1 H ow is the gold become dim! how is the most fine gold changed! the stones of the sanctuary are poured out in the top of every street.

How dark the gold has become, How the pure gold has changed! The sacred stones are poured out At the corner of every street.

2 T he precious sons of Zion, comparable to fine gold, how are they esteemed as earthen pitchers, the work of the hands of the potter!

The precious sons of Zion, Weighed against fine gold, How they are regarded as earthen jars, The work of a potter’s hands!

3 E ven the sea monsters 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.

Even jackals offer the breast, They nurse their young; But the daughter of my people has become cruel Like ostriches in the wilderness.

4 T he 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.

The tongue of the infant cleaves To the roof of its mouth because of thirst; The little ones ask for bread, But no one breaks it for them.

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

Those who ate delicacies Are desolate in the streets; Those reared in purple Embrace ash pits.

6 F or the punishment of the iniquity of the daughter of my people is greater than the punishment of the sin of Sodom, that was overthrown as in a moment, and no hands stayed on her.

For the iniquity of the daughter of my people Is greater than the sin of Sodom, Which was overthrown as in a moment, And no hands were turned toward her.

7 H er Nazarites were purer than snow, they were whiter than milk, they were more ruddy in body than rubies, their polishing was of sapphire:

Her consecrated ones were purer than snow, They were whiter than milk; They were more ruddy in body than corals, Their polishing was like lapis lazuli.

8 T heir 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.

Their appearance is blacker than soot, They are not recognized in the streets; Their skin is shriveled on their bones, It is withered, it has become like wood.

9 T hey that be slain with the sword are better than they that be slain with hunger: for these pine away, stricken through for want of the fruits of the field.

Better are those slain with the sword Than those slain with hunger; For they pine away, being stricken For lack of the fruits of the field.

10 T he hands of the pitiful women have sodden their own children: they were their meat in the destruction of the daughter of my people.

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

11 T he Lord hath accomplished his fury; he hath poured out his fierce anger, and hath kindled a fire in Zion, and it hath devoured the foundations thereof.

The Lord has accomplished His wrath, He has poured out His fierce anger; And He has kindled a fire in Zion Which has consumed its foundations.

12 T he kings of the earth, and all the inhabitants of the world, would not have believed that the adversary and the enemy should have entered into the gates of Jerusalem.

The kings of the earth did not believe, Nor did any of the inhabitants of the world, That the adversary and the enemy Could enter the gates of Jerusalem.

13 F or the sins of her prophets, and the iniquities of her priests, that have shed the blood of the just in the midst of her,

Because of the sins of her prophets And the iniquities of her priests, Who have shed in her midst The blood of the righteous;

14 T hey have wandered as blind men in the streets, they have polluted themselves with blood, so that men could not touch their garments.

They wandered, blind, in the streets; They were defiled with blood So that no one could touch their garments.

15 T hey cried unto them, Depart ye; it is unclean; depart, depart, touch not: when they fled away and wandered, they said among the heathen, They shall no more sojourn there.

“Depart! Unclean!” they cried of themselves. “Depart, depart, do not touch!” So they fled and wandered; Men among the nations said, “They shall not continue to dwell with us.”

16 T he anger of the Lord hath divided them; he will no more regard them: they respected not the persons of the priests, they favoured not the elders.

The presence of the Lord has scattered them, He will not continue to regard them; They did not honor the priests, They did not favor the elders.

17 A s for us, our eyes as yet failed for our vain help: in our watching we have watched for a nation that could not save us.

Yet our eyes failed, Looking for help was useless; In our watching we have watched For a nation that could not save.

18 T hey hunt our steps, that we cannot go in our streets: our end is near, our days are fulfilled; for our end is come.

They hunted our steps So that we could not walk in our streets; Our end drew near, Our days were finished For our end had come.

19 O ur persecutors are swifter than the eagles of the heaven: they pursued us upon the mountains, they laid wait for us in the wilderness.

Our pursuers were swifter Than the eagles of the sky; They chased us on the mountains, They waited in ambush for us in the wilderness.

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

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

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

Rejoice and be glad, O daughter of Edom, Who dwells in the land of Uz; But the cup will come around to you as well, You will become drunk and make yourself naked.

22 T he 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 discover thy sins.

The punishment of your iniquity has been completed, O daughter of Zion; He will exile you no longer. But He will punish your iniquity, O daughter of Edom; He will expose your sins!