Chapter
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Verse
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Lamentations chapter 4

English Standard Version

1 How the gold has grown dim, how the pure gold is changed! The holy stones lie scattered at the head of every street. 2The precious sons of Zion, worth their weight in fine gold, how they are regarded as earthen pots, the work of a potter 's hands! 3Even jackals offer the breast; they nurse their young; but the daughter of my people has become cruel, like the ostriches in the wilderness. 4The tongue of the nursing infant sticks to the roof of its mouth for thirst; the children beg for food, but no one gives to them. 5Those who once feasted on delicacies perish in the streets; those who were brought up in purple embrace ash heaps. 6 For the chastisement of the daughter of my people has been greater than the punishment of Sodom, which was overthrown in a moment, and no hands were wrung for her. 7Her princes were purer than snow, whiter than milk; their bodies were more ruddy than coral, the beauty of their form was like sapphire. 8 Now their face is blacker than soot; they are not recognized in the streets; their skin has shriveled on their bones; it has become as dry as wood. 9Happier were the victims of the sword than the victims of hunger, who wasted away, pierced by lack of the fruits of the field. 10 The hands of compassionate women have boiled their own children; they became their food during the destruction of the daughter of my people. 11 The Lord gave full vent to his wrath; he poured out his hot anger, and he kindled a fire in Zion that consumed its foundations. 12 The kings of the earth did not believe, nor any of the inhabitants of the world, that foe or enemy could enter the gates of Jerusalem. 13This was for the sins of her prophets and the iniquities of her priests, who shed in the midst of her the blood of the righteous. 14 They wandered, blind, through the streets; they were so defiled with blood that no one was able to touch their garments. 15"Away! Unclean!" people cried at them. "Away! Away! Do not touch!" So they became fugitives and wanderers; people said among the nations, "They shall stay with us no longer." 16 The Lord himself has scattered them; he will regard them no more; no honor was shown to the priests, no favor to the elders. 17 Our eyes failed, ever watching vainly for help; in our watching we watched for a nation which could not save. 18 They dogged our steps so that we could not walk in our streets; our end drew near; our days were numbered, for our end had come. 19Our pursuers were swifter than the eagles in the heavens; they chased us on the mountains; they lay in wait for us in the wilderness. 20 The breath of our nostrils, the Lord 's anointed, was captured in their pits, of whom we said, "Under his shadow we shall live among the nations." 21 Rejoice and be glad, O daughter of Edom, you who dwell in the land of Uz; but to you also the cup shall pass; you shall become drunk and strip yourself bare. 22 The punishment of your iniquity, O daughter of Zion, is accomplished; he will keep you in exile no longer; but your iniquity, O daughter of Edom, he will punish; he will uncover your sins.
New International Version

1 How the gold has lost its luster, the fine gold become dull! The sacred gems are scattered at every street corner.
2How the precious children of Zion, once worth their weight in gold, are now considered as pots of clay, the work of a potter’s hands!
3Even jackals offer their breasts to nurse their young, but my people have become heartless like ostriches in the desert.
4Because of thirst the infant’s tongue sticks to the roof of its mouth; the children beg for bread, but no one gives it to them.
5Those who once ate delicacies are destitute in the streets. Those brought up in royal purple now lie on ash heaps.
6The punishment of my people is greater than that of Sodom, which was overthrown in a moment without a hand turned to help her.
7Their princes were brighter than snow and whiter than milk, their bodies more ruddy than rubies, their appearance like lapis lazuli.
8But now they are blacker than soot; they are not recognized in the streets. Their skin has shriveled on their bones; it has become as dry as a stick.
9Those killed by the sword are better off than those who die of famine; racked with hunger, they waste away for lack of food from the field.
10With their own hands compassionate women have cooked their own children, who became their food when my people were destroyed.
11The Lord has given full vent to his wrath; he has poured out his fierce anger. He kindled a fire in Zion that consumed her foundations.
12The kings of the earth did not believe, nor did any of the peoples of the world, that enemies and foes could enter the gates of Jerusalem.
13But it happened because of the sins of her prophets and the iniquities of her priests, who shed within her the blood of the righteous.
14Now they grope through the streets as if they were blind. They are so defiled with blood that no one dares to touch their garments.
15"Go away! You are unclean!" people cry to them. "Away! Away! Don’t touch us!" When they flee and wander about, people among the nations say, "They can stay here no longer."
16The Lord himself has scattered them; he no longer watches over them. The priests are shown no honor, the elders no favor.
17Moreover, our eyes failed, looking in vain for help; from our towers we watched for a nation that could not save us.
18People stalked us at every step, so we could not walk in our streets. Our end was near, our days were numbered, for our end had come.
19Our pursuers were swifter than eagles in the sky; they chased us over the mountains and lay in wait for us in the desert.
20The Lord’s anointed, our very life breath, was caught in their traps. We thought that under his shadow we would live among the nations.
21Rejoice and be glad, Daughter Edom, you who live in the land of Uz. But to you also the cup will be passed; you will be drunk and stripped naked. 22Your punishment will end, Daughter Zion; he will not prolong your exile. But he will punish your sin, Daughter Edom, and expose your wickedness.
New American Standard Bible

