Lamentations, 4

1. How is the gold become dim! [how] is the most fine gold changed! the stones of the sanctuary are poured out in the top of every street.

1. How tarnished the gold has become. The fine gold has lost its luster. Why, the sacred stones lie strewn at every street corner!

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

2. Oh, the precious sons of Zion, once worth their weight in gold - but now reckoned no more than earthen jars from a potter's mold!

3. Even the sea monsters 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.

3. Even jackals bare their breasts to suckle their young, but my people have become heartless, like ostriches in the desert land.

4. 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.

4. In thirst the infant's tongue cleaves to the roof of its mouth. Children are begging for alms, but there is no one to help them.

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

5. Those accustomed to fine food now lie dying in the streets. Those accustomed to wear purple now lie destitute upon the ash heaps.

6. For the punishment of the iniquity of the daughter of my people is greater than the punishment of the sin of Sodom, that was overthrown as in a moment, and no hands stayed on her.

6. The punishment of my people is greater than that of Sodom, which was overthrown in an instant, without a helping hand.

7. Her Nazarites were purer than snow, they were whiter than milk, they were more ruddy in body than rubies, their polishing [was] of sapphire:

7. Brighter than snow were their rulers, even whiter than milk; their bodies rosier than coral, their beauty as radiant as sapphires.

8. 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.

8. Now they look blacker than soot, unrecognized in the streets. Their emaciated form shows lack of food, their skin shriveled and dry as wood.

9. [They that be] slain with the sword are better than [they that be] slain with hunger: for these pine away, stricken through for [want of] the fruits of the field.

9. Better to have died by the sword than to have perished in hunger. The famine-stricken people perish, and slowly, wretchedly, pass away.

10. The hands of the pitiful women have sodden their own children: they were their meat in the destruction of the daughter of my people.

10. Once loving mothers, our women have cooked their own children and made them their food: such has been the crash of my people!

11. The LORD hath accomplished his fury; he hath poured out his fierce anger, and hath kindled a fire in Zion, and it hath devoured the foundations thereof.

11. Yahweh has given full vent to his wrath; pouring out his fierce anger. He has kindled a fire in Zion, which has consumed her foundation.

12. The kings of the earth, and all the inhabitants of the world, would not have believed that the adversary and the enemy should have entered into the gates of Jerusalem.

12. Never had kings believed nor the world thought possible that the enemy could break through the gates of Jerusalem.

13. For the sins of her prophets, [and] the iniquities of her priests, that have shed the blood of the just in the midst of her,

13. But this happened because of the priests, who sinned, because of the prophets who transgressed, shedding in her midst the blood of the just.

14. They have wandered [as] blind [men] in the streets, they have polluted themselves with blood, so that men could not touch their garments.

14. They wandered like blind men, groping through the streets, so defiled with blood that none could touch their garments.

15. They cried unto them, Depart ye; [it is] unclean; depart, depart, touch not: when they fled away and wandered, they said among the heathen, They shall no more sojourn [there].

15. "Go away!" people cried at them. "Do not touch us! You are unclean!" They became fugitives wandering about, but even the nations would drive them out.

16. The anger of the LORD hath divided them; he will no more regard them: they respected not the persons of the priests, they favoured not the elders.

16. Yahweh himself has dispersed them; no longer does he watch over them. The priests are shown no honor; the elders are given no favor.

17. As for us, our eyes as yet failed for our vain help: in our watching we have watched for a nation [that] could not save [us].

17. Our watchmen strained their eyes, looking for help in vain. We anxiously waited for an ally, who failed to save us.

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

18. Like dogs our enemies hounded us and kept us off the streets. As our end drew near, we knew our days were numbered.

19. Our persecutors are swifter than the eagles of the heaven: they pursued us upon the mountains, they laid wait for us in the wilderness.

19. Swifter were our pursuers, than the eagles in the sky. Over the hills they chased us, they waylaid us in the wilderness.

20. The breath of our nostrils, the anointed of the LORD, was taken in their pits, of whom we said, Under his shadow we shall live among the heathen.

20. Our life's breath, Yahweh's anointed, was taken captive in their pit - he of whom we said, "In his protection we shall live among the nations."

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

21. Rejoice and be glad, O daughter of Edom, you who dwell in the land of Uz. But you shall be drunk and stripped bare, for to you also the cup will pass.

22. 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 discover thy sins.

22. Your ordeal, daughter of Zion, will end; for your exile will not be prolonged. But Edom's daughter will be chastised, and her wickedness will be exposed.