4:1 How the gold has lost its luster, the fine gold become dull! The sacred gems are scattered at the head of every street.
4:2 How the precious sons of Zion, once worth their weight in gold, are now considered as pots of clay, the work of a potter’s hands!
4:3 Even jackals offer their breasts to nurse their young, but my people have become heartless like ostriches in the desert.
4:4 Because 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.
4:5 Those who once ate delicacies are destitute in the streets. Those nurtured in purple now lie on ash heaps.
4:6 The punishment of my people is greater than that of Sodom, which was overthrown in a moment without a hand turned to help her.
4:7 Their princes were brighter than snow and whiter than milk, their bodies more ruddy than rubies, their appearance like sapphires.
4:8 But 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.
4:9 Those 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.
4:10 With their own hands compassionate women have cooked their own children, who became their food when my people were destroyed.
4:11 The 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.
4:12 The kings of the earth did not believe, nor did any of the world’s people, that enemies and foes could enter the gates of Jerusalem.
4:13 But it happened because of the sins of her prophets and the iniquities of her priests, who shed within her the blood of the righteous.
4:14 Now they grope through the streets like men who are blind. They are so defiled with blood that no one dares to touch their garments.
4:15 “Go away! You are unclean!” men 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.”
4:16 The LORD himself has scattered them; he no longer watches over them. The priests are shown no honor, the elders no favor.
4:17 Moreover, our eyes failed, looking in vain for help; from our towers we watched for a nation that could not save us.
4:18 Men 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.
4:19 Our pursuers were swifter than eagles in the sky; they chased us over the mountains and lay in wait for us in the desert.
4:20 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.
4:21 Rejoice and be glad, O Daughter of 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.
4:22 O Daughter of Zion, your punishment will end; he will not prolong your exile. But, O Daughter of Edom, he will punish your sin and expose your wickedness.
4:1 How the gold has become dim! / How the most pure gold has changed! / The stones of the sanctuary lie poured out / At the head of every street.
4:2 The precious sons of Zion, / Comparable to fine gold, / How they are esteemed as earthen pitchers, / The work of the hands of a potter.
4:3 Even the jackals present the breast; / They nurse their young ones; / But the daughter of my people has become cruel, / Like the ostriches in the wilderness.
4:4 The tongue of the sucking child cleaves / To the roof of his mouth for thirst; / The little ones ask for bread, / But no one breaks it for them.
4:5 Those who fed on delicacies / Are desolate in the streets; / Those who were brought up in scarlet / Embrace dung heaps.
4:6 And the iniquity of the daughter of my people is greater / Than the sin of Sodom, / Which was overthrown as in a moment; / And no hands were laid on her.
4:7 Her nobles were purer than snow; / They were whiter than milk; / They were redder in body than corals; / Their figure was like sapphire.
4:8 Their visage is darker than black coal; / They are not recognized in the streets. / Their skin has shriveled up on their bones; / It has dried up; it has become like wood.
4:9 Those who were slain by the sword are better / Than those slain by famine; / For these pine away stricken through, / Because of the lack of the produce of the field.
4:10 The hands of compassionate women / Have boiled their own children; / They have become their food / In the destruction of the daughter of my people.
4:11 Jehovah has accomplished His wrath; / He has poured out His burning anger. / And He has kindled a fire in Zion, / And it has consumed its foundations.
4:12 The kings of the earth did not believe, / Neither did any of the inhabitants of the world, / That the adversary and the enemy would enter / Into the gates of Jerusalem.
4:13 It is because of the sins of her prophets, / And the iniquities of her priests, / Who have shed the blood of the righteous / In her midst.
4:14 They have wandered about blind in the streets; / They are polluted with blood; / So that men cannot touch / Their garments.
4:15 They cried out to them, Depart! Unclean! / Depart, depart; do not touch! / When they fled away and wandered about, men said among the nations, / They will no longer sojourn there.
4:16 The anger of Jehovah has scattered them; / He will no longer regard them. / They did not honor the priests, / Nor did they favor the elders.
4:17 Our eyes do yet fail, / Looking in vain for our help; / In our watching we watched / For a nation that could not save.
4:18 They hunted our steps, / So that we cannot walk in our streets; / Our end drew near; our days were fulfilled; / For our end had come.
4:19 Our pursuers were swifter / Than the eagles of heaven; / They hotly pursued us on the mountains; / They lay in wait for us in the wilderness.
4:20 The breath of our nostrils, the anointed of Jehovah, / Has been captured in their pits, / Of whom we said, Under his shadow / We will live among the nations.
4:21 Rejoice and be glad, O daughter of Edom, / Who dwells in the land of Uz. / Yet the cup will pass through to you also; / You will become drunk and make yourself naked.
4:22 The punishment for your iniquity has been accomplished, O daughter of Zion; / He will no longer take you into exile. / But He will punish your iniquity, O daughter of Edom; / He will uncover your sins.