Lamentations 4

The Holy Stones Lie Scattered

1  How the gold has grown dim,
how the pure gold is changed!
The holy stones lie scattered
at the head of every street.

2  The precious sons of Zion,
worth their weight in fine gold,
how they are regarded as earthen pots,
the work of a potter's hands!

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

4  The tongue of the nursing infant sticks
to the roof of its mouth for thirst;
the children beg for food,
but no one gives to them.

5  Those who once feasted on delicacies
perish in the streets;
those who were brought up in purple
embrace ash heaps.

6  For the chastisementt of the daughter of my people has been greater
than the punishmentt of Sodom,
which was overthrown in a moment,
and no hands were wrung for her.t

7  Her princes were purer than snow,
whiter than milk;
their bodies were more ruddy than coral,
the beauty of their formt was like sapphire.t

8  Now their face is blacker than soot;
they are not recognized in the streets;
their skin has shriveled on their bones;
it has become as dry as wood.

9  Happier were the victims of the sword
than the victims of hunger,
who wasted away, pierced
by lack of the fruits of the field.

10  The hands of compassionate women
have boiled their own children;
they became their food
during the destruction of the daughter of my people.

11  The Lord gave full vent to his wrath;
he poured out his hot anger,
and he kindled a fire in Zion
that consumed its foundations.

12  The kings of the earth did not believe,
nor any of the inhabitants of the world,
that foe or enemy could enter
the gates of Jerusalem.

13  This was for the sins of her prophets
and the iniquities of her priests,
who shed in the midst of her
the blood of the righteous.

14  They wandered, blind, through the streets;
they were so defiled with blood
that no one was able to touch
their garments.

15  "Away! Unclean!" people cried at them.
"Away! Away! Do not touch!"
So they became fugitives and wanderers;
people said among the nations,
"They shall stay with us no longer."

16  The Lord himselft has scattered them;
he will regard them no more;
no honor was shown to the priests,
no favor to the elders.

17  Our eyes failed, ever watching
vainly for help;
in our watching we watched
for a nation which could not save.

18  They dogged our steps
so that we could not walk in our streets;
our end drew near; our days were numbered,
for our end had come.

19  Our pursuers were swifter
than the eagles in the heavens;
they chased us on the mountains;
they lay in wait for us in the wilderness.

20  The breath of our nostrils, the Lord's anointed,
was captured in their pits,
of whom we said, "Under his shadow
we shall live among the nations."

21  Rejoice and be glad, O daughter of Edom,
you who dwell in the land of Uz;
but to you also the cup shall pass;
you shall become drunk and strip yourself bare.

22  The punishment of your iniquity, O daughter of Zion, is accomplished;
he will keep you in exile no longer;t
but your iniquity, O daughter of Edom, he will punish;
he will uncover your sins.

Lamentations 4

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

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 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 sucking child cleaveth to the roof of his mouth for thirst: The young children ask bread, and no man breaketh it unto them.

5 They that did feed delicately are desolate in the streets: They that were brought up in scarlet embrace dunghills.

6 For the iniquity of the daughter of my people is greater than the sin of Sodom, That was overthrown as in a moment, and no hands were laid upon her.

7 Her nobles were purer than snow, they were whiter than milk; They were more ruddy in body than rubies, their polishing was as of sapphire.

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 They that are slain with the sword are better than they that are slain with hunger; For these pine away, stricken through, for want of the fruits of the field.

10 The hands of the pitiful women have boiled their own children; They were their food in the destruction of the daughter of my people.

11 Jehovah hath accomplished his wrath, he hath poured out his fierce anger; And he hath kindled a fire in Zion, which hath devoured the foundations thereof.

12 The kings of the earth believed not, neither all the inhabitants of the world, That the adversary and the enemy would enter into the gates of Jerusalem.

13  It 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.

14 They wander as blind men in the streets, they are polluted with blood, So that men cannot touch their garments.

15 Depart ye, they cried unto them, Unclean! depart, depart, touch not! When they fled away and wandered, men said among the nations, They shall no more sojourn here.

16 The anger of Jehovah hath scattered them; he will no more regard them: They respected not the persons of the priests, they favored not the elders.

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

18 They hunt our steps, so 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 the eagles of the heavens: They chased us upon the mountains, they laid wait for us in the wilderness.

20 The breath of our nostrils, the anointed of Jehovah, was taken in their pits; Of whom we said, Under his shadow we shall live among the nations.

21 Rejoice and be glad, O daughter of Edom, that dwellest in the land of Uz: The cup shall pass through unto thee also; thou shalt be drunken, and shalt make thyself naked.

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 uncover thy sins.