Lamentations 4

¹ How tarnished is the gold, how changed the noble metal; How the sacred stones lie strewn at every street corner!

² Zion's precious sons, fine gold their counterpart, Now worth no more than earthen jars made by the hands of a 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.

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.

⁵ Those accustomed to dainty food perish in the streets; Those brought up in purple now cling to the ash heaps.

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.

⁷ Brighter than snow were her princes, whiter than milk, More ruddy than coral, more precious than 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.

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!

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.

¹¹ The LORD has spent his anger, poured out his blazing wrath; He has kindled a fire in Zion that has consumed her foundations.

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.

¹³ Because of the sins of her prophets and the crimes of her priests, Who shed in her midst the blood of the just!--

¹⁴ They staggered blindly in the streets, soiled with blood, So that people could not touch even 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.

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.

¹⁷ Our eyes ever wasted away, looking in vain for aid; From our watchtower we 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.

¹⁹ Our pursuers were swifter than eagles in the air, They harassed us on the mountains and waylaid us in the desert.

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.

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.

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.