Lamentations 4

Gold and clay

1How the gold has grown dim,
the fine gold changed!
The sacred stones lie scattered
at every street corner. 2Zion's precious sons,
worth their weight in pure gold—
how they are treated as clay jars,
the work of a potter's hands! 3Even jackals offer the breast
and nurse their young.
But my people have become cruel,
like ostriches in the wilderness. 4The nursing infant's tongue sticks
to the roof of its mouth from thirst.
Children ask for bread,
but no one breaks it for them. 5Those who ate delicacies
lie desolate in the streets.
Those raised in scarlet
embrace refuse heaps. 6My people's punishment is greater
than Sodom's punishment.
Sodom was overthrown in a moment,
with no hands turned against her. 7Her consecrated ones were purer than snow,
whiter than milk.
Their bodies were ruddier than coral,
their form like sapphire. 8Now their appearance is darker than soot;
no one recognizes them in the streets.
Their skin clings to their bones,
dry as wood.

Hunger and bloodshed

9Better off are those killed by the sword
than those killed by hunger.
They waste away, pierced through
for lack of the field's produce. 10The hands of compassionate women
have cooked their own children.
They became their food
when my people were shattered. 11The LORD has spent his wrath,
poured out his burning anger.
He kindled a fire in Zion
that consumed her foundations. 12The kings of the earth did not believe,
nor did anyone living in the world,
that foe and enemy could enter
Jerusalem's gates. 13It was because of her prophets' sins
and her priests' guilt:
they shed the blood of the righteous
within her. 14They staggered blindly through the streets,
polluted with blood,
so that no one could touch their clothes. 15“Away! Unclean!” people cried at them.
“Away, away! Do not touch!”
When they fled and wandered,
people among the nations said,
“They may stay here no longer.” 16The LORD's presence scattered them;
he will look on them no longer.
Priests received no honor;
elders received no favor.

The help that did not come

17Still our eyes failed,
watching in vain for help.
From our lookout we kept watching
for a nation that could not save. 18They hunted our steps,
so we could not walk in our squares.
Our end drew near; our days were full.
Our end had come. 19Our pursuers were swifter
than eagles in the sky.
They chased us on the mountains
and lay in wait for us in the wilderness. 20The breath of our nostrils,
the LORD's anointed, was caught in their pits—
the one of whom we said,
“In his shade we will live among the nations.” 21Rejoice and be glad, daughter Edom,
you who dwell in the land of Uz!
The cup will pass to you too;
you will become drunk and strip yourself bare. 22Your punishment is complete, daughter Zion;
he will not send you into exile again.
But he will call your guilt to account, daughter Edom;
he will expose your sins.