| New King James Version | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 1How the gold has become dim! How changed the fine gold! The stones of the sanctuary are scattered At the head of every street. | 1How the gold has become tarnished, the fine gold become dull! The stones of the temple lie scattered at the corner of every street. |
| 2The precious sons of Zion, Valuable as fine gold, How they are regarded as clay pots, The work of the hands of the potter! | 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! |
| 3Even the jackals present their breasts To nurse their young; But the daughter of my people is cruel, Like ostriches in the wilderness. | 3Even jackals offer their breasts to nurse their young, but my dear people have become cruel like ostriches in the wilderness. |
| 4The tongue of the infant clings To the roof of its mouth for thirst; The young children ask for bread, But no one breaks it for them. | 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. |
| 5Those who ate delicacies Are desolate in the streets; Those who were brought up in scarlet Embrace ash heaps. | 5Those who used to eat delicacies are destitute in the streets; those who were reared in purple garments huddle in garbage heaps. |
| 6The punishment of the iniquity of the daughter of my people Is greater than the punishment of the sin of Sodom, Which was overthrown in a moment, With no hand to help her! | 6The punishment of my dear people is greater than that of Sodom, which was overthrown in an instant without a hand laid on it. |
| 7Her Nazirites were brighter than snow And whiter than milk; They were more ruddy in body than rubies, Like sapphire in their appearance. | 7Her dignitaries were brighter than snow, whiter than milk; their bodies were more ruddy than coral, their appearance like sapphire. |
| 8Now their appearance is blacker than soot; They go unrecognized in the streets; Their skin clings to their bones, It has become as dry as wood. | 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. |
| 9Those slain by the sword are better off Than those who die of hunger; For these pine away, Stricken for lack of the fruits of the field. | 9Those slain by the sword are better off than those slain by hunger, who waste away, pierced with pain because the fields lack produce. |
| 10The hands of the compassionate women Have cooked their own children; They became food for them In the destruction of the daughter of my people. | 10The hands of compassionate women have cooked their own children; they became their food during the destruction of my dear people. |
| 11The LORD has fulfilled His fury, He has poured out His fierce anger. He kindled a fire in Zion, And it has devoured its foundations. | 11The LORD has exhausted His wrath, poured out His burning anger; He has ignited a fire in Zion, and it has consumed her foundations. |
| 12The kings of the earth, And all inhabitants of the world, Would not have believed That the adversary and the enemy Could enter the gates of Jerusalem— | 12The kings of the earth and all the world's inhabitants did not believe that an enemy or adversary could enter Jerusalem's gates. |
| 13Because of the sins of her prophets And the iniquities of her priests, Who shed in her midst The blood of the just. | 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. |
| 14They wandered blind in the streets; They have defiled themselves with blood, So that no one would touch their garments. | 14Blind, they stumbled in the streets, defiled by this blood, so that no one dared to touch their garments." |
| 15They cried out to them, “Go away, unclean! Go away, go away, Do not touch us!” When they fled and wandered, Those among the nations said, “They shall no longer dwell here.” | 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." |
| 16The face of the LORD scattered them; He no longer regards them. The people do not respect the priests Nor show favor to the elders. | 16The LORD Himself has scattered them; He regards them no more. The priests are not respected; the elders find no favor. |
| 17Still our eyes failed us, Watching vainly for our help; In our watching we watched For a nation that could not save us. | 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. |
| 18They tracked our steps So that we could not walk in our streets. Our end was near; Our days were over, For our end had come. | 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! |
| 19Our pursuers were swifter Than the eagles of the heavens. They pursued us on the mountains And lay in wait for us in the wilderness. | 19Those who chased us were swifter than eagles in the sky; they relentlessly pursued us over the mountains and ambushed us in the wilderness. |
| 20The breath of our nostrils, the anointed of the LORD, Was caught in their pits, Of whom we said, “Under his shadow We shall live among the nations.” | 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." |
| 21Rejoice and be glad, O daughter of Edom, You who dwell in the land of Uz! The cup shall also pass over to you And you shall become drunk and make yourself naked. | 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. |
| 22The punishment of your iniquity is accomplished, O daughter of Zion; He will no longer send you into captivity. He will punish your iniquity, O daughter of Edom; He will uncover your sins! | 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. |
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