King James Version

Lamentations 2:13

What thing shall I take to witness for thee? what thing shall I liken to thee, O daughter of Jerusalem? what shall I equal to thee, that I may comfort thee, O virgin daughter of Zion? for thy breach is great like the sea: who can heal thee?

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Hebrew

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מָֽהmahhowמָהparticle, interrogative — “how”H4100properly, interrogative what? (including how? why? when?); but also exclamation, what! (including how!), or indefinitely what (including whatever, and even relatively, that which); often used with prefixes in various adverbial or conjunctive senseshow (long, oft, (-soever)), (no-) thing, what (end, good, purpose, thing), whereby(-fore, -in, -to, -with), (for) why.אֲעִידֵ֞ךְaidekheprotestעוּדverb, hiphil, imperfect, 1st person, common, singular, suffix, pronominal, 2nd person, feminine, singular — “protest”, an unfinished actionH5749to duplicate or repeat; by implication, to protest, testify (as by reiteration); intensively, to encompass, restore (as a sort of reduplication)admonish, charge, earnestly, lift up, protest, call (take) to record, relieve, rob, solemnly, stand upright, testify, give warning, (bear, call to, give, take to) witness.מָ֣הmahhowמָהparticle, interrogative — “how”H4100properly, interrogative what? (including how? why? when?); but also exclamation, what! (including how!), or indefinitely what (including whatever, and even relatively, that which); often used with prefixes in various adverbial or conjunctive senseshow (long, oft, (-soever)), (no-) thing, what (end, good, purpose, thing), whereby(-fore, -in, -to, -with), (for) why.אֲדַמֶּהadamehcompareדָּמָהverb, piel, imperfect, 1st person, common, singular — “compare”, an unfinished actionH1819to compare; by implication, to resemble, liken, considercompare, devise, (be) like(-n), mean, think, use similitudes.לָּ֗ךְlakhetoלָּ֗ךְpreposition, suffix, pronominal, 2nd person, feminine, singular — “to”toהַבַּת֙habatthe daughterבַּתdefinite article, noun, common, feminine, singular, absolute — “the daughter”, the ordinary formH1323a daughter (used in the same wide sense as other terms of relationship, literally and figuratively)apple (of the eye), branch, company, daughter, [idiom] first, [idiom] old, [phrase] owl, town, village.יְר֣וּשָׁלִַ֔םyerushalimJerusalemיְרוּשָׁלַ͏ִםnoun, proper name — “Jerusalem”H3389Jerushalaim or Jerushalem, the capital city of PalestineJerusalem.מָ֤הmahhowמָהparticle, interrogative — “how”H4100properly, interrogative what? (including how? why? when?); but also exclamation, what! (including how!), or indefinitely what (including whatever, and even relatively, that which); often used with prefixes in various adverbial or conjunctive senseshow (long, oft, (-soever)), (no-) thing, what (end, good, purpose, thing), whereby(-fore, -in, -to, -with), (for) why.אַשְׁוֶהashvehbe likeשָׁוָהverb, hiphil, imperfect, 1st person, common, singular — “be like”, an unfinished actionH7737properly, to level, i.e. equalize; figuratively, to resemble; by implication, to adjust (i.e. counterbalance, be suitable, compose, place, yield, etc.)avail, behave, bring forth, compare, countervail, (be, make) equal, lay, be (make, a-) like, make plain, profit, reckon.לָּךְ֙lakhetoלָּךְ֙preposition, suffix, pronominal, 2nd person, feminine, singular — “to”toוַאֲנַֽחֲמֵ֔ךְvaanachamekheand comfortנָחַםconjunction, verb, piel, imperfect, 1st person, common, singular, suffix, pronominal, 2nd person, feminine, singular — “and comfort”, an unfinished actionH5162properly, to sigh, i.e. breathe strongly; by implication, to be sorry, i.e. (in a favorable sense) to pity, console or (reflexively) rue; or (unfavorably) to avenge (oneself)comfort (self), ease (one's self), repent(-er,-ing, self).בְּתוּלַ֖תbetulatvirginבְּתוּלָהnoun, common, feminine, singular, construct — “virgin”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH1330a virgin (from her privacy); sometimes (by continuation) a bride; also (figuratively) a city or statemaid, virgin.בַּתbatdaughterבַּתnoun, common, feminine, singular, construct — “daughter”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH1323a daughter (used in the same wide sense as other terms of relationship, literally and figuratively)apple (of the eye), branch, company, daughter, [idiom] first, [idiom] old, [phrase] owl, town, village.צִיּ֑וֹןtsionZionצִיּוֹןnoun, proper name — “Zion”H6726Tsijon (as a permanent capital), a mountain of JerusalemZion.כִּֽיkiassuredכִּיconjunction — “assured”H3588(by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexedand, + (forasmuch, inasmuch, where-) as, assured(-ly), + but, certainly, doubtless, + else, even, + except, for, how, (because, in, so, than) that, + nevertheless, now, rightly, seeing, since, surely, then, therefore, + (al-) though, + til…גָד֥וֹלgadolgreatגָּדוֹלadjective, adjective, masculine, singular, absolute — “great”, the ordinary formH1419great (in any sense); hence, older; also insolent[phrase] aloud, elder(-est), [phrase] exceeding(-ly), [phrase] far, (man of) great (man, matter, thing,-er,-ness), high, long, loud, mighty, more, much, noble, proud thing, [idiom] sore, ([idiom]) very.כַּיָּ֛םkayamas seaיָםpreposition, with the article, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “as sea”, the ordinary formH3220a sea (as breaking in noisy surf) or large body of water; specifically (with the article), the Mediterranean Sea; sometimes a large river, or an artifical basin; locally, the west, or (rarely) the southsea ([idiom] -faring man, (-shore)), south, west (-ern, side, -ward).שִׁבְרֵ֖ךְshivrekheafflictionשֶׁבֶרnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 2nd person, feminine, singular — “affliction”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH7667a fracture, figuratively, ruin; specifically, a solution (of a dream)affliction, breach, breaking, broken(-footed, -handed), bruise, crashing, destruction, hurt, interpretation, vexation.מִ֥יmiwhoמִיparticle, interrogative — “who”H4310who? (occasionally, by a peculiar idiom, of things); also (indefinitely) whoever; often used in oblique construction with prefix or suffixany (man), [idiom] he, [idiom] him, [phrase] O that! what, which, who(-m, -se, -soever), [phrase] would to God.יִרְפָּאyirpacureרָפָאverb, qal, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “cure”, an unfinished actionH7495properly, to mend (by stitching), i.e. (figuratively) to curecure, (cause to) heal, physician, repair, [idiom] thoroughly, make whole. See H7503 (רָפָה).לָֽךְlakhetoלָֽךְpreposition, suffix, pronominal, 2nd person, feminine, singular — “to”to

