Lamentations 4
1 How the gold has become tarnished, the pure gold has become dull! The gems of the temple lie scattered on every street corner.
How is the gold become dim! [how] is the most pure gold changed! the stones of the sanctuary are poured out at the top of every street.
2 How the precious sons of Zion, once worth their weight in pure gold, are now esteemed as jars of clay, the work of a potter’s hands!
The precious sons of Zion, comparable to fine gold, how are they esteemed as earthen pitchers, the work of the hands of the potter!
3 Even jackals offer their breasts to nurse their young, but the daughter of my people has become cruel, like an ostrich in the wilderness.
Even the jackals draw out the breast, they give suck to their young ones: the daughter of my people is become cruel, like the ostriches in the wilderness.
4 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.
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.
5 Those who once ate delicacies are destitute in the streets; those brought up in crimson huddle in ash heaps.
They that did feed delicately are desolate in the streets: they that were brought up in scarlet embrace dung-hills.
6 The punishment of the daughter of my people is greater than that of Sodom, which was overthrown in an instant without a hand turned to help her.
For the iniquity of the daughter of my people is greater than the sin of Sodom, that was overthrown as in a moment, and no hands were laid upon her.
7 Her dignitaries were brighter than snow, whiter than milk; their bodies were more ruddy than rubies, their appearance like sapphires.
Her nobles were purer than snow, they were whiter than milk, they were more ruddy in body than rubies, their polishing was as of sapphire:
8 But now their appearance is blacker than soot; they are not recognized in the streets. Their skin has shriveled on their bones; it has become as dry as a stick.
Their visage is blacker than a coal; they are not known in the streets: their skin cleaveth to their bones; it is withered, it is become like a stick.
9 Those slain by the sword are better off than those who die of hunger, who waste away, pierced with pain because the fields lack produce.
They that be slain with the sword are better than they that be slain with hunger; for these pine away, stricken through, for want of the fruits of the field.
10 The hands of compassionate women have cooked their own children, who became their food in the destruction of the daughter of my people.
The hands of the pitiful women have sodden their own children; they were their meat in the destruction of the daughter of my people.
11 The LORD has exhausted His wrath; He has poured out His fierce anger; He has kindled a fire in Zion, and it has consumed her foundations.
The LORD hath accomplished his fury, he hath poured out his fierce anger; and he hath kindled a fire in Zion, which hath devoured the foundations thereof.
12 The kings of the earth did not believe, nor any people of the world, that an enemy or a foe could enter the gates of Jerusalem.
The kings of the earth believed not, neither all the inhabitants of the world, that the adversary and the enemy should enter into the gates of Jerusalem.
13 But this was for the sins of her prophets and the guilt of her priests, who shed the blood of the righteous in her midst.
[It is] because of the sins of her prophets, [and] the iniquities of her priests, that have shed the blood of the just in the midst of her.
14 They wandered blind in the streets, defiled by this blood, so that no one dared to touch their garments.
They wander as blind men in the streets, that are polluted with blood, so that men cannot touch their garments.
15 “Go away! Unclean!” men shouted at them. “Away, away! Do not touch us!” So they fled and wandered. Among the nations it was said, “They can stay here no longer.”
Depart ye, they cried unto them, Unclean! depart, depart, touch not: when they fled away and wandered, men said among the nations, They shall no more sojourn [here].
16 The presence of the LORD has scattered them; He regards them no more. The priests are shown no honor; the elders find no favor.
The anger of the LORD hath divided them; he will no more regard them: they respected not the persons of the priests, they favoured not the elders.
17 All the while our eyes were failing as we looked in vain for help. We watched from our towers for a nation that could not save us.
Our eyes do yet fail [in looking] for our vain help; in our watching we have watched for a nation that could not save.
18 They stalked our every step, so that we could not walk in our streets. Our end drew near, our time ran out, for our end had come!
They hunt our steps, that we cannot go in our streets: our end is near, our days are fulfilled; for our end is come.
19 Those who chased us were swifter than the eagles in the sky; they pursued us over the mountains and ambushed us in the wilderness.
Our pursuers were swifter than the eagles of the heaven: they chased us upon the mountains, they laid wait for us in the wilderness.
20 The LORD’s anointed, the breath of our life, was captured in their pits. We had said of him, “Under his shadow we will live among the nations.”
The breath of our nostrils, the anointed of the LORD, was taken in their pits; of whom we said, Under his shadow we shall live among the nations.
21 So rejoice and be glad, O Daughter of Edom, you who dwell in the land of Uz. Yet the cup will pass to you as well; you will get drunk and expose yourself.
Rejoice and be glad, O daughter of Edom, that dwellest in the land of Uz: the cup shall pass through unto thee also; thou shalt be drunken, and shalt make thyself naked.
22 O Daughter of Zion, your punishment is complete; He will not prolong your exile. But He will punish your iniquity, O Daughter of Edom; He will expose your sins.
The punishment of thine iniquity is accomplished, O daughter of Zion; he will no more carry thee away into captivity: he will visit thine iniquity, O daughter of Edom; he will discover thy sins.
