Lamentations 4

¹How 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.

²The 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!

³Even 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.

⁴The 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.

⁵Those 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.

⁶For 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.

⁷Her holy ones were cleaner than snow, they were whiter than milk, their bodies were redder than corals, their form was as the sapphire:

⁸Their 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.

⁹Those 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.

¹⁰The hands of kind-hearted women have been boiling their children; they were their food in the destruction of the daughter of my people.

¹¹The 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.

¹²To 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.

¹³It 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.

¹⁴They are wandering like blind men in the streets, they are made unclean with blood, so that their robes may not be touched by men.

¹⁵Away! 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.

¹⁶The 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.

¹⁷Our eyes are still wasting away in looking for our false help: we have been watching for a nation unable to give salvation.

¹⁸They 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.

¹⁹Those 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.

²⁰Our 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.

²¹Have 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.

²²The 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.

Lamentations 4

¹ALEPH How the gold has become dim! How the most pure gold has changed! The stones of the sanctuary are poured out at the head of every street.

²The precious sons of Zion, comparable to fine gold, How they are regarded as clay jars, the work of the hands of the potter!

³Even the jackals offer the breast, they nurse their young ones, but the daughter of my people has become cruel, like the ostriches in the wilderness.

⁴The nursing infant's tongue sticks to the roof of his mouth for thirst. The young children ask for bread, but no one gives to them.

⁵Those who ate delicacies are destitute in the streets. Those who were brought up in purple embrace ash heaps.

⁶For the iniquity of the daughter of my people is greater than the sin of Sodom, which was overthrown in an instant, and no hands were laid on her.

⁷Her consecrated ones were purer than snow, whiter than milk; their bodies more ruddy than rubies, their appearance was like lapis lazuli.

⁸They appear darker than soot; they are not known in the streets. Their skin cleaves to their bones; it is withered and has become as dry as a stick.

⁹Those who are killed with the sword are better than those who are killed with hunger; those who waste away, pierced through, for lack of the fruits of the field.

¹⁰The hands of the compassionate women have cooked their own children; they were their food in the destruction of the daughter of my people.

¹¹The Lord has accomplished his wrath, he has poured out his fierce anger; he has kindled a fire in Zion, which has devoured its foundations.

¹²The kings of the earth did not believe, neither all the inhabitants of the world, that the adversary or the enemy would enter into the gates of Jerusalem.

¹³It is because of 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 wander as blind men in the streets, they are polluted with blood, so that men can't touch their garments.

¹⁵"Turn away!" they cried to them, "Unclean! depart, depart, do not touch!" When they fled away and wandered, men said among the nations, "They shall not live here anymore."

¹⁶The Lord himself has scattered them; he will no more regard them. They did not respect the priests, they did not favor the elders.

¹⁷Our eyes still fail, looking in vain for our help. In our watching we have watched for a nation that could not save.

¹⁸They hunt our steps, so that we can't go in our streets. Our end is near, our days are fulfilled; for our end has come.

¹⁹Our pursuers were swifter than the eagles of the sky. They chased us on the mountains, they lay in 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 can live among the nations."

²¹Rejoice and be glad, daughter of Edom, that dwell in the land of Uz. The cup shall pass through to you also; you will get drunk, and shall make yourself naked.

²²The punishment of your iniquity is accomplished, daughter of Zion; he will no more carry you away into captivity. He will visit your iniquity, daughter of Edom; he will uncover your sins.