1 H ow the gold has become dim! How the most pure gold has changed! The hallowed stones are poured out at the head of every street.

How the gold has become dim! How changed the fine gold! The stones of the sanctuary are scattered At the head of every street.

2 T he noble and precious sons of Zion, worth their weight in fine gold—how they are esteemed as earthen pots or pitchers, the work of the hands of the potter!

The precious sons of Zion, Valuable as fine gold, How they are regarded as clay pots, The work of the hands of the potter!

3 E ven the jackals draw out the breast, they give suck to their young ones, but the daughter of my people has become cruel like ostriches in the wilderness.

Even the jackals present their breasts To nurse their young; But the daughter of my people is cruel, Like ostriches in the wilderness.

4 T he tongue of the nursing babe cleaves to the roof of its mouth because of thirst; the young children beg for food, but no one gives it to them.

The tongue of the infant clings To the roof of its mouth for thirst; The young children ask for bread, But no one breaks it for them.

5 T hose who feasted on dainties are perishing in the streets; those who were brought up in purple lie cleaving to refuse and ash heaps.

Those who ate delicacies Are desolate in the streets; Those who were brought up in scarlet Embrace ash heaps.

6 F or the punishment of the iniquity of the daughter of my people is greater than the punishment of the sin of Sodom, which was overthrown in a moment, and no hands had come against her or been laid on her.

The punishment of the iniquity of the daughter of my people Is greater than the punishment of the sin of Sodom, Which was overthrown in a moment, With no hand to help her!

7 h er princes were purer than snow, they were whiter than milk; they were more ruddy in body than rubies or corals, their shapely figures sapphire.

Her Nazirites were brighter than snow And whiter than milk; They were more ruddy in body than rubies, Like sapphire in their appearance.

8 t hem look blacker than soot and darkness; they are not recognized in the streets. Their skin clings to their bones; it is withered and it has become like a stick.

Now their appearance is blacker than soot; They go unrecognized in the streets; Their skin clings to their bones, It has become as dry as wood.

9 T hose who are slain with the sword are more fortunate than those who are the victims of hunger; for they pine and ebb away, stricken through for want of the fruits of the field.

Those slain by the sword are better off Than those who die of hunger; For these pine away, Stricken for lack of the fruits of the field.

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

The hands of the compassionate women Have cooked their own children; They became food for them In the destruction of the daughter of my people.

11 T he Lord has fulfilled His wrath; He has poured out His fierce anger and has kindled a fire in Zion that has consumed her foundations.

The Lord has fulfilled His fury, He has poured out His fierce anger. He kindled a fire in Zion, And it has devoured its foundations.

12 T he kings of the earth did not believe, nor did any of the inhabitants of the earth, that the oppressor and enemy could enter the gates of Jerusalem.

The kings of the earth, And all inhabitants of the world, Would not have believed That the adversary and the enemy Could enter the gates of Jerusalem—

13 b ecause of the sins of her prophets and the iniquities of her priests, who shed the blood of the just and righteous in the midst of her.

Because of the sins of her prophets And the iniquities of her priests, Who shed in her midst The blood of the just.

14 w andered in the streets as if blind; they had so polluted themselves with blood it was not for men to touch their garments.

They wandered blind in the streets; They have defiled themselves with blood, So that no one would touch their garments.

15 c ried to them, Go away! Unclean! Depart! Depart! Touch not! When they fled away, then they wandered; men said among the nations, They shall not stay here any longer.

They cried out to them, “Go away, unclean! Go away, go away, Do not touch us!” When they fled and wandered, Those among the nations said, “They shall no longer dwell here. ”

16 T he anger of the Lord has scattered; He will no longer look after them. They did not respect the persons of the priests; they did not favor the elders.

The face of the Lord scattered them; He no longer regards them. The people do not respect the priests Nor show favor to the elders.

17 A s for us, our eyes yet failed and wasted away in looking for our worthless help. In our watching we have watched and waited expectantly for a nation that could not save us.

Still our eyes failed us, Watching vainly for our help; In our watching we watched For a nation that could not save us.

18 d og our steps, so that we cannot go into our streets; our end is near, our days are fulfilled—yes, our end has come.

They tracked our steps So that we could not walk in our streets. Our end was near; Our days were over, For our end had come.

19 O ur pursuers were swifter than the eagles of the sky; they pursued us on the mountains, they lay in wait for us in the wilderness.

Our pursuers were swifter Than the eagles of the heavens. They pursued us on the mountains And lay in wait for us in the wilderness.

20 T he breath of our nostrils, the anointed of the Lord, was taken in their snares—he of whom we said, Under his shadow we shall live among the nations.

The breath of our nostrils, the anointed of the Lord, Was caught in their pits, Of whom we said, “Under his shadow We shall live among the nations.”

21 R ejoice and be glad, O Daughter of Edom, you who dwell in the land of Uz. But the cup also shall pass to you; you shall become drunk and make yourself naked.

Rejoice and be glad, O daughter of Edom, You who dwell in the land of Uz! The cup shall also pass over to you And you shall become drunk and make yourself naked.

22 T he punishment of your iniquity will be accomplished and completed, O Daughter of Zion; will no more carry you away or keep you in exile. But He will inspect and punish your iniquity and guilt, O Daughter of Edom; He will uncover your sins.

The punishment of your iniquity is accomplished, O daughter of Zion; He will no longer send you into captivity. He will punish your iniquity, O daughter of Edom; He will uncover your sins!