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

What shall I take to witness for thee? What shall I liken to thee, O daughter of Jerusalem? What shall I equal to thee, that I may comfort thee, O virgin daughter of Zion? For thy breach is great like the sea; who can heal thee?

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

What shall I testify unto thee? what shall I liken to thee, O daughter of Jerusalem? What shall I compare to thee, that I may comfort thee, O virgin daughter of Zion? For thy breach is great like the sea: who can heal thee?

Young’s Literal Translation

What do I testify [to] thee, what do I liken to thee, O daughter of Jerusalem? What do I equal to thee, and I comfort thee, O virgin daughter of Zion? For great as a sea [is] thy breach, Who doth give healing to thee?

World English Bible

What shall I testify to you? What shall I liken to you, daughter of Jerusalem? What shall I compare to you, that I may comfort you, virgin daughter of Zion? For your breach is as big as the sea. Who can heal you?

Darby Translation

What shall I take to witness for thee? what shall I liken unto thee, daughter of Jerusalem? What shall I equal to thee, that I may comfort thee, virgin daughter of Zion? For thy ruin is great as the sea: who will heal thee?

Douay-Rheims

Mem. To what shall I compare thee? or to what shall I liken thee, O daughter of Jerusalem? to what shall I equal thee, that I may comfort thee, O virgin daughter of Sion? for great as the sea is thy destruction: who shall heal thee?

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

Mem. What shall I testify to thee, or what shall I compare to thee, O daughter of Jerusalem? who shall save and comfort thee, O virgin daughter of Sion? for the cup of thy destruction is enlarged: who shall heal thee?

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

ΜΗΜ. Τί μαρτυρήσω σοι, ἢ τί ὁμοιώσω σοι, θύγατερ Ἱερουσαλήμ; τίς σώσει καὶ παρακαλέσει σε, παρθένος θύγατερ Σιών; ὅτι ἐμεγαλύνθη ποτήριον συντριβῆς σου, τίς ἰάσεταί σε;