Lamentations of Jeremiah 4

Lamentations of Jeremiah 4, verse 1. ¹“How will gold lose its brightness And fine silver become tarnished? The stones of the sanctuary are scattered At the head of every street. Lamentations of Jeremiah 4, verse 2. ²“The honored sons of Zion, Valuable as gold, How are they now regarded as clay pots, The works of a potter's hands? Lamentations of Jeremiah 4, verse 3. ³“Even the serpents uncover their breasts To nurse their young; But the daughters of my people are cruel, Like an ostrich in the desert. Lamentations of Jeremiah 4, verse 4. ⁴“The tongue of the nursing child cleaves To the roof of its mouth for thirst. The young children beg for bread, But no one breaks it for them. Lamentations of Jeremiah 4, verse 5. ⁵“Those who ate delicacies Perish in the streets; Those brought up on the best food Are clothed with dung. Lamentations of Jeremiah 4, verse 6. ⁶“The lawlessness of the daughter of My people Is greater than the lawlessness of Sodom, Which was overthrown in a moment, And there was no one to help her. Lamentations of Jeremiah 4, verse 7. ⁷“Her Nazirites were purer than snow; They shone more brightly than milk; They were purified as with fire; Their polishing was superior to sapphire stones. Lamentations of Jeremiah 4, verse 8. ⁸“Now their appearance is blacker than soot; They go unrecognized in the streets; Their skin clings to their bones; It is withered and has become as dry as wood. Lamentations of Jeremiah 4, verse 9. ⁹“Those slain by the sword are better off Than those who die of hunger, Deprived of the fruits of the field. Lamentations of Jeremiah 4, verse 10. ¹⁰“The hands of compassionate women Cooked their children; They became food for them In the destruction of the daughter of my people. Lamentations of Jeremiah 4, verse 11. ¹¹“The Lord has fulfilled His anger; He has poured out His fierce wrath. He has kindled a fire in Zion, And it devoured her foundations. Lamentations of Jeremiah 4, verse 12. ¹²“The kings of the earth And all inhabitants in the world Would not believe That the enemy and oppressor Could enter through the gates of Jerusalem. Lamentations of Jeremiah 4, verse 13. ¹³“For the sins of her prophets And the lawlessness of her priests, Who shed righteous blood in her midst, Lamentations of Jeremiah 4, verse 14. ¹⁴“Her watchmen wandered in the streets. They were defiled with blood in their weakness And stained their garments with it. Lamentations of Jeremiah 4, verse 15. ¹⁵“Depart from the unclean. Call to them, ‘Depart! Depart! Do not touch us!’ For they are set on fire and indeed wander. Say among the Gentiles, ‘Let them not live here.’ Lamentations of Jeremiah 4, verse 16. ¹⁶“Their portion shall not continue To enjoy the Lord's presence, When He looked upon them with favor. For they did not respect the person of the priests, Nor did they show mercy to the elders. Lamentations of Jeremiah 4, verse 17. ¹⁷“While we yet lived, Our eyes failed us As we looked in vain for help. We kept watching intently For a nation that could not save us. Lamentations of Jeremiah 4, verse 18. ¹⁸“We hunted for our little ones So they would not walk in our streets. Our appointed time is near, Our days are fulfilled; Our time is come. Lamentations of Jeremiah 4, verse 19. ¹⁹“Our pursuers were swifter Than the eagles of the sky. They perched on the mountains And lay in wait for us in the desert. Lamentations of Jeremiah 4, verse 20. ²⁰“The breath of our nostrils, the Anointed of the Lord, Was seized in their corruption, Of whom we said, ‘Under His shadow We shall live among the nations.’ Lamentations of Jeremiah 4, verse 21. ²¹“Rejoice and be glad, O daughter of Edom, Who dwell in the land. For indeed the cup of the Lord shall pass through to you, And you shall become drunk and be poured out. Lamentations of Jeremiah 4, verse 22. ²²“O daughter of Zion, your lawlessness has come to an end; He will not continue your exile. He has been concerned about your lawlessness, O daughter of Edom; He has revealed your profane acts.