| King James Bible | International Standard Version |
| 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. | 1How tarnished the gold has become, the finest gold debased! Sacred stones have been scattered at every street corner. |
| 2The precious sons of Zion, comparable to fine gold, how are they esteemed as earthen pitchers, the work of the hands of the potter! | 2Though the precious people of Zion were like fine gold, how they are valued like clay vessels, the handiwork of a potter! |
| 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. | 3Even wild animals nurse, suckling their young; but the women of my people are cruel, like ostriches in the wilderness. |
| 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. | 4The nursing child's tongue cleaves to its palate from thirst. Young children beg for bread, but no one gives them any. |
| 5They that did feed delicately are desolate in the streets: they that were brought up in scarlet embrace dunghills. | 5Those who enjoyed delicacies lie desolate in the streets. Those who were reared wearing purple scavenge in piles of trash. |
| 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. | 6The guilt of my cherished people surpasses the sin of Sodom, which was overthrown in a moment, without a hand to help her. |
| 7Her Nazarites were purer than snow, they were whiter than milk, they were more ruddy in body than rubies, their polishing was of sapphire: | 7Her princes were purer than snow, whiter than milk. Their bodies were more ruddy than rubies, their beards like the color of precious stones. |
| 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. | 8Now their faces are blacker than coal; they are unrecognized in the streets. Their skin clings to their bones; it has become dry like a stick. |
| 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. | 9Those who die by the sword are better off than those who die from starvation, who slowly waste away like those pierced through for lack of food from the fields. |
| 10The hands of the pitiful women have sodden their own children: they were their meat in the destruction of the daughter of my people. | 10With their own hands, compassionate women boil their own children— they become their food— when my beloved people were destroyed. |
| 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. | 11The LORD has exhausted his wrath, pouring out his fierce anger. He kindled a fire in Zion, consuming its foundations. |
| 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. | 12None of the kings of the earth would have believed, nor the world's inhabitants, that the adversary and the enemy could have breached the gates of Jerusalem. |
| 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, | 13Due to the sins committed by her prophets, and the iniquities of her priests who shed in her midst, the blood of the righteous, |
| 14They have wandered as blind men in the streets, they have polluted themselves with blood, so that men could not touch their garments. | 14people stagger around in the streets like the blind, defiled by blood unclean so that no one is able to touch their clothing. |
| 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. | 15"Go away! Unclean!" they shouted at them. "Go away! Go away! Don't touch!" When they fled away and wandered, those among the nations decreed, "They cannot live here!" |
| 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. | 16The LORD himself separated them; he will do nothing more for them. They did not respect their own priests; they did not honor their elders. |
| 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. | 17Our eyes failed, searching in vain for hope; we kept watching and looking for a nation that would not help. |
| 18They hunt our steps, that we cannot go in our streets: our end is near, our days are fulfilled; for our end is come. | 18Our steps were closely stalked, so we couldn't travel on our own streets. Our end is near, our days are over; indeed, our end has come. |
| 19Our persecutors are swifter than the eagles of the heaven: they pursued us upon the mountains, they laid wait for us in the wilderness. | 19Our pursuers were swifter than soaring eagles; they pursued us over the mountains, lying in wait for us in the wilderness. |
| 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. | 20The LORD's anointed, the breath of our life, was captured in their pits. About him we had said, "Under his protection we will survive among the nations." |
| 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. | 21Celebrate and rejoice, you women of Edom, who live in the land of Uz. But to you the cup also will pass— you will become drunk and stripped naked. |
| 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. | 22The punishment for your sin is complete, you women of Zion, and God will no longer exile you. He will punish your iniquity, you women of Edom, and he will expose your sins. |
| King James Bible, text courtesy of BibleProtector.com. | The Holy Bible: International Standard Version® Release 2.1 Copyright © 1996-2012 The ISV Foundation
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. |
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