Verse (Click for Chapter) New International Version Because of thirst the infant’s tongue sticks to the roof of its mouth; the children beg for bread, but no one gives it to them. New Living Translation The parched tongues of their little ones stick to the roofs of their mouths in thirst. The children cry for bread, but no one has any to give them. English Standard Version The tongue of the nursing infant sticks to the roof of its mouth for thirst; the children beg for food, but no one gives to them. Berean Standard Bible The nursing infant’s tongue clings in thirst to the roof of his mouth. Little children beg for bread, but no one gives them any. King James Bible The tongue of the sucking child cleaveth to the roof of his mouth for thirst: the young children ask bread, and no man breaketh it unto them. New King James Version The tongue of the infant clings To the roof of its mouth for thirst; The young children ask for bread, But no one breaks it for them. New American Standard Bible The tongue of the infant clings To the roof of its mouth because of thirst; The children ask for bread, But no one breaks it for them. NASB 1995 The tongue of the infant cleaves To the roof of its mouth because of thirst; The little ones ask for bread, But no one breaks it for them. NASB 1977 The tongue of the infant cleaves To the roof of its mouth because of thirst; The little ones ask for bread, But no one breaks it for them. Legacy Standard Bible The tongue of the nursing baby cleaves To the roof of its mouth because of thirst; The infants ask for bread, But no one breaks it for them. Amplified Bible The tongue of the infant clings To the roof of its mouth because of thirst; The little ones ask for food, But no one gives it to them. Christian Standard Bible The nursing baby’s tongue clings to the roof of his mouth from thirst. Infants beg for food, but no one gives them any. Holman Christian Standard Bible The nursing infant’s tongue clings to the roof of his mouth from thirst. Little children beg for bread, but no one gives them any. American Standard Version The tongue of the sucking child cleaveth to the roof of his mouth for thirst: The young children ask bread, and no man breaketh it unto them. Contemporary English Version 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. English Revised Version The tongue of the sucking child cleaveth to the roof of his mouth for thirst: the young children ask bread, and no man breaketh it unto them. GOD'S WORD® Translation The tongues of nursing infants stick to the roofs of their mouths because of their thirst. Little children beg for bread, but no one will break off a piece for them. Good News Translation They let their babies die of hunger and thirst; children are begging for food that no one will give them. International Standard Version The nursing child's tongue cleaves to its palate from thirst. Young children beg for bread, but no one gives them any. Majority Standard Bible The nursing infant’s tongue clings in thirst to the roof of his mouth. Little children beg for bread, but no one gives them any. NET Bible The infant's tongue sticks to the roof of its mouth due to thirst; little children beg for bread, but no one gives them even a morsel. New Heart English Bible The nursing infant's tongue sticks to the roof of his mouth for thirst. The young children ask for bread, but no one gives to them. Webster's Bible Translation The tongue of the sucking child cleaveth to the roof of his mouth for thirst: the young children ask bread, and no man breaketh it to them. World English Bible The tongue of the nursing child clings to the roof of his mouth for thirst. The young children ask for bread, and no one breaks it for them. Literal Translations Literal Standard VersionThe tongue of a suckling has cleaved to his palate with thirst, "" Infants asked for bread, they have no dealer [of it] out. Young's Literal Translation Cleaved hath the tongue of a suckling unto his palate with thirst, Infants asked bread, a dealer out they have none. Smith's Literal Translation The tongue of the suckling adhered to his palate in thirst: the young children asked for bread, none breaking bread to them. Catholic Translations Douay-Rheims BibleDaleth. The tongue of the sucking child hath stuck to the roof of his mouth for thirst: the little ones have asked for bread, and there was none to break it unto them. Catholic Public Domain Version DALETH. The tongue of the infant adheres to his palate out of thirst. The little ones have asked for bread, and there was no one to break it for them. New American Bible The tongue of the infant cleaves to the roof of its mouth in thirst; Children beg for bread, but no one gives them a piece. New Revised Standard Version The tongue of the infant sticks to the roof of its mouth for thirst; the children beg for food, but no one gives them anything. Translations from Aramaic Lamsa BibleThe tongue of the suckling child cleaves to the roof of his mouth for thirst; the children ask bread, but no one breaks the loaf and gives it to them. Peshitta Holy Bible Translated Daleth The tongue of the infant is stuck to the roof of his palate in thirst. Children asked for bread and there is none who breaks bread, giving it to them OT Translations JPS Tanakh 1917The tongue of the sucking child cleaveth To the roof of his mouth for thirst; The young children ask bread, And none breaketh it unto them. Brenton Septuagint Translation DALETH. The tongue of the sucking child cleaves to the roof of its mouth for thirst: the little children ask for bread, and there is none to break it to them. Additional Translations ... Audio Bible Context The Distress of Zion…3Even jackals offer their breasts to nurse their young, but the daughter of my people has become cruel, like an ostrich in the wilderness. 4The nursing infant’s tongue clings in thirst to the roof of his mouth. Little children beg for bread, but no one gives them any. 5Those who once ate delicacies are destitute in the streets; those brought up in crimson huddle in ash heaps.… Cross References Deuteronomy 28:53-57 Then you will eat the fruit of your womb, the flesh of the sons and daughters whom the LORD your God has given you, in the siege and distress that your enemy will inflict on you. / The most gentle and refined man among you will begrudge his brother, the wife he embraces, and the rest of his children who have survived, / refusing to share with any of them the flesh of his children he will eat because he has nothing left in the siege and distress that your enemy will inflict on you within all your gates. ... 2 Kings 6:25-29 So there was a great famine in Samaria. Indeed, they besieged the city so long that a donkey’s head sold for eighty shekels of silver, and a quarter cab of dove’s dung sold for five shekels of silver. / As the king of Israel was passing by on the wall, a woman cried out to him, “Help me, my lord the king!” / He answered, “If the LORD does not help you, where can I find help for you? From the threshing floor or the winepress?” ... Jeremiah 19:9 I will make them eat the flesh of their sons and daughters, and they will eat one another’s flesh in the siege and distress inflicted on them by their enemies who seek their lives.’ Ezekiel 5:10 As a result, fathers among you will eat their sons, and sons will eat their fathers. I will execute judgments against you and scatter all your remnant to every wind.’ Isaiah 49:15 “Can a woman forget her nursing child, or lack compassion for the son of her womb? Even if she could forget, I will not forget you! Hosea 9:14 Give them, O LORD—what will You give? Give them wombs that miscarry and breasts that dry up! Jeremiah 14:18 If I go out to the country, I see those slain by the sword; if I enter the city, I see those ravaged by famine! For both prophet and priest travel to a land they do not know.’” Job 24:10-11 Without clothing, they wander about naked. They carry the sheaves, but still go hungry. / They crush olives within their walls; they tread the winepresses, but go thirsty. Psalm 22:15 My strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth. You lay me in the dust of death. Isaiah 3:1 For behold, the Lord GOD of Hosts is about to remove from Jerusalem and Judah both supply and support: the whole supply of food and water, Matthew 24:19 How miserable those days will be for pregnant and nursing mothers! Mark 13:17 How miserable those days will be for pregnant and nursing mothers! Luke 21:23 How miserable those days will be for pregnant and nursing mothers! For there will be great distress upon the land and wrath against this people. Matthew 15:32 Then Jesus called His disciples to Him and said, “I have compassion for this crowd, because they have already been with Me three days and have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away hungry, or they