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

How is the gold become dim, Changed the best -- the pure gold? Poured out are stones of the sanctuary At the head of all out-places.

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

The precious sons of Zion, Who are comparable with fine gold, How have they been reckoned earthen bottles, Work of the hands of a potter.

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

Even dragons have drawn out the breast, They have suckled their young ones, The daughter of my people is become cruel, Like the ostriches in a wilderness.

4 T he 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.

Cleaved hath the tongue of a suckling unto his palate with thirst, Infants asked bread, a dealer out they have none.

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

Those eating of dainties have been desolate in out-places, Those supported on scarlet have embraced dunghills.

6 T he 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!

And greater is the iniquity of the daughter of my people, Than the sin of Sodom, That was overturned as a moment, And no hands were stayed on her.

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

Purer were her Nazarites than snow, Whiter than milk, ruddier of body than rubies, Of sapphire their form.

8 N ow 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.

Darker than blackness hath been their visage, They have not been known in out-places, Cleaved hath their skin unto their bone, It hath withered -- it hath been as wood.

9 T hose 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.

Better have been the pierced of a sword Than the pierced of famine, For these flow away, pierced through, Without the increase of the field.

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

The hands of merciful women have boiled their own children, They have been for food to them, In the destruction of the daughter of my people.

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

Completed hath Jehovah His fury, He hath poured out the fierceness of His anger, And he kindleth a fire in Zion, And it devoureth her foundations.

12 T he 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—

Believe not did the kings of earth, And any of the inhabitants of the world, That come would an adversary and enemy Into the gates of Jerusalem.

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

Because of the sins of her prophets, The iniquities of her priests, Who are shedding in her midst the blood of the righteous,

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

They have wandered naked in out-places, They have been polluted with blood, Without being able to touch their clothing,

15 T hey 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. ”

`Turn aside -- unclean,' they called to them, `Turn aside, turn aside, touch not,' For they fled -- yea, they have wandered, They have said among nations: `They do not add to sojourn.'

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

The face of Jehovah hath divided them, He doth not add to behold them, The face of priests they have not lifted up, Elders they have not favoured.

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

While we exist -- consumed are our eyes for our vain help, In our watch-tower we have watched for a nation saveth not.

18 T hey 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.

They have hunted our steps from going in our broad-places, Near hath been our end, fulfilled our days, For come hath our end.

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

Swifter have been our pursuers, Than the eagles of the heavens, On the mountains they have burned us, In the wilderness they have laid wait for us.

20 T he 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.”

The breath of our nostrils -- the anointed of Jehovah, Hath been captured in their pits, of whom we said: `In his shadow we do live among nations.'

21 R ejoice 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.

Joy and rejoice, O daughter of Edom, Dwelling in the land of Uz, Even unto thee pass over doth a cup, Thou art drunk, and makest thyself naked.

22 T he 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!

Completed thy iniquity, daughter of Zion, He doth not add to remove thee, He hath inspected thy iniquity, O daughter of Edom, He hath removed because of thy sins!