The Degradation of Zion
1 How the gold has become dim!
Howchanged the fine gold!
The stones of the sanctuary are scattered
At the head of every street.
2 The precious sons of Zion,
Valuable as fine gold,
# How they are regardedas clay pots,
The work of the hands of the potter!
3 Even the jackals present their breasts
To nurse their young;
Butthe daughter of my peopleiscruel,
# Like ostriches in the wilderness.
4 The tongue of the infant clings
To the roof of its mouth for thirst;
# The young children ask for bread,
Butno one breaksitfor them.
5 Those who ate delicacies
Are desolate in the streets;
Those who were brought up in scarlet
# Embrace ash heaps.
6 The punishment of the iniquity of the daughter of my people
# Is greater than the punishment of thesin of Sodom,
# Which wasoverthrown in a moment,
With no hand to help her!
7 Her Nazirites were brighter than snow
And whiter than milk;
They were more ruddy in body than rubies,
Likesapphire in their appearance.
8 Nowtheir appearance is blacker than soot;
They go unrecognized in the streets;
# Their skin clings to their bones,
It has become as dry as wood.
9 Thoseslain by the sword are better off
Thanthosewho die of hunger;
# For thesepine away,
# Strickenforlackof the fruits of thefield.
10 The hands of thecompassionate women
# Have cooked theirown children;
# They becamefood for them
In the destruction of the daughter of my people.
11 TheLordhas fulfilled His fury,
# He has poured out His fierce anger.
# He kindled a fire in Zion,
And it has devoured its foundations.
12 The kings of the earth,
And all inhabitants of the world,
Would not have believed
That the adversary and the enemy
# Couldenter the gates of Jerusalem—
13 Because of the sins of her prophets
Andthe iniquities of her priests,
# Who shed in her midst
The blood of the just.
14 They wandered blind in the streets;
# They have defiled themselves with blood,
# So that no one would touch their garments.
15 They cried out to them,
# “Go away,unclean!
Go away, go away,
Do not touch us!”
When they fled and wandered,
Thoseamong the nations said,
“They shall no longer dwellhere.”
16 The face of theLordscattered them;
He no longer regards them.
# Thepeopledo not respect the priests
Nor show favor to the elders.
17 Stillour eyes failed us,
Watchingvainly for our help;
In our watching we watched
For a nationthatcould not saveus.
18 They 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.
19 Our pursuers wereswifter
Than the eagles of the heavens.
They pursued us on the mountains
And lay in wait for us in the wilderness.
20 Thebreath of our nostrils, the anointed of theLord,
# Was caught in their pits,
Of whom we said, “Under his shadow
We shall live among the nations.”
21 Rejoice and be glad, O daughter ofEdom,
Youwho dwell in the land of Uz!
# The cup shall also pass over to you
And you shall become drunk and make yourself naked.
22 Thepunishmentofyour 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!