Terrors of the Besieged City

א Aleph

1How the gold has become tarnished,

the fine gold become dull!

The stones of the templeA lie scattered

at the head of every street.a

ב Beth

2Zion’s precious children —

once worth their weight in pure golda —

how they are regarded as clay jars,

the work of a potter’s hands!

ג Gimel

3Even jackals offer their breasts

to nurse their young,

but my dear people have become cruel

like ostrichesa in the wilderness.

ד Daleth

4The nursing baby’s tongue

clings to the roof of his mouth from thirst.a

Infants beg for food,

but no one gives them any.

ה He

5Those who used to eat delicacies

are destitute in the streets;

those who were reared in purple garmentsa

huddle in trash heaps.

ו Waw

6The punishment of my dear people

is greater than that of Sodom,a

which was overthrown in an instant

without a hand laid on it.

ז Zayin

7Her dignitaries were brighter than snow,

whiter than milk;

their bodiesA were more ruddy than coral,

their appearance like lapis lazuli.

ח Cheth

8Now they appear darker than soot;a

they are not recognized in the streets.

Their skin has shriveled on their bones;

it has become dry like wood.

ט Teth

9Those slain by the sword are better off

than those slain by hunger,

who waste away, pierced with pain

because the fields lack produce.

י Yod

10The hands of compassionate women

have cooked their own children;a

they became their food

during the destruction of my dear people.b

כ Kaph

11The Lord has exhausted his wrath,

poured out his burning anger;

he has ignited a fire in Zion,

and it has consumed her foundations.a

ל Lamed

12The kings of the earth

and all the world’s inhabitants did not believe

that an enemy or adversary

could enter Jerusalem’s gates.a

מ Mem

13Yet it happened because of the sins of her prophets

and the iniquities of her priests,

who shed the blood of the righteous within her.a

נ Nun

14Blind, they stumbled in the streets,a

defiled by this blood,b

so that no one dared

to touch their garments.

ס Samek

15“Stay away! Unclean! ” people shouted at them.

“Away, away! Don’t touch us! ”a

So they wandered aimlessly.b

It was said among the nations,

“They can stay here no longer.”

פ Pe

16The Lord himself has scattered them;

he no longer watches over them.

The priests are not respected;

the elders find no favor.

ע Ayin

17All the while our eyes were failing

as we looked in vain for help;a

we watched from our towers

for a nation that would not save us.

צ Tsade

18Our steps were closely followed

so that we could not walk in our streets.

Our end approached;a our time ran out.

Our end had come!

ק Qoph

19Those who chased us were swifter

than eagles in the sky;a

they relentlessly pursued us over the mountains

and ambushed us in the wilderness.

ר Resh

20The Lord’s anointed, the breath of our life,a a

was captured in their traps.

We had said about him,

“We will live under his protection among the nations.”

ׂש Sin

21So rejoice and be glad, Daughter Edom,a

you resident of the land of Uz!b

Yet the cupc will pass to you as well;

you will get drunk and expose yourself.

ת Taw

22Daughter Zion, your punishment is complete;

he will not lengthen your exile.A

But he will punish your iniquity, Daughter Edom,

and will expose your sins.a