Bible, King James Version
Lamentations
Lam.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.
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