| 1 ¶ How 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.
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| 2 The precious sons of Zion, comparable to fine gold, how are they esteemed as earthen pitchers, the work of the hands of the potter!
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| 3 Even the sea1 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.
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| 4 The 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.
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| 5 They that did feed delicately are desolate in the streets: they that were brought up in scarlet embrace dunghills.
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| 6 For the punishment of the iniquity2 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.
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| 7 Her Nazarites were purer than snow, they were whiter than milk, they were more ruddy in body than rubies, their polishing was of sapphire:
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| 8 Their visage is blacker3 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.
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| 9 They that be slain with the sword are better than they that be slain with hunger: for these pine4 away, stricken through for want of the fruits of the field.
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| 10 The hands of the pitiful women have sodden their own children: they were their meat in the destruction of the daughter of my people.
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| 11 The 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.
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| 12 The 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.
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| 13 ¶ For the sins of her prophets, and the iniquities of her priests, that have shed the blood of the just in the midst of her,
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| 14 They have wandered as blind men in the streets, they have polluted themselves with blood, so5 that men could not touch their garments.
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| 15 They cried unto them, Depart ye; it6 is unclean; depart, depart, touch not: when they fled away and wandered, they said among the heathen, They shall no more sojourn there.
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| 16 The anger7 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.
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| 17 As 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.
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| 18 They hunt our steps, that we cannot go in our streets: our end is near, our days are fulfilled; for our end is come.
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| 19 Our persecutors are swifter than the eagles of the heaven: they pursued us upon the mountains, they laid wait for us in the wilderness.
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| 20 The 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.
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| 21 ¶ Rejoice 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.
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| 22 The8 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 discover9 thy sins.
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