Lamentations 4
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Holman Christian Standard BibleKing James Bible
1How the gold has become tarnished, the fine gold become dull! The stones of the temple lie scattered at the corner of every street. 1How 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.
2Zion's precious people-- once worth their weight in pure gold-- how they are regarded as clay jars, the work of a potter's hands! 2The precious sons of Zion, comparable to fine gold, how are they esteemed as earthen pitchers, the work of the hands of the potter!
3Even jackals offer their breasts to nurse their young, but my dear people have become cruel like ostriches in the wilderness. 3Even 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.
4The nursing infant's tongue clings to the roof of his mouth from thirst. Little children beg for bread, but no one gives them any. 4The 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.
5Those who used to eat delicacies are destitute in the streets; those who were reared in purple garments huddle in garbage heaps. 5They that did feed delicately are desolate in the streets: they that were brought up in scarlet embrace dunghills.
6The punishment of my dear people is greater than that of Sodom, which was overthrown in an instant without a hand laid on it. 6For 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.
7Her dignitaries were brighter than snow, whiter than milk; their bodies were more ruddy than coral, their appearance like sapphire. 7Her Nazarites were purer than snow, they were whiter than milk, they were more ruddy in body than rubies, their polishing was of sapphire:
8Now they appear darker than soot; they are not recognized in the streets. Their skin has shriveled on their bones; it has become dry like wood. 8Their 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.
9Those slain by the sword are better off than those slain by hunger, who waste away, pierced with pain because the fields lack produce. 9They 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.
10The hands of compassionate women have cooked their own children; they became their food during the destruction of my dear people. 10The hands of the pitiful women have sodden their own children: they were their meat in the destruction of the daughter of my people.
11The LORD has exhausted His wrath, poured out His burning anger; He has ignited a fire in Zion, and it has consumed her foundations. 11The 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.
12The kings of the earth and all the world's inhabitants did not believe that an enemy or adversary could enter Jerusalem's gates. 12The 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.
13Yet it happened because of the sins of her prophets and the guilt of her priests, who shed the blood of the righteous within her. 13For the sins of her prophets, and the iniquities of her priests, that have shed the blood of the just in the midst of her,
14Blind, they stumbled in the streets, defiled by this blood, so that no one dared to touch their garments." 14They have wandered as blind men in the streets, they have polluted themselves with blood, so that men could not touch their garments.
15Stay away! Unclean!" people shouted at them." Away, away! Don't touch us!" So they wandered aimlessly. It was said among the nations," They can stay here no longer." 15They 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.
16The LORD Himself has scattered them; He regards them no more. The priests are not respected; the elders find no favor. 16The 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.
17All the while our eyes were failing as we looked in vain for assistance; we watched from our towers for a nation that refused to help. 17As 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.
18Our steps were closely followed so that we could not walk in our streets. Our end drew near; our time ran out. Our end had come! 18They hunt our steps, that we cannot go in our streets: our end is near, our days are fulfilled; for our end is come.
19Those who chased us were swifter than eagles in the sky; they relentlessly pursued us over the mountains and ambushed us in the wilderness. 19Our persecutors are swifter than the eagles of the heaven: they pursued us upon the mountains, they laid wait for us in the wilderness.
20The LORD's anointed, the breath of our life, was captured in their traps. We had said about him," We will live under his protection among the nations." 20The 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.
21So rejoice and be glad, Daughter Edom, you resident of 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, that dwellest in the land of Uz; the cup also shall pass through unto thee: thou shalt be drunken, and shalt make thyself naked.
22Daughter Zion, your punishment is complete; He will not lengthen your exile. But He will punish your iniquity, Daughter Edom, and will expose your sins. 22The 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.
Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission.King James Bible, text courtesy of BibleProtector.com.
Lamentations 3
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