4 Look! The gold has stopped shining!
Look how the best gold has changed!
The valuable stones from the Holy Place lie at the end of every street!
2 Jerusalem's men were valuable, like the best gold. [ b ]
Now they lie in the streets, because God has broken them.
They are like common pots that a potter makes. [ c ]
3 Even the jackals feed their babies at their breasts.
But Jerusalem's young women have become cruel.
They are like ostriches that leave their eggs in the desert. [ d ]
4 The mouths of the babies in Jerusalem are completely dry, because they are so thirsty.
And the young children ask for food, but nobody gives them anything to eat.
5 There are people here who had been very rich.
They ate the best foods, but now they are hungry.
Now they lie in the streets with nothing to eat.
They wore the best clothes, but now they sit in the ashes.
6 God has punished my people.
He punished us more than he punished Sodom's people.
God destroyed that city in a moment, and nobody was there to help them. [ e ]
7 In past times, the leaders of Jerusalem were more pure than very white snow.
They were strong and healthy.
Their bodies seemed to shine like valuable stones.
8 Now their faces are dirty and black.
People see them in the streets, but they do not recognize them.
Their skin hangs on their bones.
Their skin is as dry as wood for a fire. [ f ]
9 Our enemies have killed many people with long knives.
It is better for those dead people
than for the people who have no food.
They are very hungry.
And they die slowly because they have nothing to eat. [ g ]
10 Women who once were very kind
have boiled their own children.
Their children became their food,
when the enemies were destroying the city. [ h ]
11 The Lord was very angry.
So he sent fire to burn Zion.
It destroyed the whole city, even the strongest houses.
12 The kings in the other cities on earth could not believe it. [ i ]
None of the people on earth could believe it.
They thought that no enemy could go through Jerusalem's gates.
13 God punished Jerusalem and its people because their leaders sinned.
God did not like the things that their prophets and priests did.
They had caused good people to die.
14 Those leaders walked in the streets like men who cannot see.
There was blood on their clothes and everybody was afraid to touch them.
15 ‘Go away!’ people shouted at them.
‘Do not touch us!
You are too dirty to be among God's people!’
So they went away to other countries, but the people there did not want them.
‘They cannot stay here with us!’ those people said.
16 The Lord himself has sent them away.
He will not take care of them any longer.
Nobody respects the priests.
Nobody is kind to the leaders. [ j ]
17 Our eyes became red as we watched.
We were looking for help, but it did not come.
The people from other countries could not save us.
18 Enemies ran after us, so that we could not go into the streets any longer.
We knew that we would die soon.
We could not live like this any longer.
19 The enemy was quicker than big birds that fly in the air.
They followed us so that they could catch us out on the mountains.
They hid and they waited for us in the desert.
20 The Lord had chosen a man to be our king.
We thought that he would save us.
‘Under his shadow we will live among the other countries,’ we had always said.
But the enemy caught him. [ k ]
21 You, Edom's people, live in the country called Uz. And you are happy now.
But at a future time, God will hurt you too.
The enemy will take away everything that you have.
So you will become like drunks.
22 God has finished punishing Zion's people.
He will let them return to their homes soon.
But you, Edom's people, God will certainly punish you. [ l ]
He will discover everything that you have done wrong.
4 See how the gold has grown dark,
how the pure gold has changed.
There are jewels [ a ] scattered all around
at every street corner.
2 The precious people of Zion
were once worth more than gold.
But now they are treated like something worthless,
like the cheap clay jars a potter makes.
3 Even a wild dog feeds her babies.
Even the jackal lets her pups suck at her breast.
But the daughter of my people [ b ] is cruel.
She is like the ostrich in the desert that forgets its eggs in the sand.
4 Babies are so thirsty
their tongues stick to the roof of their mouths.
Young children ask for bread,
but no one gives them any.
5 Those who ate rich food
are now dying in the streets.
Those who grew up wearing nice red clothes
now pick through garbage piles.
6 The sin of the daughter of my people was very great.
Their sin was greater than the sins of Sodom and Gomorrah.
Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed suddenly.
No human hand caused their destruction. [ c ]
7 Some of the men of Judah were dedicated to God in a special way.
They were very pure.
They were whiter than snow,
and whiter than milk.
Their bodies were red like coral
and their beards like sapphire stones.
8 But now their faces are blacker than soot.
No one even recognizes them in the streets.
Their skin is wrinkled over their bones.
Their skin is like wood.
9 It was better for those who were killed by the sword
than for those who died of hunger.
Those starving people were sad and hurt.
They died because they got no food from the field.
10 Then even nice women
cooked their own children.
The children were food for their mothers.
This happened when my people were destroyed.
11 The Lord used all of his anger.
He poured out all his anger.
