| New American Standard Bible 1995 | English Standard Version |
| 1How dark the gold has become, How the pure gold has changed! The sacred stones are poured out At the corner of every street. | 1How the gold has grown dim, how the pure gold is changed! The holy stones lie scattered at the head of every street. |
| 2The precious sons of Zion, Weighed against fine gold, How they are regarded as earthen jars, The work of a potter's hands! | 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! |
| 3Even jackals offer the breast, They nurse their young; But the daughter of my people has become cruel Like ostriches in the wilderness. | 3Even jackals offer the breast; they nurse their young; but the daughter of my people has become cruel, like the ostriches in the wilderness. |
| 4The tongue of the infant cleaves To the roof of its mouth because of thirst; The little ones ask for bread, But no one breaks it for them. | 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. |
| 5Those who ate delicacies Are desolate in the streets; Those reared in purple Embrace ash pits. | 5Those who once feasted on delicacies perish in the streets; those who were brought up in purple embrace ash heaps. |
| 6For the iniquity of the daughter of my people Is greater than the sin of Sodom, Which was overthrown as in a moment, And no hands were turned toward her. | 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. |
| 7Her consecrated ones were purer than snow, They were whiter than milk; They were more ruddy in body than corals, Their polishing was like lapis lazuli. | 7Her princes were purer than snow, whiter than milk; their bodies were more ruddy than coral, the beauty of their form was like sapphire. |
| 8Their appearance is blacker than soot, They are not recognized in the streets; Their skin is shriveled on their bones, It is withered, it has become like wood. | 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. |
| 9Better are those slain with the sword Than those slain with hunger; For they pine away, being stricken For lack of the fruits of the field. | 9Happier were the victims of the sword than the victims of hunger, who wasted away, pierced by lack of the fruits of the field. |
| 10The hands of compassionate women Boiled their own children; They became food for them Because of the destruction of the daughter of my people. | 10The hands of compassionate women have boiled their own children; they became their food during the destruction of the daughter of my people. |
| 11The LORD has accomplished His wrath, He has poured out His fierce anger; And He has kindled a fire in Zion Which has consumed its foundations. | 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. |
| 12The kings of the earth did not believe, Nor did any of the inhabitants of the world, That the adversary and the enemy Could enter the gates of Jerusalem. | 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. |
| 13Because of the sins of her prophets And the iniquities of her priests, Who have shed in her midst The blood of the righteous; | 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. |
| 14They wandered, blind, in the streets; They were defiled with blood So that no one could touch their garments. | 14They wandered, blind, through the streets; they were so defiled with blood that no one was able to touch their garments. |
| 15"Depart! Unclean!" they cried of themselves. "Depart, depart, do not touch!" So they fled and wandered; Men among the nations said, "They shall not continue to dwell with us." | 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.” |
| 16The presence of the LORD has scattered them, He will not continue to regard them; They did not honor the priests, They did not favor the elders. | 16The LORD himself has scattered them; he will regard them no more; no honor was shown to the priests, no favor to the elders. |
| 17Yet our eyes failed, Looking for help was useless; In our watching we have watched For a nation that could not save. | 17Our eyes failed, ever watching vainly for help; in our watching we watched for a nation which could not save. |
| 18They hunted our steps So that we could not walk in our streets; Our end drew near, Our days were finished For our end had come. | 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. |
| 19Our pursuers were swifter Than the eagles of the sky; They chased us on the mountains, They waited in ambush for us in the wilderness. | 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. |
| 20The breath of our nostrils, the LORD'S anointed, Was captured in their pits, Of whom we had said, "Under his shadow We shall live among the nations." | 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.” |
| 21Rejoice and be glad, O daughter of Edom, Who dwells in the land of Uz; But the cup will come around to you as well, You will become drunk and make yourself naked. | 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. |
| 22The punishment of your iniquity has been completed, O daughter of Zion; He will exile you no longer. But He will punish your iniquity, O daughter of Edom; He will expose your sins! | 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. |
| New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit //www.lockman.org | 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. |
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