may faint along the way.” Mark 8:2-3 “I have compassion for this crowd, because they have already been with Me three days and have nothing to eat. / If I send them home hungry, they will faint along the way. For some of them have come a great distance.” Treasury of Scripture The tongue of the sucking child sticks to the roof of his mouth for thirst: the young children ask bread, and no man breaks it to them. tongue Psalm 22:15 My strength is dried up like a potsherd; and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws; and thou hast brought me into the dust of death. Psalm 137:6 If I do not remember thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth; if I prefer not Jerusalem above my chief joy. the young Lamentations 1:11 All her people sigh, they seek bread; they have given their pleasant things for meat to relieve the soul: see, O LORD, and consider; for I am become vile. Lamentations 2:11,12 Mine eyes do fail with tears, my bowels are troubled, my liver is poured upon the earth, for the destruction of the daughter of my people; because the children and the sucklings swoon in the streets of the city… Deuteronomy 32:24 They shall be burnt with hunger, and devoured with burning heat, and with bitter destruction: I will also send the teeth of beasts upon them, with the poison of serpents of the dust. Jump to Previous Beg Bread Breaketh Breaks Breast Child Children Cleaved Cleaves Cleaveth Drink Fixed Food Gives Infant Infants Little Mouth Need Nursling Ones Palate Roof Sucking Suckling Thirst Tongue YoungJump to Next Beg Bread Breaketh Breaks Breast Child Children Cleaved Cleaves Cleaveth Drink Fixed Food Gives Infant Infants Little Mouth Need Nursling Ones Palate Roof Sucking Suckling Thirst Tongue YoungLamentations 4 1. Zion bewails her pitiful estate13. She confesses her sins 21. Edom is threatened and Zion comforted. The nursing infant’s tongue clings to the roof of his mouth from thirst This phrase paints a vivid picture of extreme deprivation and suffering. The Hebrew word for "nursing infant" is "יונק" (yonek), which refers to a child still dependent on its mother for nourishment. This highlights the vulnerability and innocence of those suffering. The image of the tongue clinging to the roof of the mouth is a powerful depiction of severe thirst, a condition that is both physically painful and life-threatening. In the historical context of the Babylonian siege of Jerusalem, such imagery underscores the dire circumstances faced by the inhabitants, where even the most basic needs like water were scarce. Spiritually, this can be seen as a metaphor for the soul's thirst for God, as expressed in Psalm 42:1, where the psalmist longs for God as a deer pants for water. Little children beg for bread but no one gives them any Parallel Commentaries ... Hebrew The nursing infant’sיוֹנֵ֛ק (yō·w·nêq) Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular Strong's 3243: To suck, to give milk tongue לְשׁ֥וֹן (lə·šō·wn) Noun - common singular construct Strong's 3956: The tongue clings דָּבַ֨ק (dā·ḇaq) Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular Strong's 1692: To impinge, cling, adhere, to catch by pursuit in thirst בַּצָּמָ֑א (baṣ·ṣā·mā) Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular Strong's 6772: Thirst to אֶל־ (’el-) Preposition Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to the roof of his mouth. חכּ֖וֹ (ḥik·kōw) Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular Strong's 2441: Palate, roof of the mouth, gums Little children עֽוֹלָלִים֙ (‘ō·w·lā·lîm) Noun - masculine plural Strong's 5768: A suckling beg for שָׁ֣אֲלוּ (šā·’ă·lū) Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural Strong's 7592: To inquire, to request, to demand bread, לֶ֔חֶם (le·ḥem) Noun - masculine singular Strong's 3899: Food, bread, grain but no אֵ֥ין (’ên) Adverb Strong's 369: A non-entity, a negative particle one gives them any. פֹּרֵ֖שׂ (pō·rêś) Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular Strong's 6566: To break apart, disperse Links Lamentations 4:4 NIVLamentations 4:4 NLT Lamentations 4:4 ESV Lamentations 4:4 NASB Lamentations 4:4 KJV Lamentations 4:4 BibleApps.com Lamentations 4:4 Biblia Paralela Lamentations 4:4 Chinese Bible Lamentations 4:4 French Bible Lamentations 4:4 Catholic Bible OT Prophets: Lamentations 4:4 The tongue of the sucking child cleaves (Lam. 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