| New King James Version | NET Bible |
| 1How the gold has become dim! How changed the fine gold! The stones of the sanctuary are scattered At the head of every street. | 1Alas! Gold has lost its luster; pure gold loses value. Jewels are scattered on every street corner. |
| 2The precious sons of Zion, Valuable as fine gold, How they are regarded as clay pots, The work of the hands of the potter! | 2The precious sons of Zion were worth their weight in gold--Alas!--but now they are treated like broken clay pots, made by a potter. |
| 3Even the jackals present their breasts To nurse their young; But the daughter of my people is cruel, Like ostriches in the wilderness. | 3Even the jackals nurse their young at their breast, but my people are cruel, like ostriches in the desert. |
| 4The tongue of the infant clings To the roof of its mouth for thirst; The young children ask for bread, But no one breaks it for them. | 4The infant's tongue sticks to the roof of its mouth due to thirst; little children beg for bread, but no one gives them even a morsel. |
| 5Those who ate delicacies Are desolate in the streets; Those who were brought up in scarlet Embrace ash heaps. | 5Those who once feasted on delicacies are now starving to death in the streets. Those who grew up wearing expensive clothes are now dying amid garbage. |
| 6The punishment of the iniquity of the daughter of my people Is greater than the punishment of the sin of Sodom, Which was overthrown in a moment, With no hand to help her! | 6The punishment of my people exceeded that of of Sodom, which was overthrown in a moment with no one to help her. |
| 7Her Nazirites were brighter than snow And whiter than milk; They were more ruddy in body than rubies, Like sapphire in their appearance. | 7Her consecrated ones were brighter than snow, whiter than milk; their bodies more ruddy than corals, their hair like lapis lazuli. |
| 8Now their appearance is blacker than soot; They go unrecognized in the streets; Their skin clings to their bones, It has become as dry as wood. | 8Now their appearance is darker than soot; they are not recognized in the streets. Their skin has shriveled on their bones; it is dried up, like tree bark. |
| 9Those slain by the sword are better off Than those who die of hunger; For these pine away, Stricken for lack of the fruits of the field. | 9Those who died by the sword are better off than those who die of hunger, those who waste away, struck down from lack of food. |
| 10The hands of the compassionate women Have cooked their own children; They became food for them In the destruction of the daughter of my people. | 10The hands of tenderhearted women cooked their own children, who became their food, when my people were destroyed. |
| 11The LORD has fulfilled His fury, He has poured out His fierce anger. He kindled a fire in Zion, And it has devoured its foundations. | 11The LORD fully vented his wrath; he poured out his fierce anger. He started a fire in Zion; it consumed her foundations. |
| 12The kings of the earth, And all inhabitants of the world, Would not have believed That the adversary and the enemy Could enter the gates of Jerusalem— | 12Neither the kings of the earth nor the people of the lands ever thought that enemy or foe would enter the gates of Jerusalem. |
| 13Because of the sins of her prophets And the iniquities of her priests, Who shed in her midst The blood of the just. | 13But it happened due to the sins of her prophets and the iniquities of her priests, who poured out in her midst the blood of the righteous. |
| 14They wandered blind in the streets; They have defiled themselves with blood, So that no one would touch their garments. | 14They wander blindly through the streets, defiled by the blood they shed, while no one dares to touch their garments. |
| 15They cried out to them, “Go away, unclean! Go away, go away, Do not touch us!” When they fled and wandered, Those among the nations said, “They shall no longer dwell here.” | 15People cry to them, "Turn away! You are unclean! Turn away! Turn away! Don't touch us!" So they have fled and wander about; but the nations say, "They may not stay here any longer." |
| 16The face of the LORD scattered them; He no longer regards them. The people do not respect the priests Nor show favor to the elders. | 16The LORD himself has scattered them; he no longer watches over them. They did not honor the priests; they did not show favor to the elders. |
| 17Still our eyes failed us, Watching vainly for our help; In our watching we watched For a nation that could not save us. | 17Our eyes continually failed us as we looked in vain for help. From our watchtowers we watched for a nation that could not rescue us. |
| 18They tracked our steps So that we could not walk in our streets. Our end was near; Our days were over, For our end had come. | 18Our enemies hunted us down at every step so that we could not walk about 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 heavens. They pursued us on the mountains And lay in wait for us in the wilderness. | 19Those who pursued us were swifter than eagles in the sky. They chased us over the mountains; they ambushed us in the wilderness. |
| 20The breath of our nostrils, the anointed of the LORD, Was caught in their pits, Of whom we said, “Under his shadow We shall live among the nations.” | 20Our very life breath--the LORD's anointed king--was caught in their traps, of whom we thought, "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! The cup shall also pass over to you And you shall become drunk and make yourself naked. | 21Rejoice and be glad for now, O people of Edom, who reside in the land of Uz. But the cup of judgment will pass to you also; you will get drunk and take off your clothes. |
| 22The punishment of your iniquity is accomplished, O daughter of Zion; He will no longer send you into captivity. He will punish your iniquity, O daughter of Edom; He will uncover your sins! | 22O people of Zion, your punishment will come to an end; he will not prolong your exile. But, O people of Edom, he will punish your sin and reveal your offenses! |
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