1How dark the gold has become, How the pure gold has changed! The sacred stones are spilled out At the corner of every street. 2The precious sons of Zion, Weighed against pure gold, How they are regarded as earthenware jars, The work of a potter’s hands! 3Even jackals offer the breast, They nurse their young; But the daughter of my people has proved herself cruel, Like ostriches in the wilderness. 4The tongue of the infant clings To the roof of its mouth because of thirst; The children ask for bread, But no one breaks it for them. 5Those who used to eat delicacies Are made to tremble in the streets; Those who were raised in crimson clothing Embrace garbage heaps. 6For the wrongdoing 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. 7Her consecrated ones were purer than snow, They shined more than milk; They were more ruddy in body than pearls of coral, Their form was like lapis lazuli. 8Their appearance is darker than soot, They are not recognized in the streets; Their skin is shriveled on their bones, It is dry, it has become like wood. 9Better off are those killed by the sword Than those killed by hunger; For they waste away, stricken By the lack of the produce of the field. 10The hands of compassionate women Boiled their own children; They became food for them Due to the destruction of the daughter of my people. 11The Lord has expended His wrath, He has poured out His fierce anger; And He has kindled a fire in Zion, And it has consumed its foundations. 12The kings of the earth did not believe, Nor did any of the inhabitants of the world, That the adversary and the enemy Would enter the gates of Jerusalem. 13Because of the sins of her prophets And the wrongdoings of her priests, Who have shed in her midst The blood of the righteous, 14They wandered, blind, in the streets; They were defiled with blood, Such that no one could touch their garments. 15'Keep away! Unclean!' they cried out of themselves. 'Keep away, keep away, do not touch!' For they distanced themselves as well as wandered; People among the nations said, 'They shall not continue to reside with us.' 16The presence of the Lord has scattered them, He will not continue to look at them; They did not honor the priests, They did not favor the elders. 17Yet our eyes failed, Looking for help was useless; At our observation point we have watched For a nation that could not save. 18They 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. 19Our pursuers were swifter Than the eagles of the sky; They chased us on the mountains, They waited in ambush for us in the wilderness. 20The breath of our nostrils, the Lord’S anointed, Was captured in their pits, Of whom we had said, 'In his shadow We shall live among the nations.' 21Rejoice and be joyful, daughter of Edom, Who lives in the land of Uz; But the cup will pass to you as well, You will become drunk and expose yourself. 22 The punishment of your wrongdoing has been completed, daughter of Zion; He will no longer exile you. But He will punish your wrongdoing, daughter of Edom; He will expose your sins!
Christian Standard Bible

