Lamentations 4:17

¹⁵ “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.”

¹⁶ The presence of the LORD has scattered them; He regards them no more. The priests are shown no honor; the elders find no favor.

All the while our eyes were failing as we looked in vain for help. We watched from our towers for a nation that could not save us.

¹⁸ They stalked our every step, so that we could not walk in our streets. Our end drew near, our time ran out, for our end had come!

¹⁹ Those who chased us were swifter than the eagles in the sky; they pursued us over the mountains and ambushed us in the wilderness.

Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB: All the while our eyes were failing as we looked in vain for help. We watched from our towers for a nation that could not save us.
KJV: As for us, our eyes as yet failed for our vain help: in our watching we have watched for a nation that could not save us.
WEB: Our eyes still fail, looking in vain for our help. In our watching we have watched for a nation that could not save.
ASV: Our eyes do yet fail [in looking] for our vain help: In our watching we have watched for a nation that could not save.
DARBY: Our eyes still failed for our vain help; in our watching, we have watched for a nation that did not save.
BLB: Again our eyes came to an end, for our helper in vain; in our keeping watch we watched for a nation [that] could not save [us].

ÅB: Da det[^2] enda sto, stirret våre matte øyne forgjeves etter hjelp; på vårt vakttårn speidet vi etter et folk som ikke kunne frelse oss[^3].
OTB: Våre øyne sviktet, forgjeves lette vi etter hjelp; fra vårt vakttårn så vi etter en nasjon som ikke kunne frelse oss.
B1930: Da det ennu stod, stirret våre matte øine forgjeves efter hjelp; på vårt vakttårn speidet vi efter et folk som ikke kunde frelse oss. / < d.e. Jerusalem.> / < d.e. egypterne. JES 30, 5. 7. JER 37, 5-8.>

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

Ezekiel 29:16
Egypt will never again be an object of trust for the house of Israel, but will remind them of their iniquity in turning to the Egyptians. Then they will know that I am the Lord GOD.”
Read in context
Isaiah 20:5
Those who made Cush their hope and Egypt their boast will be dismayed and ashamed.
Read in context
2 Kings 24:7
Now the king of Egypt did not march out of his land again, because the king of Babylon had taken all his territory, from the Brook of Egypt to the Euphrates River.
Read in context
Jeremiah 2:36
How unstable you are, constantly changing your ways! You will be disappointed by Egypt just as you were by Assyria.
Read in context
Lamentations 1:7
In the days of her affliction and wandering Jerusalem remembers all the treasures that were hers in days of old. When her people fell into enemy hands she received no help. Her enemies looked upon her, laughing at her downfall.
Read in context
Ezekiel 29:6–7
Then all the people of Egypt will know that I am the LORD. For you were only a staff of reeds to the house of Israel.
Read in context
Lamentations 1:19
I called out to my lovers, but they have betrayed me. My priests and elders perished in the city while they searched for food to keep themselves alive.
Read in context
Jeremiah 8:20
“The harvest has passed, the summer has ended, but we have not been saved.”
Read in context