| New King James Version | International Standard Version |
| 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 tarnished the gold has become, the finest gold debased! Sacred stones have been scattered at every street corner. |
| 2The precious sons of Zion, Valuable as fine gold, How they are regarded as clay pots, 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 jackals present their breasts To nurse their young; But the daughter of my people is cruel, Like 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 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 child's tongue cleaves to its palate from thirst. Young 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 enjoyed delicacies lie desolate in the streets. Those who were reared wearing purple scavenge in piles of trash. |
| 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 guilt of my cherished people surpasses the sin of Sodom, which was overthrown in a moment, without a hand to help her. |
| 7Her Nazirites were brighter than snow And whiter than milk; They were more ruddy in body than rubies, Like sapphire in their appearance. | 7Her princes were purer than snow, whiter than milk. Their bodies were more ruddy than rubies, their beards like the color of precious stones. |
| 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 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. |
| 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 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 compassionate women Have cooked their own children; They became food for them 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 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, pouring out his fierce anger. He kindled a fire in Zion, consuming its 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— | 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. |
| 13Because of the sins of her prophets And the iniquities of her priests, Who shed in her midst The blood of the just. | 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 wandered blind in the streets; They have defiled themselves with blood, So that no one would 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 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.” | 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 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 separated them; he will do nothing more for them. They did not respect their own priests; they did not honor their elders. |
| 17Still our eyes failed us, Watching vainly for our help; In our watching we 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 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 stalked, so we couldn't travel on our own streets. Our end is near, our days are over; indeed, our end has 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. | 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 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 pits. About him we had said, "Under his protection we will survive 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. | 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 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! | 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. |
| The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved. | The Holy Bible: International Standard Version® Release 2.1 Copyright © 1996-2012 The ISV Foundation
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. |
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