| New American Standard Bible 1995 | New International Version |
| 1How dark the gold has become, How the pure gold has changed! The sacred stones are poured out At the corner of every street. | 1How the gold has lost its luster, the fine gold become dull! The sacred gems are scattered at every street corner. |
| 2The precious sons of Zion, Weighed against fine gold, How they are regarded as earthen jars, The work of a potter's hands! | 2How the precious children of Zion, once worth their weight in gold, are now considered as pots of clay, the work of a potter's hands! |
| 3Even jackals offer the breast, They nurse their young; But the daughter of my people has become cruel Like ostriches in the wilderness. | 3Even jackals offer their breasts to nurse their young, but my people have become heartless like ostriches in the desert. |
| 4The tongue of the infant cleaves To the roof of its mouth because of thirst; The little ones ask for bread, But no one breaks it for them. | 4Because of thirst the infant's tongue sticks to the roof of its mouth; the children beg for bread, but no one gives it to them. |
| 5Those who ate delicacies Are desolate in the streets; Those reared in purple Embrace ash pits. | 5Those who once ate delicacies are destitute in the streets. Those brought up in royal purple now lie on ash heaps. |
| 6For the iniquity of the daughter of my people Is greater than the sin of Sodom, Which was overthrown as in a moment, And no hands were turned toward her. | 6The punishment of my people is greater than that of Sodom, which was overthrown in a moment without a hand turned to help her. |
| 7Her consecrated ones were purer than snow, They were whiter than milk; They were more ruddy in body than corals, Their polishing was like lapis lazuli. | 7Their princes were brighter than snow and whiter than milk, their bodies more ruddy than rubies, their appearance like lapis lazuli. |
| 8Their appearance is blacker than soot, They are not recognized in the streets; Their skin is shriveled on their bones, It is withered, it has become like wood. | 8But now they are blacker than soot; they are not recognized in the streets. Their skin has shriveled on their bones; it has become as dry as a stick. |
| 9Better are those slain with the sword Than those slain with hunger; For they pine away, being stricken For lack of the fruits of the field. | 9Those killed by the sword are better off than those who die of famine; racked with hunger, they waste away for lack of food from the field. |
| 10The hands of compassionate women Boiled their own children; They became food for them Because of the destruction of the daughter of my people. | 10With their own hands compassionate women have cooked their own children, who became their food when my people were destroyed. |
| 11The LORD has accomplished His wrath, He has poured out His fierce anger; And He has kindled a fire in Zion Which has consumed its foundations. | 11The LORD has given full vent to his wrath; he has poured out his fierce anger. He kindled a fire in Zion that consumed her foundations. |
| 12The kings of the earth did not believe, Nor did any of the inhabitants of the world, That the adversary and the enemy Could enter the gates of Jerusalem. | 12The kings of the earth did not believe, nor did any of the peoples of the world, that enemies and foes could enter the gates of Jerusalem. |
| 13Because of the sins of her prophets And the iniquities of her priests, Who have shed in her midst The blood of the righteous; | 13But it happened because of the sins of her prophets and the iniquities of her priests, who shed within her the blood of the righteous. |
| 14They wandered, blind, in the streets; They were defiled with blood So that no one could touch their garments. | 14Now they grope through the streets as if they were blind. They are so defiled with blood that no one dares to touch their garments. |
| 15"Depart! Unclean!" they cried of themselves. "Depart, depart, do not touch!" So they fled and wandered; Men among the nations said, "They shall not continue to dwell with us." | 15"Go away! You are unclean!" people cry to them. "Away! Away! Don't touch us!" When they flee and wander about, people among the nations say, "They can stay here no longer." |
| 16The presence of the LORD has scattered them, He will not continue to regard them; They did not honor the priests, They did not favor the elders. | 16The LORD himself has scattered them; he no longer watches over them. The priests are shown no honor, the elders no favor. |
| 17Yet our eyes failed, Looking for help was useless; In our watching we have watched For a nation that could not save. | 17Moreover, our eyes failed, looking in vain for help; from our towers we watched for a nation that could not save us. |
| 18They hunted our steps So that we could not walk in our streets; Our end drew near, Our days were finished For our end had come. | 18People stalked us at every step, so we could not walk in our streets. Our end was near, our days were numbered, for our end had come. |
| 19Our pursuers were swifter Than the eagles of the sky; They chased us on the mountains, They waited in ambush for us in the wilderness. | 19Our pursuers were swifter than eagles in the sky; they chased us over the mountains and lay in wait for us in the desert. |
| 20The breath of our nostrils, the LORD'S anointed, Was captured in their pits, Of whom we had said, "Under his shadow We shall live among the nations." | 20The LORD's anointed, our very life breath, was caught in their traps. We thought that under his shadow we would live among the nations. |
| 21Rejoice and be glad, O daughter of Edom, Who dwells in the land of Uz; But the cup will come around to you as well, You will become drunk and make yourself naked. | 21Rejoice and be glad, Daughter Edom, you who live in the land of Uz. But to you also the cup will be passed; you will be drunk and stripped naked. |
| 22The punishment of your iniquity has been completed, O daughter of Zion; He will exile you no longer. But He will punish your iniquity, O daughter of Edom; He will expose your sins! | 22Your punishment will end, Daughter Zion; he will not prolong your exile. But he will punish your sin, Daughter Edom, and expose your wickedness. |
| New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit //www.lockman.org | New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. |
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