צ (Tsade)
4:18 Our enemies 1 hunted us down at every step 2
so that we could not walk about in our streets.
Our end drew near, our days were numbered, 3
for our end had come!
ק (Qof)
4:19 Those who pursued us were swifter
than eagles 4 in the sky. 5
They chased us over the mountains;
they ambushed us in the wilderness.
1 tn Heb “they”; this has been specified in the translation as “our enemies” for clarity.
2 tn Heb “they hunted our steps.”
3 tn Heb “our days were full.”
4 tn The bird referred to here could be one of several species of eagles, but more likely is the griffin-vulture (cf. NEB “vultures”). However, because eagles are more commonly associated with swiftness than vultures in contemporary English, “eagles” was used in the translation.
5 tn Or “in the heavens.” The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heaven(s)” or “sky” depending on the context.