1 H ow 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.

How is the gold become dim! how is the most pure gold changed! The stones of the sanctuary are poured out at the head of every street.

2 T he 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!

The precious sons of Zion, comparable to fine gold, How are they esteemed as earthen pitchers, the work of the hands of the potter!

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

Even the jackals 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.

4 T he 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.

The 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.

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

They that did feed delicately are desolate in the streets: They that were brought up in scarlet embrace dunghills.

6 F or 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.

For the iniquity of the daughter of my people is greater than the sin of Sodom, That was overthrown as in a moment, and no hands were laid upon her.

7 H er 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.

Her nobles were purer than snow, they were whiter than milk; They were more ruddy in body than rubies, their polishing was as of sapphire.

8 N ow 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.

Their 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.

9 T hose 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.

They that are slain with the sword are better than they that are slain with hunger; For these pine away, stricken through, for want of the fruits of the field.

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

The hands of the pitiful women have boiled their own children; They were their food in the destruction of the daughter of my people.

11 T he 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.

Jehovah hath accomplished his wrath, he hath poured out his fierce anger; And he hath kindled a fire in Zion, which hath devoured the foundations thereof.

12 T he 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.

The kings of the earth believed not, neither all the inhabitants of the world, That the adversary and the enemy would enter into the gates of Jerusalem.

13 T his 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.

It is because of the sins of her prophets, and the iniquities of her priests, That have shed the blood of the just in the midst of her.

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

They wander as blind men in the streets, they are polluted with blood, So that men cannot touch their garments.

15 P eople 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.”

Depart ye, they cried unto them, Unclean! depart, depart, touch not! When they fled away and wandered, men said among the nations, They shall no more sojourn here.

16 T he 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.

The anger of Jehovah hath scattered them; he will no more regard them: They respected not the persons of the priests, they favored not the elders.

17 O ur 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.

Our eyes do yet fail in looking for our vain help: In our watching we have watched for a nation that could not save.

18 T hey 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.

They hunt our steps, so that we cannot go in our streets: Our end is near, our days are fulfilled; for our end is come.

19 T hose 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.

Our pursuers were swifter than the eagles of the heavens: They chased us upon the mountains, they laid wait for us in the wilderness.

20 T he 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.”

The breath of our nostrils, the anointed of Jehovah, was taken in their pits; Of whom we said, Under his shadow we shall live among the nations.

21 B e 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.

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

22 T he 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!

The 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 uncover thy sins.