Lamentations 4–5

Chapter 4

¹How is the gold become dim! the most pure gold changed! the stones of the sanctuary poured out at the top of all the streets! ²The sons of Zion, so precious, comparable to fine gold, how are they esteemed as earthen pitchers, the work of the hands of the potter! ³Even the jackals offer the breast, they give suck to their young; 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, no man breaketh it unto them. ⁵They that fed delicately are desolate in the streets; they that were brought up in scarlet embrace dung-hills. ⁶And the punishment of the iniquity of the daughter of my people is greater than the reward of the sin of Sodom, which was overthrown as in a moment, and no hands were violently laid upon her. ⁷Her Nazarites were purer than snow, whiter than milk; they were more ruddy in body than rubies, their figure was as sapphire. ⁸Their visage is darker than blackness, they are not known in the streets; their skin cleaveth to their bones, it is withered, it is become like a stick. ⁹The slain with the sword are happier than the slain with hunger; for these pine away, stricken through for want of the fruits of the field. ¹⁰The hands of pitiful women have boiled their own children: they were their meat in the ruin of the daughter of my people. ¹¹Jehovah hath accomplished his fury; he hath poured out his fierce anger, and hath kindled a fire in Zion, which hath consumed 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 enter into the gates of Jerusalem.

¹³It is for the sins of her prophets, and the iniquities of her priests, who have shed the blood of the righteous in the midst of her. ¹⁴They wandered about blind in the streets; they were polluted with blood, so that men could not touch their garments. ¹⁵They cried unto them, Depart! Unclean! Depart! depart, touch not! When they fled away, and wandered about, it was said among the nations, They shall no more sojourn there. ¹⁶The face of Jehovah hath divided them; he will no more regard them. They respected not the persons of the priests, they favoured not the aged. ¹⁷Our eyes still failed for our vain help; in our watching, we have watched for a nation that did not save. ¹⁸They hunted our steps, that we could not go in our streets: our end is near, our days are fulfilled; for our end is come. ¹⁹Our pursuers were swifter than the eagles of the heavens; they chased us hotly upon the mountains, they laid wait for us in the wilderness. ²⁰The breath of our nostrils, the anointed of Jehovah, was taken in their pits; of whom we said, Under his shadow we shall live among the nations.

²¹Rejoice and be glad, daughter of Edom, that dwellest in the land of Uz: the cup shall pass also unto thee; thou shalt be drunken, and 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.

Chapter 5

¹Remember, O Jehovah, what is come upon us; consider, and see our reproach. ²Our inheritance is turned to strangers, our houses to aliens. ³We are orphans and fatherless, our mothers are as widows. ⁴Our water have we to drink for money, our wood cometh unto us for a price. ⁵Our pursuers are on our necks: we are weary, we have no rest. ⁶We have given the hand to Egypt, and to Asshur, to be satisfied with bread. ⁷Our fathers have sinned, and they are not; and we bear their iniquities. ⁸Bondmen rule over us: there is no deliverer out of their hand. ⁹We have to get our bread at the risk of our lives, because of the sword of the wilderness. ¹⁰Our skin gloweth like an oven, because of the burning heat of the famine. ¹¹They have ravished the women in Zion, the maids in the cities of Judah. ¹²Princes were hanged up by their hand; the faces of elders were not honoured. ¹³The young men have borne the mill, and the youths have stumbled under the wood. ¹⁴The elders have ceased from the gate, the young men from their music. ¹⁵The joy of our heart hath ceased; our dance is turned into mourning. ¹⁶The crown is fallen from our head: woe unto us, for we have sinned!

¹⁷For this our heart is faint; for these things our eyes have grown dim, ¹⁸Because of the mountain of Zion, which is desolate: foxes walk over it. ¹⁹Thou, Jehovah, dwellest for ever; thy throne is from generation to generation. ²⁰Wherefore dost thou forget us for ever, dost thou forsake us so long time? ²¹Turn thou us unto thee, Jehovah, and we shall be turned; renew our days as of old. ²²Or is it that thou hast utterly rejected us? Wouldest thou be exceeding wroth against us?