Lamentations 4

Distress of the Siege Described

1How 1dark the gold has become, How the pure gold has changed! The sacred stones are spilled out At the 2corner of every street.2The precious sons of Zion, Weighed against pure gold, How they are regarded as 3earthenware jars, The work of a potter’s hands!3Even 4jackals offer the breast, They nurse their young; But the daughter of my people has proved herself 5cruel, Like 6ostriches in the wilderness.4The 7tongue of the infant clings To the roof of its mouth because of 8thirst; The children 9ask for bread, But no one breaks it for them.5Those who used to eat 10delicacies Are made to tremble in the streets; Those who were raised in crimson clothing Embrace garbage heaps.6For the 11wrongdoing of the daughter of my people Is greater than the 1213sin of Sodom, Which was 14overthrown as in a moment, 15And no hands were turned toward her.7Her 16consecrated ones were 17purer than snow, They shined more than milk; They were more ruddy in 18body than pearls of coral, Their form was like 1920lapis lazuli.8Their appearance is 21darker than soot, They are not recognized in the streets; Their 22skin is shriveled on their bones, It is dry, it has become like wood.9Better off are those 23killed by the sword Than those killed by hunger; For they 2425waste away, 26stricken By the lack of the produce of the field.10The hands of compassionate women 27Boiled their own children; They became 28food for them Due to the destruction of the daughter of my people.11The Lord has 29expended His wrath, He has poured out His fierce anger; And He has 30kindled a fire in Zion, And it has consumed its foundations.12The kings of the earth did not believe, Nor did any of 31the inhabitants of the world, That the adversary and the enemy Would 32enter the gates of Jerusalem.13Because of the sins of her 33prophets And the wrongdoings of her priests, Who have shed in her midst The 34blood of the righteous,14They wandered, 35blind, in the streets; They were defiled with 36blood, Such that no one could touch their 37garments.15“Keep away! 38Unclean!” 39they cried out of themselves. “Keep away, keep away, do not touch!” For they 40distanced themselves as well as wandered; People among the nations said, “They shall not continue to reside with us.”16The presence of the Lord has scattered them, He will not continue to look at them; They did not 4142honor the priests, They did not favor the elders.17Yet our eyes failed, Looking for 43help was 44useless; At our observation point we have watched For a 45nation that could not save.18They 46hunted our steps So that we could not walk in our streets; Our 47end drew near, Our days were 48finished For our end had come.19Our pursuers were 49swifter Than the eagles of the sky; They chased us on the mountains, They waited in ambush for us in the wilderness.20The 50breath of our nostrils, the 51Lord’s anointed, Was 52captured in their pits, Of whom we had said, “53In his 54shadow We shall live among the nations.”21Rejoice and be joyful, daughter of 55Edom, Who lives in the land of Uz; But the 56cup will pass to you as well, You will become drunk and expose yourself.22The punishment of your wrongdoing has been 57completed, daughter of Zion; He will no longer exile you. But He 58will punish your wrongdoing, daughter of Edom; He will expose your sins!