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The Attack on Jerusalem

See how the gold has lost its shine,
    how the pure gold has dulled!
The stones of the Temple are scattered
    at every street corner.

The precious people of Jerusalem
    were more valuable than gold,
but now they are thought of as clay jars
    made by the hands of a potter.

Even wild dogs give their milk
    to feed their young,
but my people are cruel
    like ostriches in the desert.

The babies are so thirsty
    their tongues stick to the roofs of their mouths.
Children beg for bread,
    but no one gives them any.

Those who once ate fine foods
    are now starving in the streets.
People who grew up wearing nice clothes
    now pick through trash piles.

My people have been punished
    more than Sodom was.
Sodom was destroyed suddenly,
    and no hands reached out to help her.

Our princes were purer than snow,
    and whiter than milk.
Their bodies were redder than rubies;
    they looked like sapphires.

But now they are blacker than coal,
    and no one recognizes them in the streets.
Their skin hangs on their bones;
    it is as dry as wood.

Those who were killed in the war were better off
    than those killed by hunger.
They starve in pain and die,
    because there is no food from the field.

10 With their own hands kind women
    cook their own children.
They became food
    when my people were destroyed.

11 The Lord turned loose all of his anger;
    he poured out his strong anger.
He set fire to Jerusalem,
    burning it down to the foundations.

12 Kings of the earth and people of the world
    could not believe
that enemies and foes
    could enter the gates of Jerusalem.

13 It happened because her prophets sinned
    and her priests did evil.
They killed in the city
    those who did what was right.

14 They wandered in the streets
    as if they were blind.
They were dirty with blood,
    so no one would touch their clothes.

15 “Go away! You are unclean,” people shouted at them.
    “Get away! Get away! Don’t touch us!”
So they ran away and wandered.
    Even the other nations said, “Don’t stay here.”

16 The Lord himself scattered them
    and did not look after them anymore.
No one respects the priests
    or honors the elders.

17 Also, our eyes grew tired,
    looking for help that never came.
We kept watch from our towers
    for a nation to save us.

18 Our enemies hunted us,
    so we could not even walk in the streets.
Our end is near. Our time is up.
    Our end has come.

19 Those who chased us
    were faster than eagles in the sky.
They ran us into the mountains
    and ambushed us in the desert.

20 The Lord’s appointed king, who was our very breath,
    was caught in their traps.
We had said about him, “We will be protected by him
    among the nations.”

21 Be happy and glad, people of Edom,
    you who live in the land of Uz.
The cup of God’s anger will come to you;
    then you will get drunk and go naked.

22 Your punishment is complete, Jerusalem.
    He will not send you into captivity again.
But the Lord will punish the sins of Edom;
    he will uncover your evil.

[a]How the gold has lost its luster,
    the fine gold become dull!
The sacred gems are scattered
    at every street corner.(A)

How the precious children of Zion,(B)
    once worth their weight in gold,
are now considered as pots of clay,
    the work of a potter’s hands!

Even jackals offer their breasts
    to nurse their young,
but my people have become heartless
    like ostriches in the desert.(C)

Because of thirst(D) the infant’s tongue
    sticks to the roof of its mouth;(E)
the children beg for bread,
    but no one gives it to them.(F)

Those who once ate delicacies
    are destitute in the streets.
Those brought up in royal purple(G)
    now lie on ash heaps.(H)

The punishment of my people
    is greater than that of Sodom,(I)
which was overthrown in a moment
    without a hand turned to help her.

Their princes were brighter than snow
    and whiter than milk,
their bodies more ruddy than rubies,
    their appearance like lapis lazuli.

But now they are blacker(J) than soot;
    they are not recognized in the streets.
Their skin has shriveled on their bones;(K)
    it has become as dry as a stick.

Those killed by the sword are better off
    than those who die of famine;(L)
racked with hunger, they waste away
    for lack of food from the field.(M)

10 With their own hands compassionate women
    have cooked their own children,(N)
who became their food
    when my people were destroyed.

11 The Lord has given full vent to his wrath;(O)
    he has poured out(P) his fierce anger.(Q)
He kindled a fire(R) in Zion
    that consumed her foundations.(S)

12 The 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.(T)

13 But it happened because of the sins of her prophets
    and the iniquities of her priests,(U)
who shed within her
    the blood(V) of the righteous.

14 Now they grope through the streets
    as if they were blind.(W)
They are so defiled with blood(X)
    that no one dares to touch their garments.

15 “Go away! You are unclean!” people cry to them.
    “Away! Away! Don’t touch us!”
When they flee and wander(Y) about,
    people among the nations say,
    “They can stay here no longer.”(Z)

16 The Lord himself has scattered them;
    he no longer watches over them.(AA)
The priests are shown no honor,
    the elders(AB) no favor.(AC)

17 Moreover, our eyes failed,
    looking in vain(AD) for help;(AE)
from our towers we watched
    for a nation(AF) that could not save us.

18 People 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.(AG)

19 Our pursuers were swifter
    than eagles(AH) in the sky;
they chased us(AI) over the mountains
    and lay in wait for us in the desert.(AJ)

20 The Lord’s anointed,(AK) our very life breath,
    was caught in their traps.(AL)
We thought that under his shadow(AM)
    we would live among the nations.

21 Rejoice and be glad, Daughter Edom,
    you who live in the land of Uz.(AN)
But to you also the cup(AO) will be passed;
    you will be drunk and stripped naked.(AP)

22 Your punishment will end, Daughter Zion;(AQ)
    he will not prolong your exile.
But he will punish your sin, Daughter Edom,
    and expose your wickedness.(AR)

Footnotes

  1. Lamentations 4:1 This chapter is an acrostic poem, the verses of which begin with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet.