Lamentations 4–5

4^aHow the gold has lost its luster,

the fine gold become dull!

The sacred gems are scattered

at every street corner.^a

²How the precious children of Zion,^b

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.^c

⁴Because of thirst^d the infant’s tongue

sticks to the roof of its mouth;^e

the children beg for bread,

but no one gives it to them.^f

⁵Those who once ate delicacies

are destitute in the streets.

Those brought up in royal purple^g

now lie on ash heaps.^h

⁶The punishment of my people

is greater than that of Sodom,ⁱ

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^j than soot;

they are not recognized in the streets.

Their skin has shriveled on their bones;^k

it has become as dry as a stick.

⁹Those killed by the sword are better off

than those who die of famine;^l

racked with hunger, they waste away

for lack of food from the field.^m

¹⁰With their own hands compassionate women

have cooked their own children,ⁿ

who became their food

when my people were destroyed.

¹¹The Lord has given full vent to his wrath;^o

he has poured out^p his fierce anger.^q

He kindled a fire^r in Zion

that consumed her foundations.^s

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.^t

¹³But it happened because of the sins of her prophets

and the iniquities of her priests,^u

who shed within her

the blood^v of the righteous.

¹⁴Now they grope through the streets

as if they were blind.^w

They are so defiled with blood^x

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^y about,

people among the nations say,

“They can stay here no longer.”^z

¹⁶The Lord himself has scattered them;

he no longer watches over them.^a

The priests are shown no honor,

the elders^b no favor.^c

¹⁷Moreover, our eyes failed,

looking in vain^d for help;^e

from our towers we watched

for a nation^f 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.^g

¹⁹Our pursuers were swifter

than eagles^h in the sky;

they chased usⁱ over the mountains

and lay in wait for us in the desert.^j

²⁰The Lord’s anointed,^k our very life breath,

was caught in their traps.^l

We thought that under his shadow^m

we would live among the nations.

²¹Rejoice and be glad, Daughter Edom,

you who live in the land of Uz.ⁿ

But to you also the cup^o will be passed;

you will be drunk and stripped naked.^p

²²Your punishment will end, Daughter Zion;^q

he will not prolong your exile.

But he will punish your sin, Daughter Edom,

and expose your wickedness.^r

5Remember, Lord, what has happened to us;

look, and see our disgrace.^s

²Our inheritance^t has been turned over to strangers,^u

our homes^v to foreigners.^w

³We have become fatherless,

our mothers are widows.^x

⁴We must buy the water we drink;^y

our wood can be had only at a price.^z

⁵Those who pursue us are at our heels;

we are weary^a and find no rest.^b

⁶We submitted to Egypt and Assyria^c

to get enough bread.

⁷Our ancestors^d sinned and are no more,

and we bear their punishment.^e

⁸Slaves^f rule over us,

and there is no one to free us from their hands.^g

⁹We get our bread at the risk of our lives

because of the sword in the desert.

¹⁰Our skin is hot as an oven,

feverish from hunger.^h

¹¹Women have been violatedⁱ in Zion,

and virgins in the towns of Judah.

¹²Princes have been hung up by their hands;

elders^j are shown no respect.^k

¹³Young men toil at the millstones;

boys stagger under loads of wood.

¹⁴The elders are gone from the city gate;

the young men have stopped their music.^l

¹⁵Joy is gone from our hearts;

our dancing has turned to mourning.^m

¹⁶The crownⁿ has fallen from our head.^o

Woe to us, for we have sinned!^p

¹⁷Because of this our hearts^q are faint,^r

because of these things our eyes^s grow dim^t

¹⁸for Mount Zion,^u which lies desolate,^v

with jackals prowling over it.

¹⁹You, Lord, reign forever;^w

your throne endures^x from generation to generation.

²⁰Why do you always forget us?^y

Why do you forsake^z us so long?

²¹Restore^a us to yourself, Lord, that we may return;

renew our days as of old

²²unless you have utterly rejected us^b

and are angry with us beyond measure.^c