Lamentations 5:4

We must pay money ¹  for our own water; ²  we must buy our own wood at a steep price. ³ 

We must buy the water we drink; our wood can be had only at a price.

We have to pay for our drinking water, Our wood comes to us at a price.

We have to pay for water to drink, and even firewood is expensive.

We have to pay to drink our own water. Even our firewood comes at a price.

We give money for a drink of water, we get our wood for a price.

We must pay for the water we drink; the wood we get must be bought.

We pay for the water we drink, And our wood comes at a price.

We must pay money ¹  for our own water; ²  we must buy our own wood at a steep price. ³ 

¹ tn Heb “silver.” The term “silver” is a synecdoche of species (= silver) for general (= money).

² tn Heb “We drink our water for silver.”

³ tn Heb “our wood comes for a price.”