Lamentations 4

Chapter 4

God’s Anger Satisfied

1 How the gold has lost its luster!
Even the finest gold has become dull.
The sacred gemstones
lie scattered in the streets!2 See how the precious children of Jerusalem,t
worth their weight in fine gold,
are now treated like pots of clay
made by a common potter.3 Even the jackals feed their young,
but not my people Israel.
They ignore their children’s cries,
like ostriches in the desert.4 The parched tongues of their little ones
stick to the roofs of their mouths in thirst.
The children cry for bread,
but no one has any to give them.5 The people who once ate the richest foods
now beg in the streets for anything they can get.
Those who once wore the finest clothes
now search the garbage dumps for food.6 The guiltt of my people
is greater than that of Sodom,
where utter disaster struck in a moment
and no hand offered help.7 Our princes once glowed with health—
brighter than snow, whiter than milk.
Their faces were as ruddy as rubies,
their appearance like fine jewels.t8 But now their faces are blacker than soot.
No one recognizes them in the streets.
Their skin sticks to their bones;
it is as dry and hard as wood.9 Those killed by the sword are better off
than those who die of hunger.
Starving, they waste away
for lack of food from the fields.10 Tenderhearted women
have cooked their own children.
They have eaten them
to survive the siege.11 But now the anger of the LORD is satisfied.
His fierce anger has been poured out.
He started a fire in Jerusalemt
that burned the city to its foundations.12 Not a king in all the earth—
no one in all the world—
would have believed that an enemy
could march through the gates of Jerusalem.13 Yet it happened because of the sins of her prophets
and the sins of her priests,
who defiled the city
by shedding innocent blood.14 They wandered blindly
through the streets,
so defiled by blood
that no one dared touch them.15 “Get away!” the people shouted at them.
“You’re defiled! Don’t touch us!”
So they fled to distant lands
and wandered among foreign nations,
but none would let them stay.16 The LORD himself has scattered them,
and he no longer helps them.
People show no respect for the priests
and no longer honor the leaders.17 We looked in vain for our allies
to come and save us,
but we were looking to nations
that could not help us.18 We couldn’t go into the streets
without danger to our lives.
Our end was near; our days were numbered.
We were doomed!19 Our enemies were swifter than eagles in flight.
If we fled to the mountains, they found us.
If we hid in the wilderness,
they were waiting for us there.20 Our king—the LORD’s anointed, the very life of our nation—
was caught in their snares.
We had thought that his shadow
would protect us against any nation on earth!21 Are you rejoicing in the land of Uz,
O people of Edom?
But you, too, must drink from the cup of the LORD’s anger.
You, too, will be stripped naked in your drunkenness.22 O beautiful Jerusalem,t your punishment will end;
you will soon return from exile.
But Edom, your punishment is just beginning;
soon your many sins will be exposed.

LAMENTATIONS 4

The Punishment //of Jerusalem

The Prophet Speaks:

1 The purest gold is ruined
and has lost its shine;
jewels from the temple
lie scattered in the streets.

2 These are Zion's people,
worth more than purest gold;
yet they are counted worthless
like dishes of clay.

3 Even jackalst nurse their young,
but my people are like ostriches
that abandon their own.

4 Babies are so thirsty
that their tongues are stuck
to the roof of the mouth.
Children go begging for food,
but no one gives them any.

5 All who ate expensive foods
lie starving in the streets;
those who grew up in luxury
now sit on trash heaps.

6  t My nation was punished worse
than the people of Sodom,
whose city was destroyed
in a flash without the help
of human hands.t

7 The leaders of Jerusalem
were purer than snow
and whiter than milk;
their bodies were healthy
and glowed like jewels.t

8 Now they are blacker than tar,
and no one recognizes them;
their skin clings to their bones
and is drier than firewood.

9 Being killed with a sword
is better than slowly
starving to death.

10  t Life in the city is so bad
that loving mothers have boiled
and eaten their own children.

11 The [Lord] was so fiercely angry
that he burned the city of Zion
to the ground.

12 Not a king on this earth
or the people of any nation
believed enemies could break
through her gates.

13 Jerusalem was punished because
her prophets and her priests
had sinned and caused the death
of innocent victims.

14 Yes, her prophets and priests
were covered with blood;
no one would come near them,
as they wandered
from street to street.

15 Instead, everyone shouted,
“Go away! Don't touch us!
You're filthy and unfit
to belong to God's people!”
So they had to leave
and become refugees.
But foreign nations told them,
“You can't stay here!”t

16 The [Lord] is the one
who sent them scattering,
and he has forgotten them.
No respect or kindness
will be shown
to the priests or leaders.

17 Our eyes became weary,
hopelessly looking
for help from a nationt
that could not save us.

18 Enemies hunted us down
on every public street.
Our time was up;
our doom was near.

19 They swooped down faster
than eagles from the sky.
They hunted for us in the hills
and set traps to catch us
out in the desert.

20 The [Lord]'s chosen leadert
was our hope for survival!
We thought he would keep us safe
somewhere among the nations,
but even he was caught
in one of their traps.

21 You people of Edom
can celebrate now!
But your time will come
to suffer and stagger
around naked.

22 The people of Zion
have paid for their sins,
and the Lord will soon
let them return home.
But, people of Edom,
you will be punished,
and your sins exposed.