| King James Bible | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 1How 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. | 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, comparable to fine gold, how are they esteemed as earthen pitchers, 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 sea 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. | 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 sucking child cleaveth to the roof of his mouth for thirst: the young children ask bread, and no man breaketh it unto 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. |
| 5They that did feed delicately are desolate in the streets: they that were brought up in scarlet embrace dunghills. | 5Those who used to eat delicacies are destitute in the streets; those who were reared in purple garments huddle in garbage heaps. |
| 6For the punishment of the iniquity 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. | 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 Nazarites were purer than snow, they were whiter than milk, they were more ruddy in body than rubies, their polishing was of sapphire: | 7Her dignitaries were brighter than snow, whiter than milk; their bodies were more ruddy than coral, their appearance like sapphire. |
| 8Their visage is blacker 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. | 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. |
| 9They that be slain with the sword are better than they that be slain with hunger: for these pine away, stricken through for want 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 pitiful women have sodden their own children: they were their meat 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 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. | 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 the inhabitants of the world, would not have believed that the adversary and the enemy should have entered into 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. |
| 13For the sins of her prophets, and the iniquities of her priests, that have shed the blood of the just in the midst of her, | 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 have wandered as blind men in the streets, they have polluted themselves with blood, so that men could not touch their garments. | 14Blind, they stumbled in the streets, defiled by this blood, so that no one dared to touch their garments." |
| 15They cried unto them, Depart ye; it is unclean; depart, depart, touch not: when they fled away and wandered, they said among the heathen, They shall no more sojourn there. | 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 anger 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. | 16The LORD Himself has scattered them; He regards them no more. The priests are not respected; the elders find no favor. |
| 17As 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. | 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 hunt our steps, that we cannot go in our streets: our end is near, our days are fulfilled; for our end is 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 persecutors are swifter than the eagles of the heaven: they pursued us upon the mountains, they laid 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 taken in their pits, of whom we said, Under his shadow we shall live among the heathen. | 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, that dwellest in the land of Uz; the cup also shall pass through unto thee: thou shalt be drunken, and shalt make thyself 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 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 discover thy 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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