1How the gold has become tarnished, the fine gold become dull! The stones of the temple lie scattered at the head of every street. 2Zion’s precious children— once worth their weight in pure gold — how they are regarded as clay jars, the work of a potter’s hands! 3Even jackals offer their breasts to nurse their young, but my dear people have become cruel like ostriches in the wilderness. 4The nursing baby’s tongue clings to the roof of his mouth from thirst. Infants beg for food, but no one gives them any. 5Those who used to eat delicacies are destitute in the streets; those who were reared in purple garments huddle in trash heaps. 6The punishment of my dear people is greater than that of Sodom, which was overthrown in an instant without a hand laid on it. 7Her dignitaries were brighter than snow, whiter than milk; their bodies were more ruddy than coral, their appearance like lapis lazuli. 8Now they appear darker than soot; they are not recognized in the streets. Their skin has shriveled on their bones; it has become dry like wood. 9Those slain by the sword are better off than those slain by hunger, who waste away, pierced with pain because the fields lack produce. 10The hands of compassionate women have cooked their own children; they became their food during the destruction of my dear people. 11The Lord has exhausted his wrath, poured out his burning anger; he has ignited a fire in Zion, and it has consumed her foundations. 12The kings of the earth and all the world’s inhabitants did not believe that an enemy or adversary could enter Jerusalem’s gates. 13Yet it happened because of the sins of her prophets and the iniquities of her priests, who shed the blood of the righteous within her. 14Blind, they stumbled in the streets, defiled by this blood, so that no one dared to touch their garments. 15"Stay away! Unclean!" people shouted at them. "Away, away! Don’t touch us!" So they wandered aimlessly. It was said among the nations, "They can stay here no longer." 16The Lord himself has scattered them; he no longer watches over them. The priests are not respected; the elders find no favor. 17All the while our eyes were failing as we looked in vain for help; we watched from our towers for a nation that would not save us. 18Our steps were closely followed so that we could not walk in our streets. Our end approached; our time ran out. Our end had come! 19Those who chased us were swifter than eagles in the sky; they relentlessly pursued us over the mountains and ambushed us in the wilderness. 20The Lord’s anointed, the breath of our life, was captured in their traps. We had said about him, "We will live under his protection among the nations." 21So rejoice and be glad, Daughter Edom, you resident of the land of Uz! Yet the cup will pass to you as well; you will get drunk and expose yourself. 22Daughter Zion, your punishment is complete; he will not lengthen your exile. But he will punish your iniquity, Daughter Edom, and will expose your sins.
New Living Translation

1How the gold has lost its luster! Even the finest gold has become dull. The sacred gemstones lie scattered in the streets!
2See how the precious children of Jerusalem, worth their weight in fine gold, are now treated like pots of clay made by a common potter.
3Even the jackals feed their young, but not my people Israel. They ignore their children’s cries, like ostriches in the desert.
4The parched tongues of their little ones stick to the roofs of their mouths in thirst. The children cry for bread, but no one has any to give them.
5The people who once ate the richest foods now beg in the streets for anything they can get. Those who once wore the finest clothes now search the garbage dumps for food.
6The guilt of my people is greater than that of Sodom, where utter disaster struck in a moment and no hand offered help.
7Our princes once glowed with health — brighter than snow, whiter than milk. Their faces were as ruddy as rubies, their appearance like fine jewels.
8But now their faces are blacker than soot. No one recognizes them in the streets. Their skin sticks to their bones; it is as dry and hard as wood.
9Those killed by the sword are better off than those who die of hunger. Starving, they waste away for lack of food from the fields.
10Tenderhearted women have cooked their own children. They have eaten them to survive the siege.
11But now the anger of the Lord is satisfied. His fierce anger has been poured out. He started a fire in Jerusalem that burned the city to its foundations.
12Not a king in all the earth — no one in all the world — would have believed that an enemy could march through the gates of Jerusalem.
13Yet it happened because of the sins of her prophets and the sins of her priests, who defiled the city by shedding innocent blood.
14They wandered blindly through the streets, so defiled by blood that no one dared touch them.
15'Get away!' the people shouted at them. 'You’re defiled! Don’t touch us!' So they fled to distant lands and wandered among foreign nations, but none would let them stay.
16The Lord himself has scattered them, and he no longer helps them. People show no respect for the priests and no longer honor the leaders.
17We looked in vain for our allies to come and save us, but we were looking to nations that could not help us.
18We couldn’t go into the streets without danger to our lives. Our end was near; our days were numbered. We were doomed!
19Our enemies were swifter than eagles in flight. If we fled to the mountains, they found us. If we hid in the wilderness, they were waiting for us there.
20Our king — the Lord’s anointed, the very life of our nation — was caught in their snares. We had thought that his shadow would protect us against any nation on earth!
21Are you rejoicing in the land of Uz, O people of Edom? But you, too, must drink from the cup of the Lord’s anger. You, too, will be stripped naked in your drunkenness.
22O beautiful Jerusalem, your punishment will end; you will soon return from exile. But Edom, your punishment is just beginning; soon your many sins will be exposed.
King James Version

