1 ¡ Cómo se ha ennegrecido el oro, cómo ha cambiado el oro puro! Esparcidas están las piedras sagradas por las esquinas de todas las calles.

How dark the gold has become! How the pure gold has changed! The stones from the house of God are poured out at the corner of every street.

2 L os hijos preciados de Sion, que valían su peso en oro puro, ¡cómo son tenidos por vasijas de barro, obra de manos de alfarero!

The sons of Zion are worth their weight in fine gold. But they are thought of as clay pots, the work of a pot-maker’s hands!

3 A un los chacales dan las ubres, dan de mamar a sus crías; pero la hija de mi pueblo se ha vuelto cruel como los avestruces en el desierto.

Even wild dogs give their breast to feed their young, but my people show no pity. They are like ostriches in the desert.

4 L a lengua del niño de pecho se le pega al paladar por la sed; los pequeños piden pan, pero no hay quien lo reparta.

The baby’s tongue sticks to the roof of its mouth because of thirst. The children beg for bread, but no one gives it to them.

5 L os que comían manjares andan desolados por las calles; los que se criaron entre púrpura abrazan estercoleros.

Those who ate fine foods are dying in the streets. Those who were brought up dressed in purple now lie in ashes.

6 L a iniquidad de la hija de mi pueblo es mayor que el pecado de Sodoma, que fue derribada en un instante sin que manos actuaran contra ella.

For the sin of the daughter of my people is worse than the sin of Sodom, which was destroyed all at once without a hand turned to help her.

7 S us consagrados eran más puros que la nieve, más blancos que la leche, más rojizos de cuerpo que los corales, como el zafiro su apariencia.

Her religious leaders were more pure than snow. They were more white than milk. Their bodies were more red than coral. They were more beautiful than sapphire.

8 M ás negro que el hollín es su aspecto, no se les reconoce por las calles; se ha pegado su piel a sus huesos, se ha marchitado, se ha vuelto como madera.

Now they look more black than dark ashes. No one knows who they are in the streets. Their skin has dried up on their bones. It has become as dry as wood.

9 M ás dichosos son los que mueren a espada que los que mueren de hambre, que se consumen, extenuados, por falta de los frutos de los campos.

Those who are killed with the sword are better off than those killed with hunger. For they waste away, suffering because they have no fruits of the field.

10 L as manos de mujeres compasivas cocieron a sus propios hijos, que les sirvieron de comida a causa de la destrucción de la hija de mi pueblo.

Women who had shown loving-kindness have boiled their own children for food, because my people are destroyed.

11 E l Señor ha cumplido su furor, ha derramado su ardiente ira; y ha encendido un fuego en Sion que ha consumido sus cimientos.

The Lord has acted in His anger. He has poured out His burning anger, and has set a fire in Zion which has burned it to the ground.

12 N o creyeron los reyes de la tierra, ni ninguno de los habitantes del mundo, que pudieran entrar el adversario y el enemigo por las puertas de Jerusalén.

The kings of the earth and all the people of the world did not believe that those who hated them could come into the gates of Jerusalem.

13 A causa de los pecados de sus profetas y de las iniquidades de sus sacerdotes, quienes derramaron en medio de ella la sangre de los justos,

This was because of the sins of her men who spoke in God’s name, and the sins of her religious leaders, who killed those within her who were right and good.

14 v agaron ciegos por las calles, manchados de sangre, sin que nadie pudiera tocar sus vestidos.

They walked as blind men through the streets. They were made unclean with blood so that no one could touch their clothing.

15 ¡ Apartaos! ¡Inmundos! gritaban de sí mismos. ¡Apartaos, apartaos, no toquéis! Así que huyeron y vagaron; entre las naciones se decía: No seguirán residiendo entre nosotros.

People cried to them, “Go away! You are unclean! Leave! Go away! Do not touch!” So they ran away and traveled from place to place. Men among the nations said, “They must not stay with us any longer.”

16 L a presencia del Señor los dispersó, no volverá a mirarlos. No honraron a los sacerdotes, ni tuvieron piedad de los ancianos.

The Lord Himself has sent them everywhere. He will not care about them any more. They did not honor the religious leaders or favor the leaders of the people.

17 A un nuestros ojos desfallecían, buscar ayuda fue inútil. En nuestro velar hemos aguardado a una nación incapaz de salvar.

Our eyes have become weak in looking for help that did not come. In our watching we have waited for a nation that was not able to save us.

18 P onían trampas a nuestros pasos para que no anduviéramos por nuestras calles. Se acercó nuestro fin, se cumplieron nuestros días, porque había llegado nuestro fin.

They kept following after our steps so that we could not walk in our streets. Our end came near. Our days were finished, for our end had come.

19 N uestros perseguidores eran más veloces que las águilas del cielo; por los montes nos persiguieron, en el desierto nos tendieron emboscadas.

Those who came after us were faster than the eagles of the sky. They came after us on the mountains. They hid and waited for us in the desert.

20 E l aliento de nuestras vidas, el ungido del Señor, fue atrapado en sus fosos, aquel de quien habíamos dicho: A su sombra viviremos entre las naciones.

The Lord’s chosen one, our very breath, was caught in their traps. We had said about him, “Under his shadow we will live among the nations.”

21 R egocíjate y alégrate, hija de Edom, la que habitas en la tierra de Uz; también a ti pasará la copa, te embriagarás y te desnudarás.

Be filled with joy and be glad, O people of Edom, who live in the land of Uz. But the cup will be passed to you also. You will become drunk and your shame will be seen.

22 S e ha completado el castigo de tu iniquidad, hija de Sion: no volverá El a desterrarte; mas castigará tu iniquidad, hija de Edom; pondrá al descubierto tus pecados.

The punishment of your sin is completed, O people of Zion. The Lord will not keep you away any longer. But He will punish your sin, Edom. He will let your sins be seen!