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! The most pure gold has changed! The stones of the sanctuary 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 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 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 nurse their young ones: The daughter of my people has become cruel, like the 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 child clings to the roof of his mouth for thirst: The young children ask bread, and no man breaks it to them.

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

Those who fed delicately are desolate in the streets: Those who were brought up in scarlet embrace dunghills.

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 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 on her.

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

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 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.

Their appearance is blacker than a coal; they are not known in the streets: Their skin clings to their bones; it is withered, 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 killed with the sword are better than those who are killed with hunger; For these pine 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 the pitiful women have boiled their own children; They were their food in 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.

Yahweh has accomplished his wrath, he has poured out his fierce anger; He has kindled a fire in Zion, which has devoured its 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 didn’t believe, neither all the inhabitants of the world, That the adversary and the enemy would enter into 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,

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 middle of her.

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

They wander as blind men in the streets, they are polluted with blood, So that men can’t 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.'

Depart! they cried to them, Unclean! depart, depart, don’t touch! When they fled away and wandered, men said among the nations, They shall not live here any more.

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.

Yahweh’s anger has scattered them; he will no more regard them: They didn’t respect the persons of the priests, they didn’t 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.

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

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.

They hunt our steps, so that we can’t go in our streets: Our end is near, our days are fulfilled; for 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 chased us on the mountains, they laid 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 Yahweh, was taken in their pits; 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, daughter of Edom, that dwell in the land of Uz: The cup shall pass through to you also; you shall be drunken, and shall 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 is accomplished, daughter of Zion; he will no more carry you away into captivity: He will visit your iniquity, daughter of Edom; he will uncover your sins.