Lamentations 4
1 How dark has the gold become! how changed the best gold! the stones of the holy place are dropping out at the top of every street.
How is the gold become dim! how is the most fine gold changed! The hallowed stones are cast forth at the head of every street.
2 The valued sons of Zion, whose price was the best gold, are looked on as vessels of earth, the work of the hands of the potter!
The noble sons of Zion, comparable to fine gold, How are they esteemed as earthen pitchers, the work of the hands of the potter!
3 Even the beasts of the waste land have full breasts, they give milk to their young ones: the daughter of my people has become cruel like the ostriches in the waste land.
The very jackals reach forth the breast; they suckle their young; But the daughter of my people is become cruel, like the ostriches of the desert.
4 The tongue of the child at the breast is fixed to the roof of his mouth for need of drink: the young children are crying out for bread, and no man gives it to them.
The tongue of the sucking child cleaveth to the roof of his mouth for thirst; Young children ask for bread, and no man breaketh it for them.
5 Those who were used to feasting on delicate food are wasted in the streets: those who as children were dressed in purple are stretched out on the dust.
Those that fed on dainties are desolate in the streets; Those that have been brought up in scarlet embrace the dunghill.
6 For the punishment of the daughter of my people is greater than the punishment of Sodom, which was overturned suddenly without any hand falling on her.
The punishment of the daughter of my people is greater than the punishment of Sodom, Which was overthrown in a moment, though no hands came against her.
7 Her holy ones were cleaner than snow, they were whiter than milk, their bodies were redder than corals, their form was as the sapphire:
Her princes were purer than snow, whiter than milk; More ruddy than coral was their body; Their visage was of sapphire.
8 Their face is blacker than night; in the streets no one has knowledge of them: their skin is hanging on their bones, they are dry, they have become like wood.
Now darker than a coal is their countenance; they are not known in the streets. Their skin cleaveth to their bones; it is become dry, like wood.
9 Those who have been put to the sword are better off than those whose death is caused by need of food; for these come to death slowly, burned up like the fruit of the field.
More fortunate are the slain by the sword than the slain by famine; For these pine away, stricken through for want of the fruits of the field.
10 The hands of kind-hearted women have been boiling their children; they were their food in the destruction of the daughter of my people.
The hands of tender-hearted women cooked their own children; They were their food, in the destruction of the daughter of my people.
11 The Lord has given full effect to his passion, he has let loose his burning wrath; he has made a fire in Zion, causing the destruction of its bases.
Jehovah hath spent upon them his fury; he hath poured out his fierce anger; He hath kindled a fire in Zion, which hath devoured its foundations.
12 To the kings of the earth and to all the people of the world it did not seem possible that the attackers and the haters would go into the doors of Jerusalem.
The kings of the earth believed not, nor all the inhabitants of the world, That the adversary would enter, and the enemy, within the gates of Jerusalem.
13 It is because of the sins of her prophets and the evil-doing of her priests, by whom the blood of the upright has been drained out in her.
It was on account of the sins of her prophets, and the iniquities of her priests, Who shed in the midst of her the blood of the righteous.
14 They are wandering like blind men in the streets, they are made unclean with blood, so that their robes may not be touched by men.
They stumbled like blind men through the streets, polluted with blood, So that men could not touch their garments.
15 Away! unclean! they were crying out to them, Away! away! let there be no touching: when they went away in flight and wandering, men said among the nations, There is no further resting-place for them.
“Depart! unclean!” men cried to them. “Depart, depart, touch not!” As they fled, they stumbled; men said among the nations, “They shall dwell there no more.”
16 The face of the Lord has sent them in all directions; he will no longer take care of them: they had no respect for the priests, they gave no honour to the old men.
The anger of Jehovah hath scattered them; he will no more care for them; They paid no regard to the priests, they had no compassion for the elders.
17 Our eyes are still wasting away in looking for our false help: we have been watching for a nation unable to give salvation.
Still did our eyes fail, looking for help in vain; On our watch-tower did we watch for a nation that could not save us.
18 They go after our steps so that we may not go in our streets: our end is near, our days are numbered; for our end has come.
They laid snares for our steps, so that we could not go in our streets; Our end is near; our days are accomplished, yea, our end is come!
19 Those who went after us were quicker than the eagles of the heaven, driving us before them on the mountains, waiting secretly for us in the waste land.
Swifter were our pursuers than the eagles of heaven; They chased us upon the mountains; they laid wait for us in the wilderness.
20 Our breath of life, he on whom the holy oil was put, was taken in their holes; of whom we said, Under his shade we will be living among the nations.
The breath of our nostrils, the anointed of Jehovah, was taken in their pits, Under whose shadow we said that we should live among the nations.
21 Have joy and be glad, O daughter of Edom, living in the land of Uz: the cup will be given to you in your turn, and you will be overcome with wine and your shame will be seen.
Rejoice and be glad, O daughter of Edom, that dwellest in the land of Uz! Yet to thee also shall the cup come! thou shalt be drunken, and shalt expose thy nakedness.
22 The punishment of your evil-doing is complete, O daughter of Zion; never again will he take you away as a prisoner: he will give you the reward of your evil-doing, O daughter of Edom; he will let your sin be uncovered.
Thy punishment is at an end, O daughter of Zion! no more will he carry thee into captivity; But thine iniquity will he punish, O daughter of Edom! he will uncover thy sins.
