Lamentations 4

1 How is the gold become dim, Changed the best — the pure gold? Poured out are stones of the sanctuary At the head of all out-places.

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 precious sons of Zion, Who are comparable with fine gold, How have they been reckoned earthen bottles, Work of the hands of a 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 Even dragons have drawn out the breast, They have suckled their young ones, The daughter of my people is become cruel, Like the ostriches in a wilderness.

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 Cleaved hath the tongue of a suckling unto his palate with thirst, Infants asked bread, a dealer out they have none.

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 eating of dainties have been desolate in out-places, Those supported on scarlet have embraced dunghills.

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

6 And greater is the iniquity of the daughter of my people, Than the sin of Sodom, That was overturned as [in] a moment, And no hands were stayed on 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 Purer were her Nazarites than snow, Whiter than milk, ruddier of body than rubies, Of sapphire their form.

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 Darker than blackness hath been their visage, They have not been known in out-places, Cleaved hath their skin unto their bone, It hath withered — it hath been as 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 Better have been the pierced of a sword Than the pierced of famine, For these flow away, pierced through, Without the increase 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 merciful women have boiled their own children, They have been for food to them, 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 Completed hath Jehovah His fury, He hath poured out the fierceness of His anger, And he kindleth a fire in Zion, And it devoureth her foundations.

YHWH 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 Believe not did the kings of earth, And any of the inhabitants of the world, That come would an adversary and enemy Into 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 Because of the sins of her prophets, The iniquities of her priests, Who are shedding in her midst 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 have wandered naked in out-places, They have been polluted with blood, Without [any] being able to touch their clothing,

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

15 'Turn aside — unclean,' they called to them, 'Turn aside, turn aside, touch not,' For they fled — yea, they have wandered, They have said among nations: 'They do not add to sojourn.'

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 face of Jehovah hath divided them, He doth not add to behold them, The face of priests they have not lifted up, Elders they have not favoured.

The anger of YHWH hath divided them; he will no more regard them: they respected not the persons of the priests, they favoured not the elders.

17 While we exist — consumed are our eyes for our vain help, In our watch-tower we have watched for a nation [that] saveth not.

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 have hunted our steps from going in our broad-places, Near hath been our end, fulfilled our days, For come hath our end.

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 have been our pursuers, Than the eagles of the heavens, On the mountains they have burned [after] us, In the wilderness they have laid wait for us.

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, Hath been captured in their pits, of whom we said: 'In his shadow we do live among nations.'

The breath of our nostrils, the anointed of YHWH, was taken in their pits, of whom we said, Under his shadow we shall live among the heathen.

21 Joy and rejoice, O daughter of Edom, Dwelling in the land of Uz, Even unto thee pass over doth a cup, Thou art drunk, and makest thyself naked.

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 Completed [is] thy iniquity, daughter of Zion, He doth not add to remove thee, He hath inspected thy iniquity, O daughter of Edom, He hath removed [thee] because of 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.