Lamentations 4:1-22 NASB95

[1] How dark the gold has become, How the pure gold has changed! The sacred stones are poured out At the corner of every street. [2] The precious sons of Zion, Weighed against fine gold, How they are regarded as earthen jars, The work of a potter's hands! [3] Even jackals offer the breast, They nurse their young; But the daughter of my people has become cruel Like ostriches in the wilderness. [4] The tongue of the infant cleaves To the roof of its mouth because of thirst; The little ones ask for bread, But no one breaks it for them. [5] Those who ate delicacies Are desolate in the streets; Those reared in purple Embrace ash pits. [6] For the iniquity of the daughter of my people Is greater than the sin of Sodom, Which was overthrown as in a moment, And no hands were turned toward her. [7] Her consecrated ones were purer than snow, They were whiter than milk; They were more ruddy in body than corals, Their polishing was like lapis lazuli. [8] Their appearance is blacker than soot, They are not recognized in the streets; Their skin is shriveled on their bones, It is withered, it has become like wood. [9] Better are those slain with the sword Than those slain with hunger; For they pine away, being stricken For lack of the fruits of the field. [10] The hands of compassionate women Boiled their own children; They became food for them Because of the destruction of the daughter of my people. [11] The LORD has accomplished His wrath, He has poured out His fierce anger; And He has kindled a fire in Zion Which has consumed its foundations. [12] The kings of the earth did not believe, Nor did any of the inhabitants of the world, That the adversary and the enemy Could enter the gates of Jerusalem. [13] Because of the sins of her prophets And the iniquities of her priests, Who have shed in her midst The blood of the righteous; [14] They wandered, blind, in the streets; They were defiled with blood So that no one could touch their garments. [15] "Depart! Unclean!" they cried of themselves. "Depart, depart, do not touch!" So they fled and wandered; Men among the nations said, "They shall not continue to dwell with us." [16] The presence of the LORD has scattered them, He will not continue to regard them; They did not honor the priests, They did not favor the elders. [17] Yet our eyes failed, Looking for help was useless; In our watching we have watched For a nation that could not save. [18] They hunted our steps So that we could not walk in our streets; Our end drew near, Our days were finished For our end had come. [19] Our pursuers were swifter Than the eagles of the sky; They chased us on the mountains, They waited in ambush for us in the wilderness. [20] The breath of our nostrils, the Lord's anointed, Was captured in their pits, Of whom we had said, "Under his shadow We shall live among the nations." [21] Rejoice and be glad, O daughter of Edom, Who dwells in the land of Uz; But the cup will come around to you as well, You will become drunk and make yourself naked. [22] The punishment of your iniquity has been completed, O daughter of Zion; He will exile you no longer. But He will punish your iniquity, O daughter of Edom; He will expose your sins!