Lamentations 4

1 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.

How is the gold become dim! [how] is the most fine gold changed! the stones of the sanctuary are poured out in the top of every street.

2 The noble sons of Zion, comparable to fine gold, How are they esteemed as earthen pitchers, the work of the hands of the potter!

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 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.

Even the sea monsters 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 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.

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 that fed on dainties are desolate in the streets; Those that have been brought up in scarlet embrace the dunghill.

They that did feed delicately are desolate in the streets: they that were brought up in scarlet embrace dunghills.

6 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.

For the punishment of the iniquity of the daughter of my people is greater than the punishment of the sin of Sodom, that was overthrown as in a moment, and no hands stayed on her.

7 Her princes were purer than snow, whiter than milk; More ruddy than coral was their body; Their visage was of sapphire.

Her Nazarites were purer than snow, they were whiter than milk, they were more ruddy in body than rubies, their polishing [was] of sapphire:

8 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.

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 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.

[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 tender-hearted women cooked their own children; They were 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 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.

The LORD hath accomplished his fury; he hath poured out his fierce anger, and hath kindled a fire in Zion, and it hath devoured the foundations thereof.

12 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.

The kings of the earth, and all the inhabitants of the world, would not have believed that the adversary and the enemy should have entered into the gates of Jerusalem.

13 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.

For 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 stumbled like blind men through the streets, polluted with blood, So that men could not touch their garments.

They have wandered [as] blind [men] in the streets, they have polluted themselves with blood, so that men could not touch their garments.

15 “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.”

They cried unto them, Depart ye; [it is] unclean; depart, depart, touch not: when they fled away and wandered, they said among the heathen, They shall no more sojourn [there].

16 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.

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 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.

As for us, our eyes as yet failed for our vain help: in our watching we have watched for a nation [that] could not save [us].

18 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!

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 Swifter were our pursuers than the eagles of heaven; They chased us upon the mountains; they laid wait for us in the wilderness.

Our persecutors are swifter than the eagles of the heaven: they pursued us upon the mountains, they laid wait for us in the wilderness.

20 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.

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 heathen.

21 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.

Rejoice and be glad, O daughter of Edom, that dwellest in the land of Uz; the cup also shall pass through unto thee: thou shalt be drunken, and shalt make thyself naked.

22 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.

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.