Lamentations 4

Distress of the Siege Described

1How 1dark the gold has become, How the pure gold has changed! The sacred stones are poured out At the 2corner of every street.2The precious sons of Zion, Weighed against fine gold, How they are regarded as 3earthen jars, The work of a potter’s hands!3Even 4jackals offer the breast, They nurse their young; But the daughter of my people has become 5cruel Like 6ostriches in the wilderness.4The 7tongue of the infant cleaves To the roof of its mouth because of 8thirst; The little ones 9ask for bread, But no one breaks it for them.5Those who ate 10delicacies Are desolate in the streets; Those 11reared in purple Embrace ash pits.6For the 12iniquity of the daughter of my people Is greater than the 1314sin of Sodom, Which was 15overthrown as in a moment, And no hands were 16turned toward her.7Her 17consecrated ones were 18purer than snow, They were whiter than milk; They were more ruddy in 19body than corals, Their polishing was like 2021lapis lazuli.8Their appearance is 22blacker than soot, They are not recognized in the streets; Their 23skin is shriveled on their bones, It is withered, it has become like wood.9Better are those 2425slain with the sword Than those 26slain with hunger; For they 2728pine away, being stricken For lack of the fruits of 29the field.10The hands of compassionate women 30Boiled their own children; They became 31food for them Because of the destruction of the daughter of my people.11The Lord has 32accomplished His wrath, He has poured out His fierce anger; And He has 33kindled a fire in Zion Which has consumed its foundations.12The kings of the earth did not believe, Nor did any of 34the inhabitants of the world, That the adversary and the enemy Could 35enter the gates of Jerusalem.13Because of the sins of her 36prophets And the iniquities of her priests, Who have shed in her midst The 37blood of the righteous;14They wandered, 38blind, in the streets; They were defiled with 39blood So that no one could touch their 40garments.15“Depart! 41Unclean!” 42they cried of themselves. “Depart, depart, do not touch!” So they 43fled and wandered; Men among the nations said, “They shall not continue to dwell with us.”16The presence of the Lord has scattered them, He will not continue to regard them; They did not 4445honor the priests, They did not favor the elders.17Yet our eyes failed, Looking for 46help was 47useless; In our watching we have watched For a 48nation that could not save.18They 49hunted our steps So that we could not walk in our streets; Our 50end drew near, Our days were 51finished For our end had come.19Our pursuers were 52swifter Than the eagles of the sky; They chased us on the mountains, They waited in ambush for us in the wilderness.20The 53breath of our nostrils, the 54Lord’s anointed, Was 55captured in their pits, Of whom we had said, “Under his 56shadow We shall live among the nations.”21Rejoice and be glad, O daughter of 57Edom, Who dwells in the land of Uz; But the 58cup will come around to you as well, You will become drunk and make yourself naked.22The punishment of your iniquity has been 59completed, O daughter of Zion; He will exile you no longer. But He 60will punish your iniquity, O daughter of Edom; He will expose your sins!