Lamentations 4

1How 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.

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

3Even 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.footnote a

4The 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.

5They that did feed delicately are desolate in the streets: they that were brought up in scarlet embrace dunghills.

6For 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.footnote b

7Her Nazarites were purer than snow, they were whiter than milk, they were more ruddy in body than rubies, their polishing was of sapphire:

8Their 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.footnote c

9They 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.footnote d

10The hands of the pitiful women have sodden their own children: they were their meat in the destruction of the daughter of my people.

11The 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.

12The 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.

13For the sins of her prophets, and the iniquities of her priests, that have shed the blood of the just in the midst of her,

14They have wandered as blind men in the streets, they have polluted themselves with blood, so that men could not touch their garments.footnote e

15They 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.footnote f

16The 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.footnote g

17As 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.

18They hunt our steps, that we cannot go in our streets: our end is near, our days are fulfilled; for our end is come.

19Our persecutors are swifter than the eagles of the heaven: they pursued us upon the mountains, they laid wait for us in the wilderness.

20The 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.

21Rejoice 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.

22The 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.footnote hfootnote i

The Distress of Zion

1Howfootnote athe gold has become tarnished,the pure gold has become dull!The gems of the temple lie scatteredon every street corner.

2How 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!

3Even jackalsfootnote boffer their breaststo nurse their young,but the daughter of my people has become cruel,like an ostrich in the wilderness.

4The nursing infant’s tongueclings in thirst to the roof of his mouth.Little children beg for bread,but no one gives them any.

5Those who once ate delicaciesare destitute in the streets;those brought up in crimsonhuddle in ash heaps.

6The punishmentfootnote cof the daughter of my peopleis greater than that of Sodom,which was overthrown in an instantwithout a hand turned to help her.

7Her dignitaries were brighter than snow,whiter than milk;their bodies were more ruddy than rubies,their appearancefootnote dlike sapphires.footnote e

8But 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.

9Those slain by the sword are better offthan those who die of hunger,who waste away, pierced with painbecause the fields lack produce.

10The hands of compassionate womenhave cooked their own children,who became their foodin the destruction of the daughter of my people.

11The 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.

12The kings of the earth did not believe,nor any people of the world,that an enemy or a foecould enter the gates of Jerusalem.

13But this was for the sins of her prophetsand the guilt of her priests,who shed the blood of the righteousin her midst.

14They wandered blind in the streets,defiled by this blood,so that no one daredto 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.”

16The presence of the LORD has scattered them;He regards them no more.The priests are shown no honor;the elders find no favor.

17All the while our eyes were failingas we looked in vain for help.We watched from our towersfor a nation that could not save us.

18They 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!

19Those who chased us were swifterthan the eagles in the sky;they pursued us over the mountainsand ambushed us in the wilderness.

20The 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.”

21So 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.

22O Daughter of Zion, your punishment is complete;He will not prolong your exile.footnote fBut He will punish your iniquity, O Daughter of Edom;He will expose your sins.