Lamentations4
Zion Is Punished
1How the gold has grown dim,the pure gold has changed.The stones of holiness are scatteredat the head of every street.2The precious sons of Zionweighed against fine gold,how they are thought of as earthen vessels of clay,the work of the potter’s hands.3Even the jackals bear the breastand nurse their cubs;but the daughter of my people has become ruthless,like ostriches in the wilderness.4The tongue of the nursling cleavesto its palate in thirst.Children beg for food,⸤no one lays it out before them⸥. 5The ones who eat delicacies,they are ruined in the streets;the ones nurtured in purplelie on piles of trash.6The iniquity of the daughter of my people is greaterthan the sin of Sodom;it was overthrown in a momentand 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 swordthan the victims of famine;they have pined away, very hungryfor the crops of my field.10The hands of compassionate women,have cooked their children;they became as something to eatin the destruction of the daughter of my people.11Yahweh has completed his anger,he has poured out ⸤his fierce anger⸥; he has kindled a fire in Zion,it consumed her foundations.12The kings of the earth did not believe,and all the inhabitants of the world,that a foe and an enemy could enterinto 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 clothescould 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⸥.” 16The presence of Yahweh has scattered them,he will no longer watch over them;⸤they did not honor the priests⸥, they did not show mercy to elders.17Still our eyes failed,looking for our help in vain;in our watchtower, we kept watchfor a nation that could not save.18They hunted our steps,from walking in our streets;our end has come near, ⸤our days are finished⸥, our end has come.19Our pursuers were swifterthan 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 shadowwe 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.Logos Bible Software