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

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 T he precious sons of Zion, Weighed against fine gold, How they are regarded as earthen jars, The work of a potter’s hands!

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

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

4 T he 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.

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

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

6 F or 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.

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 H er 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.

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 T heir 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.

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 B etter 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.

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

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

11 T he 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.

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 T he 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.

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

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

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

15 “ 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.”

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 T he 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.

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

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 T hey 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.

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

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 T he 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.”

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 ejoice 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.

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 T he 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!

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!