Lamentations 4:1-22 KJ21

[1] How the gold hath become dim! How the most fine gold hath changed! The stones of the sanctuary are poured out at the head of every street. [2] The precious sons of Zion, comparable to fine gold, how they are esteemed as earthen pitchers, the work of the hands of the potter! [3] Even the seamonsters draw out the breast, they give suck to their young ones; but the daughter of my people has become cruel, like the ostriches in the wilderness. [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. [5] They that fed on delicacies are desolate in the streets; they that were brought up in scarlet embrace dunghills. [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. [7] Her Nazirites were purer than snow, they were whiter than milk; they were more ruddy in body than rubies, their polishing was of sapphire. [8] Now their visage is blacker than coal; they are not known in the streets; their skin cleaveth to their bones, it is withered, it has become like a stick. [9] 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] The hands of the pitying women have sodden their own children; they were their meat in the destruction of the daughter 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. [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. [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, [14] they have wandered as blind men in the streets; they have polluted themselves with blood, so that men could not touch their garments. [15] They cried unto them, "Depart ye; it is unclean! Depart, depart, touch not!" When they fled away and wandered, it was said among the heathen, "They shall no more sojourn there." [16] The anger of the LORD hath divided them; He will no more regard them; they respected not the persons of the priests, they favored not the elders. [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. [18] They hunt our steps, that we cannot go in our streets; our end is near, our days are fulfilled, for our end has come. [19] Our persecutors are swifter than the eagles of the heavens; they pursued us upon the mountains, they lay in wait for 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." [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. [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 uncover thy sins.