| English Standard Version | International Standard Version |
| 1How the gold has grown dim, how the pure gold is changed! The holy stones lie 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, worth their weight in fine gold, how they are regarded as earthen pots, the work of a potter’s hands! | 2Though the precious people of Zion were like fine gold, how they are valued like clay vessels, the handiwork of a potter! |
| 3Even jackals offer the breast; they nurse their young; but the daughter of my people has become cruel, like the 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 nursing infant sticks to the roof of its mouth for thirst; the children beg for food, but no one gives to 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 once feasted on delicacies perish in the streets; those who were brought up in purple embrace ash heaps. | 5Those who enjoyed delicacies lie desolate in the streets. Those who were reared wearing purple scavenge in piles of trash. |
| 6For the chastisement of the daughter of my people has been greater than the punishment of Sodom, which was overthrown in a moment, and no hands were wrung for 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 princes were purer than snow, whiter than milk; their bodies were more ruddy than coral, the beauty of their form was like sapphire. | 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 face is blacker than soot; they are not recognized in the streets; their skin has shriveled on 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. |
| 9Happier were the victims of the sword than the victims of hunger, who wasted away, pierced by 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 compassionate women have boiled their own children; they became their food during 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 gave full vent to his wrath; he poured out his hot anger, and he kindled a fire in Zion that consumed 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 did not believe, nor any of the inhabitants of the world, that foe or 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. |
| 13This was for the sins of her prophets and the iniquities of her priests, who shed in the midst of her the blood of the righteous. | 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, through the streets; they were so defiled with blood that no one was able to 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. |
| 15“Away! Unclean!” people cried at them. “Away! Away! Do not touch!” So they became fugitives and wanderers; people said among the nations, “They shall stay with us no longer.” | 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 LORD himself has scattered them; he will regard them no more; no honor was shown to the priests, no 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. |
| 17Our eyes failed, ever watching vainly for help; in our watching we watched for a nation which could not save. | 17Our eyes failed, searching in vain for hope; we kept watching and looking for a nation that would not help. |
| 18They dogged our steps so that we could not walk in our streets; our end drew near; our days were numbered, 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 in the heavens; they chased us on the mountains; they 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 LORD’s anointed, was captured 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; but to you also the cup shall pass; you shall become drunk and strip yourself bare. | 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, O daughter of Zion, is accomplished; he will keep you in exile no longer; but your iniquity, O daughter of Edom, he will punish; 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. |
| ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved. | The Holy Bible: International Standard Version® Release 2.1 Copyright © 1996-2012 The ISV Foundation
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