Lamentations 4
4
The Attack on Jerusalem
1See how the gold has lost its shine!
See how the good gold has changed!
The stones of the Temple are scattered
at every street corner.
2The precious people of Jerusalem
were more valuable than gold.
But now they are thought of as clay jars
made by the hands of a potter.
3Even wild dogs give their milk
to feed their young.
But my people are cruel
like ostriches in the desert.
4The baby is so thirsty
that his tongue sticks to the roof of his mouth.
Children beg for bread.
But no one breaks off a piece to share with them.
5Those who once ate fine foods
are now starving in the streets.
The people who grew up wearing nice clothes
now pick through trash piles.
6My people have been punished
more than Sodom was.
Sodom was destroyed suddenly.
No hands reached out to help her.
7Our princes were purer than snow.
They were whiter than milk.
Their bodies were redder than rubies.
Their faces shined like sapphires.
8But now they are blacker than coal.
No one even recognizes them in the streets.
Their skin is stretched over their bones.
It is as dry as wood.
9Those people who were killed by the sword had it better
than those killed by hunger.
They starved in pain and died
because there was no food from the field.
10With their own hands kind women
cooked their own children.
The children became food for their parents.
This happened when my people were destroyed.
11The Lord turned loose all of his anger.
He poured out his strong anger.
He set fire to Jerusalem.
It burned down to the foundations.
12Kings of the earth and people of the world
could not believe it.
They could not believe that enemies
could come through the gates of Jerusalem.
13But it happened because her prophets had sinned.
And her priests had done evil.
They killed in the city
the people who did what was right.
14They wandered in the streets
like blind men.
They became dirty with blood.
So no one could touch their clothes.
15“Go away! You are unclean,” people shouted at them.
“Get away! Get away! Do not touch us!”
So they left and wandered around.
The other nations said, “Don’t stay here.”
16The Lord himself scattered them.
He did not look after them anymore.
He did not respect the priests.
He showed no mercy to the elders.
17Also, our eyes grew tired
looking for help that never came.
We kept watch from our towers
for a nation to save us.
18Our enemies hunted us
so we could not even walk in the streets.
Our end came near. Our time was up.
Our end came.
19The men who chased us
were faster than eagles in the sky.
They ran us into the mountains.
They ambushed us in the desert.
20The Lord’s appointed king, who was our very breath,
was caught in their traps.
We had said about him, “We will be protected by him
among the nations.”
21Be happy and glad, people of Edom,
you who live in the land of Uz.
But the Lord’s anger is like a cup of wine that you also will have to drink.
Then you will get drunk on it and make yourselves naked.
22Your punishment is complete, Jerusalem.
He will not keep you in captivity any longer.
But the Lord will punish your wrongs, people of Edom.
He will uncover your sins.
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Lamentations 4
4
Zion Is Punished
1How the gold has grown dim,
the pure gold has changed.
The stones of holiness are scattered
at the head of every street.
2The precious sons of Zion
weighed against fine gold,
how they are thought of as earthen vessels of clay,
the work of the potter’s hands.
3Even the jackal bears the beast
and nurses their cubs;
but the daughter of my people has become ruthless,
like ostriches in the wilderness.
4The tongue of the nursling cleaves
to its palate in thirst.
Children beg for food,
no one lays it out before them.#Literally “nothing spreads to them”
5The ones who eat delicacies,
they are ruined in the streets;
the ones nurtured in purple
lie on piles of trash.
6The iniquity of the daughter of my people is greater
than the sin of Sodom;
it was overthrown in a moment
and no hands were laid on her.
7Her princes were purer than snow,
they were whiter than milk;
their bodies were more ruddy than rubies,
sapphire their appearance.
8Now their appearance is blacker than soot,
they are not recognized in the streets;
their skin has shriveled on their bones,
it has become dry like wood.
9Happier were the victims of the sword
than the victims of famine;
they have pined away, very hungry
for the crops of my field.
10The hands of compassionate women,
have cooked their children;
they became as something to eat
in the destruction of the daughter of my people.
11Yahweh has completed his anger,
he has poured out his fierce anger;#Literally “the fierce anger of his nose”
he has kindled a fire in Zion,
it consumed her#Or “its” foundations.
12The kings of the earth did not believe,
and all the inhabitants of the world,
that a foe and an enemy could enter
into the gates of Jerusalem.
13Because of the sins of her prophets,
the guilt of her priests,
who shed blood in her midst,
of righteous people.
14They wander blindly in the streets;
they were defiled with the blood,
their clothes
could not be touched.
15“Go away! Defiled!” they shout to them.
“Go away! Go away! Do not touch!”
so they left, they left; it was said among the nations,
“They will no longer dwell with us.”#Literally “They will no longer be here as aliens”
16The presence of Yahweh has scattered them,
he will no longer watch over them;
they did not honor the priests,#Literally “they did not lift up the faces of the priests”
they did not show mercy to elders.
17Still our eyes failed,
looking for our help in vain;
in our watchtower, we kept watch
for a nation that could not save.
18They hunted our steps,
from walking in our streets;
our end has come near, our days are finished,#Literally “our days are filled”
our end has come.
19Our pursuers were swifter
than the eagles of the heavens;
they chased us on the mountains,
they have set an ambush for us in the desert.
20The breath of our nostrils, the anointed one of Yahweh,
was captured in their pits;
of whom we said, “In his shadow
we will live among the nations.”
21Rejoice and be glad, O daughter of Edom,
you who dwell in the land of Uz;
but to you also the cup will pass,
you will become drunk and strip yourself bare.
22The punishment of your iniquity is completed, O daughter of Zion,
your exile will not continue;
but he will punish your iniquity, O daughter of Edom,
he will reveal your sins.
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