Lamentations 4

NEW JERUSALEM	KING JAMES BIBLE
1 How the gold has tarnished, how the fine gold has changed! The sacred stones lie scattered at thecorner of every street.	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 The children of Zion, as precious as finest gold -- to think that they should now be reckoned likecrockery made by 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 The very jackals give the breast, and suckle their young: but the daughter of my people is as cruel asthe ostriches of 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 baby at the breast sticks to its palate for thirst; little children ask for bread, no onegives them any.	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 who used to eat only the best, now lie dying in the streets; those who were reared in the purpleclaw at the rubbish heaps,	5 They that did feed delicately are desolate in the streets: they that were brought up in scarlet embrace dunghills.
6 for the wickedness of the daughter of my people exceeded the sins of Sodom, which was overthrown ina moment without a hand being laid on it.	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 Once her young people were brighter than snow, whiter than milk; rosier than coral their bodies, theirhue like 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 faces are blacker than soot, they are not recognised in the streets, the skin has shrunk overtheir bones, as dry as a stick.	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 Happier those killed by the sword than those kil ed by famine: they waste away, sunken for lack of thefruits of the earth.	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 With their own hands, kindly women cooked their children; this was their food when the daughter ofmy people was ruined.	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 Yahweh indulged his fury, he vented his fierce anger, he lit a fire in Zion which devoured herfoundations.	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 never believed, nor did any of the inhabitants of the world, that foe or enemywould ever penetrate 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 Owing to the sins of her prophets and the crimes of her priests, who had shed the blood of the upright,in the heart of the city,	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 wandered blindly through the streets, polluted with blood, so that no one dared to touch theirclothes.	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 'Keep away! Unclean!' people shouted, 'Keep away! Keep away! Don't touch!' If they left and fled tothe nations, they were not al owed to stay there either.	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 face of Yahweh destroyed them, he wil look on them no more. There was no respect for thepriests, no deference for 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 Continual y we were wearing out our eyes, watching for help -- in vain. From our towers we watchedfor a nation which could not save us anyway.	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, to keep us out of our streets. Our end was near, our days were done, our endhad come.	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 sky; they hounded our steps through the mountains, theylay in ambush for us in the wilds.	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 breath of our nostrils, Yahweh's anointed, was caught in their traps, he of whom we said, 'In hisshadow we shall live 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 Rejoice, exult, daughter of Edom, you who reside in Uz! To you in turn the cup wil pass; you wil getdrunk and strip yourself 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 wickedness is atoned for, daughter of Zion, he will never banish you again. But your wickedness,daughter of Edom, wil he punish, your sins he will lay bare!	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.