1How 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. 2The precious sons of Zion, comparable to fine gold, how are they esteemed as earthen pitchers, the work of the hands of the potter! 3Even 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. 4The 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. 5They that did feed delicately are desolate in the streets: they that were brought up in scarlet embrace dunghills. 6For 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. 7Her Nazarites were purer than snow, they were whiter than milk, they were more ruddy in body than rubies, their polishing was of sapphire: 8Their 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. 9They 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. 10The hands of the pitiful women have sodden their own children: they were their meat in the destruction of the daughter of my people. 11The 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. 12The 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. 13For the sins of her prophets, and the iniquities of her priests, that have shed the blood of the just in the midst of her, 14They have wandered as blind men in the streets, they have polluted themselves with blood, so that men could not touch their garments. 15They 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. 16The 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. 17As 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. 18They hunt our steps, that we cannot go in our streets: our end is near, our days are fulfilled; for our end is come. 19Our persecutors are swifter than the eagles of the heaven: they pursued us upon the mountains, they laid wait for us in the wilderness. 20The 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. 21Rejoice 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. 22The 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.
New King James Version

1How the gold has become dim! How changed the fine gold! The stones of the sanctuary are scattered At the head of every street. 2The precious sons of Zion, Valuable as fine gold, How they are regarded as clay pots, The work of the hands of the potter! 3Even the jackals present their breasts To nurse their young; But the daughter of my people is cruel, Like ostriches in the wilderness. 4The tongue of the infant clings To the roof of its mouth for thirst; The young children ask for bread, But no one breaks it for them. 5Those who ate delicacies Are desolate in the streets; Those who were brought up in scarlet Embrace ash heaps. 6The punishment of the iniquity of the daughter of my people Is greater than the punishment of the sin of Sodom, Which was overthrown in a moment, With no hand to help her! 7Her Nazirites were brighter than snow And whiter than milk; They were more ruddy in body than rubies, Like sapphire in their appearance. 8 Now their appearance is blacker than soot; They go unrecognized in the streets; Their skin clings to their bones, It has become as dry as wood. 9 Those slain by the sword are better off Than those who die of hunger; For these pine away, Stricken for lack of the fruits of the field. 10The hands of the compassionate women Have cooked their own children; They became food for them In the destruction of the daughter of my people. 11The Lord has fulfilled His fury, He has poured out His fierce anger. He kindled a fire in Zion, And it has devoured its foundations. 12The kings of the earth, And all inhabitants of the world, Would not have believed 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 shed in her midst The blood of the just. 14They wandered blind in the streets; They have defiled themselves with blood, So that no one would touch their garments. 15They cried out to them, “Go away, unclean! Go away, go away, Do not touch us!” When they fled and wandered, Those among the nations said, “They shall no longer dwell here.” 16The face of the Lord scattered them; He no longer regards them. The people do not respect the priests Nor show favor to the elders. 17Still our eyes failed us, Watching vainly for our help; In our watching we watched For a nation that could not save us. 18 They tracked our steps So that we could not walk in our streets. Our end was near; Our days were over, For our end had come. 19Our pursuers were swifter Than the eagles of the heavens. They pursued us on the mountains And lay in wait for us in the wilderness. 20The breath of our nostrils, the anointed of the Lord, Was caught in their pits, Of whom we said, “Under his shadow We shall live among the nations.” 21Rejoice and be glad, O daughter of Edom, You who dwell in the land of Uz! The cup shall also pass over to you And you shall become drunk and make yourself naked. 22 The punishment of your iniquity is accomplished, O daughter of Zion; He will no longer send you into captivity. He will punish your iniquity, O daughter of Edom; He will uncover your sins!

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