1   How is the gold become dim! how is the most fine gold changed! the stones of the sanctuary are poured out at the head 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 ^note sea-monsters draw out the breast, they nurse 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 break, and no man breaketh it to them.

5   They that fed delicately are desolate in the streets: they that were brought up in scarlet embrace dunghills.

6   For the ^note punishment of the iniquity of the daughter of my people is greater than the punishment of the sin of Sodom, that was ^note 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 ^note 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 are slain with the sword are better than they that are slain with hunger: for these ^note pine away, stricken through for want of the fruits of the field.

10   The hands of the pitiful women have boiled their own children: they were their ^note food 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 her foundations.

12   The kings of the earth, and all the inhabitants of the world, would not have believed that the adversary and the enemy would have entered into the gates of Jerusalem.

13   ¶2; ^note 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, ^note so that men could not touch their garments.

15   They cried to them, Depart ye; ^note 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 ^note anger of the Lord hath divided them; he will no more regard

Before CHRIST, 588. them: they respected not the persons of the priests, they favored 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 heaven: they pursued us upon the mountains, they laid wait for us in the wilderness.

20   The ^note 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 to thee: thou shalt be drunken, and shalt make thyself naked.

22   ¶2; ^note The punishment of thy iniquity is accomplished, O daughter of Zion; he will no more carry thee away into captivity: he will visit thy iniquity, O daughter of Edom; he will ^note disclose thy sins.

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