|
Chapter 4 |
| 1 | How 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. |
|
2 | The precious sons of
Zion, comparable to fine gold, how are they esteemed as earthen pitchers, the
work of the hands of the potter! |
| 3 | Even 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. |
| 4 | The 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. |
| 5 | They that did
feed delicately are desolate in the streets: they that were brought up in
scarlet embrace dunghills. |
|
6 | For 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. |
| 7 | Her
Nazarites were purer than snow, they were whiter than milk, they were more
ruddy in body than rubies, their polishing was of sapphire: |
| 8 | Their
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. |
| 9 |
They 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. |
| 10
| The hands of the pitiful women have sodden their own
children: they were their meat in the destruction of the daughter of my
people. |
| 11
| The 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. |
| 12 | The 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. |
| 13 | For the sins
of her prophets, and the iniquities of her priests, that have shed the blood of
the just in the midst of her, |
|
14 | They have wandered as blind men in the
streets, they have polluted themselves with blood, so that men could not touch
their garments. |
|
15 | They 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. |
| 16 | The 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. |
| 17 | As 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. |
| 18 | They hunt our steps, that we
cannot go in our streets: our end is near, our days are fulfilled; for our end
is come. |
| 19
| Our persecutors are swifter than the eagles of the
heaven: they pursued us upon the mountains, they laid wait for us in the
wilderness. |
|
20 | The 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. |
| 21 | Rejoice 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. |
| 22 | The
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. |
