| King James Bible | New International 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 the gold has lost its luster, the fine gold become dull! The sacred gems are 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! | 2How the precious children of Zion, once worth their weight in gold, are now considered as pots of clay, the work of a potter's hands! |
| 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 jackals offer their breasts to nurse their young, but my people have become heartless like ostriches in the desert. |
| 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. | 4Because of thirst the infant's tongue sticks to the roof of its mouth; the children beg for bread, but no one gives it to them. |
| 5They that did feed delicately are desolate in the streets: they that were brought up in scarlet embrace dunghills. | 5Those who once ate delicacies are destitute in the streets. Those brought up in royal purple now lie on ash heaps. |
| 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 punishment of my people is greater than that of Sodom, which was overthrown in a moment without a hand turned 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: | 7Their princes were brighter than snow and whiter than milk, their bodies more ruddy than rubies, their appearance like lapis lazuli. |
| 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. | 8But now they are 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. |
| 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 killed by the sword are better off than those who die of famine; racked with hunger, they waste away for lack of food from the field. |
| 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 have cooked their own children, who became their food when my 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 given full vent to his wrath; he has poured out his fierce anger. He kindled a fire in Zion that consumed her 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. | 12The kings of the earth did not believe, nor did any of the peoples of the world, that enemies and foes could enter 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, | 13But it happened because of the sins of her prophets and the iniquities of her priests, who shed within her 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. | 14Now they grope through the streets as if they were blind. They are so defiled with blood that no one dares to touch their garments. |
| 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! You are unclean!" people cry to them. "Away! Away! Don't touch us!" When they flee and wander about, people among the nations say, "They can stay here no longer." |
| 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 has scattered them; he no longer watches over them. The priests are shown no honor, the elders no favor. |
| 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. | 17Moreover, our eyes failed, looking in vain for help; from our towers we watched for a nation that could not save us. |
| 18They hunt our steps, that we cannot go in our streets: our end is near, our days are fulfilled; for our end is come. | 18People stalked us at every step, so we could not walk in our streets. Our end was near, our days were numbered, for our end had 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 eagles in the sky; they chased us over the mountains and lay in wait for us in the desert. |
| 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, our very life breath, was caught in their traps. We thought that under his shadow we would live 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. | 21Rejoice and be glad, Daughter Edom, you who live in the land of Uz. But to you also the cup will be passed; you will be 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. | 22Your punishment will end, Daughter Zion; he will not prolong your exile. But he will punish your sin, Daughter Edom, and expose your wickedness. |
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