Lamentations 4:18–22

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.

Our pursuers were swifter

than the eagles in the heavens;

they chased us on the mountains;

they lay in wait for us in the wilderness.

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.”

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.

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.

People 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.

Our pursuers were swifter

than eagles in the sky;

they chased us over the mountains

and lay in wait for us in the desert.

The Lord’s anointed, our very life breath,

was caught in their traps.

We thought that under his shadow

we would live among the nations.

Rejoice 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.

Your punishment will end, Daughter Zion;

he will not prolong your exile.

But he will punish your sin, Daughter Edom,

and expose your wickedness.

Our steps were closely followed

so that we could not walk in our streets.

Our end approached; our time ran out.

Our end had come!

Those who chased us were swifter

than eagles in the sky;

they relentlessly pursued us over the mountains

and ambushed us in the wilderness.

The 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.”

So 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.

Daughter Zion, your punishment is complete;

he will not lengthen your exile.

But he will punish your iniquity, Daughter Edom,

and will expose your sins.

We couldn’t go into the streets

without danger to our lives.

Our end was near; our days were numbered.

We were doomed!

Our 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.

Our 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!

Are 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.

O 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.

They hunted our steps,

from walking in our streets;

our end has come near, our days are finished,

our end has come.

Our pursuers were swifter

than the eagles of the heavens;

they chased us on the mountains,

they have set an ambush for us in the desert.

The breath of our nostrils, the anointed one of Yahweh,

was captured in their pits;

of whom we said, “In his shadow

we will live among the nations.”

Rejoice 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.

The 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.

They hunt our steps, that we cannot go in our streets:

Our end is near, our days are fulfilled; for our end is come.

Our persecutors are swifter than the eagles of the heaven:

They pursued us upon the mountains, they laid wait for us in the wilderness.

The 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.

Rejoice 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.

The 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.