Lamentations 4

NEW AMERICAN BIBLE	KING JAMES BIBLE
1 How tarnished is the gold, how changed the noble metal; How the sacred stones lie strewn at every street corner!	1 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 Zion's precious sons, fine gold their counterpart, Now worth no more than earthen jars made by the hands of a potter!	2 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 the jackals bare their breasts and suckle their young; The daughter of my people has become as cruel as the ostrich in the desert.	3 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 suckling cleaves to the roof of its mouth in thirst; The babes cry for food, but there is no one to give it to them.	4 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 accustomed to dainty food perish in the streets; Those brought up in purple now cling to the ash heaps.	5 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 penalty of Sodom, Which was overthrown in an instant without the turning of a hand.	6 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 Brighter than snow were her princes, whiter than milk, More ruddy than coral, more precious than sapphire.	7 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 their appearance is blacker than soot, they are unrecognized on the streets; Their skin shrinks on their bones, as dry as wood.	8 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 for those who perish by the sword than for those who die of hunger, Who waste away, as though pierced through, lacking the fruits of the field!	9 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 compassionate women boiled their own children, To serve them as mourners' food in the downfall of the daughter of my people.	10 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 The LORD has spent his anger, poured out his blazing wrath; He has kindled a fire in Zion that has consumed her foundations.	11 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 did not believe, nor any of the world's inhabitants, That enemy or foe could enter the gates of Jerusalem.	12 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 and the crimes of her priests, Who shed in her midst the blood of the just!--	13 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 staggered blindly in the streets, soiled with blood, So that people could not touch even their garments:	14 They have wandered as blind men in the streets, they have polluted themselves with blood, so that men could not touch their garments.
15 "Away you unclean!" they cried to them, "Away, away, do not draw near!" If they left and wandered among the nations, nowhere could they remain.	15 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 LORD himself has dispersed them, he regards them no more; He does not receive the priests with favor, nor show kindness to the elders.	16 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 Our eyes ever wasted away, looking in vain for aid; From our watchtower we watched for a nation that could not save us.	17 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 Men dogged our steps so that we could not walk in our streets; Our end drew near, and came; our time had expired.	18 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 Our pursuers were swifter than eagles in the air, They harassed us on the mountains and waylaid us in the desert.	19 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 anointed one of the LORD, our breath of life, was caught in their snares, He in whose shadow we thought we could live on among the nations.	20 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 Though you rejoice and are glad, O daughter Edom, you who dwell in the land of Uz, To you also shall the cup be passed; you shall become drunk and naked.	21 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 Your chastisement is completed, O daughter Zion, he will not prolong your exile; But your wickedness, O daughter Edom, he will punish, he will lay bare your sins.	22 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.