He made a fire in Zion
that burned it down to the foundations.
12 The kings of the earth could not believe what had happened.
The people of the world could not believe what had happened.
They could not believe that enemies
would be able to come through the city gates of Jerusalem.
13 This happened because the prophets
of Jerusalem sinned.
This happened because the priests
of Jerusalem did evil things.
They were shedding the blood of good people
in the city of Jerusalem.
14 The prophets and priests walked around
like blind men in the streets.
They had become dirty with blood.
No one could even touch their clothes because they were dirty.
15 People shouted, “Go away!
Go away! Don’t touch us.”
They wandered around and had no home.
People in other nations said,
“We don’t want them to live with us.”
16 The Lord himself destroyed them.
He didn’t look after them anymore.
He didn’t respect the priests.
He was not friendly to the elders of Judah.
17 We have worn out our eyes looking for help,
but no help comes.
We kept on looking for a nation to save us.
We kept watch from our watchtower,
but no nation came to us.
18 Our enemies hunted us all the time.
We could not even go out into the streets.
Our end came near. Our time was up.
Our end came!
19 The men who chased us
were faster than eagles in the sky.
They chased us into the mountains.
They hid in the desert to catch us.
20 The king was very important to us.
He was like the breath we breathe,
but he was trapped by them.
The Lord himself chose the king,
and we said this about the king,
“We will live in his shadow.
He protects us from the nations.”
21 Be happy, people of Edom.
Be happy, you who live in the land of Uz.
But remember, the cup of the Lord’s anger will come around to you too.
When you drink from that cup,
you will get drunk and strip off all your clothes.
22 Your punishment is complete, Zion.
You will not go into captivity again.
But the Lord will punish your sins, people of Edom.
He will uncover your sins.
4 How is the gold become dim! how is the most fine gold changed! the stones of the sanctuary are poured out in the top of every street.
2 The precious sons of Zion, comparable to fine gold, how are they esteemed as earthen pitchers, the work of the hands of the potter!
3 Even the sea monsters draw out the breast, they give suck to their young ones: the daughter of my people is become cruel, like the ostriches in the wilderness.
4 The tongue of the sucking child cleaveth to the roof of his mouth for thirst: the young children ask bread, and no man breaketh it unto them.
5 They that did feed delicately are desolate in the streets: they that were brought up in scarlet embrace dunghills.
6 For the punishment of the iniquity of the daughter of my people is greater than the punishment of the sin of Sodom, that was overthrown as in a moment, and no hands stayed on her.
7 Her Nazarites were purer than snow, they were whiter than milk, they were more ruddy in body than rubies, their polishing was of sapphire:
8 Their visage is blacker than a coal; they are not known in the streets: their skin cleaveth to their bones; it is withered, it is become like a stick.
9 They that be slain with the sword are better than they that be slain with hunger: for these pine away, stricken through for want of the fruits of the field.
10 The hands of the pitiful women have sodden their own children: they were their meat in the destruction of the daughter of my people.
11 The Lord hath accomplished his fury; he hath poured out his fierce anger, and hath kindled a fire in Zion, and it hath devoured the foundations thereof.
12 The kings of the earth, and all the inhabitants of the world, would not have believed that the adversary and the enemy should have entered into the gates of Jerusalem.
13 For the sins of her prophets, and the iniquities of her priests, that have shed the blood of the just in the midst of her,
14 They have wandered as blind men in the streets, they have polluted themselves with blood, so that men could not touch their garments.
15 They cried unto them, Depart ye; it is unclean; depart, depart, touch not: when they fled away and wandered, they said among the heathen, They shall no more sojourn there.
16 The anger of the Lord hath divided them; he will no more regard them: they respected not the persons of the priests, they favoured not the elders.
17 As for us, our eyes as yet failed for our vain help: in our watching we have watched for a nation that could not save us.
18 They hunt our steps, that we cannot go in our streets: our end is near, our days are fulfilled; for our end is come.
19 Our persecutors are swifter than the eagles of the heaven: they pursued us upon the mountains, they laid wait for us in the wilderness.
20 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.
21 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.
22 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.
4 How ( A ) dark the gold has become,
How the pure gold has changed!
The sacred stones are spilled out
At the [ a ] corner of every street.
2 The precious sons of Zion,
Weighed against pure gold,
How they are regarded as ( B ) earthenware jars,
The work of a potter’s hands!
3 Even ( C ) jackals offer the breast,
They nurse their young;
But the daughter of my people has proved herself ( D ) cruel,
Like ( E ) ostriches in the wilderness.
4 The ( F ) tongue of the infant clings
To the roof of its mouth because of ( G ) thirst;
The children ( H ) ask for bread,
But no one breaks it for them.
