en_tn_lite_do_not_use/lam/02/21.md

# Both the young and the old lie on the dust

It is implied here that this refers to dead people. Alternate translation: "The corpses of both the young and the old lie on the dust" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-explicit]])

# Both the young and the old

These phrases refer to people. These two opposites are used to refer to all ages of people. Alternate translation: "Both young people and old people" or "People of all ages" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-nominaladj]] and [[rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-merism]])

# My virgins and my young men have fallen by the sword

Here the "sword" refers to their enemies. This is a euphemism that means that they were murdered by their enemies. Alternate translation: "My virgins and my young men have been murdered by their enemies" or "My enemies have murdered my virgins and my young men" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-euphemism]])

# virgins

Here this is probably a synecdoche for young women in general, the most valuable of whom would be virgins. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-synecdoche]])

# you have slaughtered them

This speaks of Yahweh allowing the poeple to be slaughtered as if he killed them himself. Alternate translation: "you allowed them to be slaughtered" or "you allowed this to happen" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-metonymy]])