel and his offering, but Cain and his offering didn't get his approval. Cain lost his temper and went into a sulk.

Genesis 4:8
Cain had words with his brother. They were out in the field; Cain came at Abel his brother and killed him.

Genesis 4:13
Cain said to God , "My punishment is too much. I can't take it! You've thrown me off the land and I can never again face you. I'm a homeless wanderer on Earth and whoever finds me will kill me."

Isaiah 1:18
"Come. Sit down. Let's argue this out." This is God 's Message: "If your sins are blood-red, they'll be snow-white. If they're red like crimson, they'll be like wool. If you'll willingly obey, you'll feast like kings. But if you're willful and stubborn, you'll die like dogs." That's right. God says so.

Jeremiah 2:31
"What a generation you turned out to be! Didn't I tell you? Didn't I warn you? Have I let you down, Israel? Am I nothing but a dead-end street? Why do my people say, ‘Good riddance! From now on we're on our own'? Young women don't forget their jewelry, do they? Brides don't show up without their veils, do they? But my people forget me. Day after day after day they never give me a thought.

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.