5 Those who used to eat ( I ) delicacies
Are made to tremble in the streets;
Those who were raised in crimson clothing
Embrace garbage heaps.
6 For the [ b ] wrongdoing of the daughter of my people
Is greater than the [ c ] ( J ) sin of Sodom,
Which was ( K ) overthrown as in a moment,
[ d ] And no hands were turned toward her.
7 Her [ e ] consecrated ones were ( L ) purer than snow,
They shined more than milk;
They were more ruddy in [ f ] body than pearls of coral,
Their form was like [ g ] ( M ) lapis lazuli.
8 Their appearance is ( N ) darker than soot,
They are not recognized in the streets;
Their ( O ) skin is shriveled on their bones,
It is dry, it has become like wood.
9 Better off are those ( P ) killed by the sword
Than those killed by hunger;
For they [ h ] ( Q ) waste away, [ i ] stricken
By the lack of the produce of the field.
10 The hands of compassionate women
( R ) Boiled their own children;
They became ( S ) food for them
Due to the destruction of the daughter of my people.
11 The Lord has ( T ) expended His wrath,
He has poured out His fierce anger;
And He has ( U ) kindled a fire in Zion,
And it has consumed its foundations.
12 The kings of the earth did not believe,
Nor did any of ( V ) the inhabitants of the world,
That the adversary and the enemy
Would ( W ) enter the gates of Jerusalem.
13 Because of the sins of her ( X ) prophets
And the wrongdoings of her priests,
Who have shed in her midst
The ( Y ) blood of the righteous,
14 They wandered, ( Z ) blind, in the streets;
They were defiled with ( AA ) blood,
Such that no one could touch their ( AB ) garments.
15 “Keep away! ( AC ) Unclean!” [ j ] they cried out of themselves.
“Keep away, keep away, do not touch!”
For they ( AD ) distanced themselves as well as wandered;
People among the nations said,
“They shall not continue to reside with us .”
16 The presence of the Lord has scattered them,
He will not continue to look at them;
They did not [ k ] ( AE ) honor the priests,
They did not favor the elders.
17 Yet our eyes failed,
Looking for [ l ] help was ( AF ) useless;
At our observation point we have watched
For a ( AG ) nation that could not save.
18 They ( AH ) hunted our steps
So that we could not walk in our streets;
Our ( AI ) end drew near,
Our days were [ m ] finished
For our end had come.
19 Our pursuers were ( AJ ) swifter
Than the eagles of the sky;
They chased us on the mountains,
They waited in ambush for us in the wilderness.
20 The ( AK ) breath of our nostrils, the ( AL ) Lord ’ s anointed,
Was ( AM ) captured in their pits,
Of whom we had said, “ [ n ] In his ( AN ) shadow
We shall live among the nations.”
21 Rejoice and be joyful, daughter of ( AO ) Edom,
Who lives in the land of Uz;
But the ( AP ) cup will pass to you as well,
You will become drunk and expose yourself.
22 The punishment of your wrongdoing has been ( AQ ) completed, daughter of Zion;
He will no longer exile you.
But He ( AR ) will punish your wrongdoing, daughter of Edom;
He will expose your sins!
4 [ a ] How the gold has lost its luster,
the fine gold become dull!
The sacred gems are scattered
at every street corner. ( A )
2 How 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!
3 Even jackals offer their breasts
to nurse their young,
but my people have become heartless
like ostriches in the desert. ( C )
4 Because 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 )
5 Those who once ate delicacies
are destitute in the streets.
Those brought up in royal purple ( G )
now lie on ash heaps. ( H )
6 The punishment of my people
is greater than that of Sodom, ( I )
which was overthrown in a moment
without a hand turned to help her.
7 Their princes were brighter than snow
and whiter than milk,
their bodies more ruddy than rubies,
their appearance like lapis lazuli.
8 But 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.
9 Those 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 )
10 With their own hands compassionate women
have cooked their own children, ( N )
who became their food
when my people were destroyed.
11 The 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 )
12 The 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 )
13 But 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.
14 Now 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 )
16 The Lord himself has scattered them;
he no longer watches over them. ( AA )
The priests are shown no honor,
the elders ( AB ) no favor. ( AC )
17 Moreover, our eyes failed,
looking in vain ( AD ) for help; ( AE )
from our towers we watched
for a nation ( AF ) that could not save us.
18 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. ( AG )
19 Our pursuers were swifter
than eagles ( AH ) in the sky;
they chased us ( AI ) over the mountains
and lay in wait for us in the desert. ( AJ )
20 The Lord ’s anointed, ( AK ) our very life breath,
was caught in their traps. ( AL )
We thought that under his shadow ( AM )
we would live among the nations.
