How adark the gold has become, How the pure gold has changed! The sacred stones are poured out At the 1corner of every street.
2The precious sons of Zion, Weighed against fine gold, How they are regarded as aearthen jars, The work of a potter's hands!
3Even ajackals offer the breast, They nurse their young; But the daughter of my people has become bcruel Like costriches in the wilderness.
4The atongue of the infant cleaves To the roof of its mouth because of bthirst; The little ones cask for bread, But no one breaks it for them.
5Those who ate adelicacies Are desolate in the streets; Those 1reared in purple Embrace ash pits.
6For the 1iniquity of the daughter of my people Is greater than the 2 asin of Sodom, Which was boverthrown as in a moment, And no hands were 3turned toward her.
7Her 1consecrated ones were apurer than snow, They were whiter than milk; They were more ruddy in 2body than corals, Their polishing was like 3 blapis lazuli.
8Their appearance is ablacker than soot, They are not recognized in the streets; Their bskin is shriveled on their bones, It is withered, it has become like wood.
9Better are those 1 aslain with the sword Than those 1slain with hunger; For they 2 bpine away, being stricken For lack of the fruits of 3the field.
10The hands of compassionate women aBoiled their own children; They became bfood for them Because of the destruction of the daughter of my people.
11The LORD has aaccomplished His wrath, He has poured out His fierce anger; And He has bkindled a fire in Zion Which has consumed its foundations.
12The kings of the earth did not believe, Nor did any of athe inhabitants of the world, That the adversary and the enemy Could benter the gates of Jerusalem.
13Because of the sins of her aprophets And the iniquities of her priests, Who have shed in her midst The bblood of the righteous;
14They wandered, ablind, in the streets; They were defiled with bblood So that no one could touch their cgarments.
15"Depart! aUnclean!" 1they cried of themselves. "Depart, depart, do not touch!" So they bfled and wandered; Men among the nations said, "They shall not continue to dwell with us."
16The presence of the LORD has scattered them, He will not continue to regard them; They did not 1 ahonor the priests, They did not favor the elders.
17Yet our eyes failed, Looking for 1help was auseless; In our watching we have watched For a bnation that could not save.
18They ahunted our steps So that we could not walk in our streets; Our bend drew near, Our days were 1finished For our end had come.
19Our pursuers were aswifter Than the eagles of the sky; They chased us on the mountains, They waited in ambush for us in the wilderness.
20The abreath of our nostrils, the bLORD'S anointed, Was ccaptured in their pits, Of whom we had said, "Under his dshadow We shall live among the nations."
21Rejoice and be glad, O daughter of aEdom, Who dwells in the land of Uz; But the bcup will come around to you as well, You will become drunk and make yourself naked.
22The punishment of your iniquity has been acompleted, O daughter of Zion; He will exile you no longer. But He bwill punish your iniquity, O daughter of Edom; He will expose your sins!