1 H ow 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.

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

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

The noble and precious sons of Zion, worth their weight in fine gold—how they are esteemed as earthen pots or pitchers, the work of the hands of the potter!

3 E ven 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.

Even the jackals draw out the breast, they give suck to their young ones, but the daughter of my people has become cruel like ostriches in the wilderness.

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

The tongue of the nursing babe cleaves to the roof of its mouth because of thirst; the young children beg for food, but no one gives it to them.

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

Those who feasted on dainties are perishing in the streets; those who were brought up in purple lie cleaving to refuse and ash heaps.

6 A nd 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.

For the 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, and no hands had come against her or been laid on her.

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

her princes were purer than snow, they were whiter than milk; they were more ruddy in body than rubies or corals, their shapely figures sapphire.

8 D arker 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.

them look blacker than soot and darkness; they are not recognized in the streets. Their skin clings to their bones; it is withered and it has become like a stick.

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

Those who are slain with the sword are more fortunate than those who are the victims of hunger; for they pine and ebb away, stricken through for want of the fruits of the field.

10 T he 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.

The hands of compassionate women have boiled their own children; they were their food during the destruction of the daughter of my people.

11 C ompleted 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.

The Lord has fulfilled His wrath; He has poured out His fierce anger and has kindled a fire in Zion that has consumed her foundations.

12 B elieve 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.

The kings of the earth did not believe, nor did any of the inhabitants of the earth, that the oppressor and enemy could enter the gates of Jerusalem.

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

because of the sins of her prophets and the iniquities of her priests, who shed the blood of the just and righteous in the midst of her.

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

wandered in the streets as if blind; they had so polluted themselves with blood it was not for men to touch their garments.

15 ` 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.'

cried to them, Go away! Unclean! Depart! Depart! Touch not! When they fled away, then they wandered; men said among the nations, They shall not stay here any longer.

16 T he 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.

The anger of the Lord has scattered; He will no longer look after them. They did not respect the persons of the priests; they did not favor the elders.

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

As for us, our eyes yet failed and wasted away in looking for our worthless help. In our watching we have watched and waited expectantly for a nation that could not save us.

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

dog our steps, so that we cannot go into our streets; our end is near, our days are fulfilled—yes, our end has come.

19 S wifter 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.

Our pursuers were swifter than the eagles of the sky; they pursued us on the mountains, they lay in wait for us in the wilderness.

20 T he 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.'

The breath of our nostrils, the anointed of the Lord, was taken in their snares—he of whom we said, Under his shadow we shall live among the nations.

21 J oy 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.

Rejoice and be glad, O Daughter of Edom, you who dwell in the land of Uz. But the cup also shall pass to you; you shall become drunk and make yourself naked.

22 C ompleted 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!

The punishment of your iniquity will be accomplished and completed, O Daughter of Zion; will no more carry you away or keep you in exile. But He will inspect and punish your iniquity and guilt, O Daughter of Edom; He will uncover your sins.