| Berean Study Bible | English Standard Version |
| 1How the gold has become tarnished, the pure gold has become dull! The gems of the temple lie scattered on every street corner. | 1How the gold has grown dim, how the pure gold is changed! The holy stones lie scattered at the head of every street. |
| 2How the precious sons of Zion, once worth their weight in pure gold, are now esteemed as jars of clay, the work of a potter’s hands! | 2The precious sons of Zion, worth their weight in fine gold, how they are regarded as earthen pots, the work of a potter’s hands! |
| 3Even jackals offer their breasts to nurse their young, but the daughter of my people has become cruel, like an ostrich in the wilderness. | 3Even jackals offer the breast; they nurse their young; but the daughter of my people has become cruel, like the ostriches in the wilderness. |
| 4The nursing infant’s tongue clings in thirst to the roof of his mouth. Little children beg for bread, but no one gives them any. | 4The tongue of the nursing infant sticks to the roof of its mouth for thirst; the children beg for food, but no one gives to them. |
| 5Those who once ate delicacies are destitute in the streets; those brought up in crimson huddle in ash heaps. | 5Those who once feasted on delicacies perish in the streets; those who were brought up in purple embrace ash heaps. |
| 6The punishment of the daughter of my people is greater than that of Sodom, which was overthrown in an instant without a hand turned to help her. | 6For the chastisement of the daughter of my people has been greater than the punishment of Sodom, which was overthrown in a moment, and no hands were wrung for her. |
| 7Her dignitaries were brighter than snow, whiter than milk; their bodies were more ruddy than rubies, their appearance like sapphires. | 7Her princes were purer than snow, whiter than milk; their bodies were more ruddy than coral, the beauty of their form was like sapphire. |
| 8But now their appearance is 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. | 8Now their face is blacker than soot; they are not recognized in the streets; their skin has shriveled on their bones; it has become as dry as wood. |
| 9Those slain by the sword are better off than those who die of hunger, who waste away, pierced with pain because the fields lack produce. | 9Happier were the victims of the sword than the victims of hunger, who wasted away, pierced by lack of the fruits of the field. |
| 10The hands of compassionate women have cooked their own children, who became their food in the destruction of the daughter of my people. | 10The hands of compassionate women have boiled their own children; they became their food during the destruction of the daughter of my people. |
| 11The LORD has exhausted His wrath; He has poured out His fierce anger; He has kindled a fire in Zion, and it has consumed her foundations. | 11The LORD gave full vent to his wrath; he poured out his hot anger, and he kindled a fire in Zion that consumed its foundations. |
| 12The kings of the earth did not believe, nor any people of the world, that an enemy or a foe could enter the gates of Jerusalem. | 12The kings of the earth did not believe, nor any of the inhabitants of the world, that foe or enemy could enter the gates of Jerusalem. |
| 13But this was for the sins of her prophets and the guilt of her priests, who shed the blood of the righteous in her midst. | 13This was for the sins of her prophets and the iniquities of her priests, who shed in the midst of her the blood of the righteous. |
| 14They wandered blind in the streets, defiled by this blood, so that no one dared to touch their garments. | 14They wandered, blind, through the streets; they were so defiled with blood that no one was able to touch their garments. |
| 15“Go away! Unclean!” men shouted at them. “Away, away! Do not touch us!” So they fled and wandered. Among the nations it was said, “They can stay here no longer.” | 15“Away! Unclean!” people cried at them. “Away! Away! Do not touch!” So they became fugitives and wanderers; people said among the nations, “They shall stay with us no longer.” |
| 16The presence of the LORD has scattered them; He regards them no more. The priests are shown no honor; the elders find no favor. | 16The LORD himself has scattered them; he will regard them no more; no honor was shown to the priests, no favor to the elders. |
| 17All the while our eyes were failing as we looked in vain for help. We watched from our towers for a nation that could not save us. | 17Our eyes failed, ever watching vainly for help; in our watching we watched for a nation which could not save. |
| 18They stalked our every step, so that we could not walk in our streets. Our end drew near, our time ran out, for our end had come! | 18They dogged our steps so that we could not walk in our streets; our end drew near; our days were numbered, for our end had come. |
| 19Those who chased us were swifter than the eagles in the sky; they pursued us over the mountains and ambushed us in the wilderness. | 19Our pursuers were swifter than the eagles in the heavens; they chased us on the mountains; they lay in wait for us in the wilderness. |
| 20The LORD’s anointed, the breath of our life, was captured in their pits. We had said of him, “Under his shadow we will live among the nations.” | 20The breath of our nostrils, the LORD’s anointed, was captured in their pits, of whom we said, “Under his shadow we shall live among the nations.” |
| 21So rejoice and be glad, O Daughter of Edom, you who dwell in the land of Uz. Yet the cup will pass to you as well; you will get drunk and expose yourself. | 21Rejoice and be glad, O daughter of Edom, you who dwell in the land of Uz; but to you also the cup shall pass; you shall become drunk and strip yourself bare. |
| 22O Daughter of Zion, your punishment is complete; He will not prolong your exile. But He will punish your iniquity, O Daughter of Edom; He will expose your sins. | 22The punishment of your iniquity, O daughter of Zion, is accomplished; he will keep you in exile no longer; but your iniquity, O daughter of Edom, he will punish; he will uncover your sins. |
| The Berean Bible (Berean Study Bible (BSB) © 2016, 2018 by Bible Hub and Berean.Bible. Used by Permission. All rights Reserved. | ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved. |
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