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.

The gold has become tarnished; how the purest gold has changed! The holy stones are scattered at the corner 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 were worth their weight in pure gold, but now they are worth no more than clay jars, the work of the potter's hands!

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 jackals offer the breast to nurse their cubs, but the daughter of my people has become cruel, like the ostriches in the desert.

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 nursing baby sticks to the roof of his mouth by thirst; the children ask for food, but there is none for them.

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

Those who used to feast on the finest food now starve in the streets. Those who were brought up wearing scarlet clothing now lie on piles of ashes.

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.

The punishment of the daughter of my people is greater than that of Sodom, which was overthrown in a moment and no hands were wrung for her.

7 Purer were her Nazarites than snow, Whiter than milk, ruddier of body than rubies, Of sapphire their form.

Her leaders were purer than snow, whiter than milk; their bodies were more ruddy than coral, their form was like 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 appearance now is darker than soot; they are not recognized in the streets. Their skin has shriveled on their bones; it has become as dry as wood.

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.

Those who have been killed by the sword were happier than those killed by hunger, who wasted away, pierced by the lack of any harvest from 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 compassionate women have boiled their own children; they became their food during the time when the daughter of my people was being destroyed.

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.

Yahweh showed all his wrath; he poured out his fierce anger. He kindled a fire in Zion that consumed her foundations.

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 did not believe, nor did any of the inhabitants of the world believe, that enemies or opponents could enter 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,

This happened because of the sins of her prophets and the iniquities of her priests who have shed the blood of the righteous in her midst.

14 They have wandered naked in out-places, They have been polluted with blood, Without [any] being able to touch their clothing,

They wandered, blind, through the streets. They were so defiled by that blood that no one was allowed to touch their clothes.

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.'

“Away! Unclean!” people cried at them. “Away! Away! Do not touch!” So they wandered about; people said among the nations, “They can stay here no longer.”

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.

Yahweh himself scattered them; he does not watch over them anymore. They do not honor the priests, and they did not show any favor to 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.

Our eyes failed, looking in vain for help; from our watchtowers we watched for a nation that could not rescue 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 followed our steps, we could not walk in our streets. Our end was near and our days were numbered, our end had 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 pursuers were swifter than the eagles in the sky. They chased us to the mountains and lay in 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 in our nostrils—Yahweh's anointed one—he was the one who was captured in their pits; of whom it was said, “Under his shadow we will live among the nations.”

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, daughter of Edom, you who live in the land of Uz. But to you also the cup will be passed; you will be drunk and strip yourself 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!

Daughter of Zion, your punishment will come to an end; he will not extend your exile. But daughter of Edom, he will punish; he will uncover your sins.