|
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. |
