Book of Lamentations, Chapter 4
Lamentations 4 ASV - American Standard VersionChapter 4 of Lamentations—American Standard Version (ASV)
- ¶ How is the gold become dim! how is the most pure gold changed!
¶ The stones of the sanctuary are poured out at the head of every street. - ¶ The precious sons of Zion, [a]comparable to fine gold,
¶ How are they esteemed as earthen pitchers, the work of the hands of the potter! - ¶ Even the jackals 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. - ¶ 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. - ¶ They that did feed delicately are desolate in the streets:
¶ They that were brought up in scarlet embrace dunghills. - ¶ For [b]the iniquity of the daughter of my people is greater than [c]the sin of Sodom,
¶ That was overthrown as in a moment, and no hands [d]1were laid upon her. - ¶ Her [e]nobles were purer than snow, they were whiter than milk;
¶ They were more ruddy in body than [f]rubies, their polishing was as of sapphire. - ¶ Their visage is [g]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. - ¶ They that are slain with the sword are better than they that are slain with hunger;
¶ For these [h]pine away, stricken through, for want of the fruits of the field. - ¶ The hands of the pitiful women have boiled their own children;
¶ They were their food in the destruction of the daughter of my people. - ¶ Jehovah hath accomplished his wrath, he hath poured out his fierce anger;
¶ And he hath kindled a fire in Zion, which hath devoured the foundations thereof. - ¶ The kings of the earth believed not, neither all the inhabitants of the world,
¶ That the adversary and the enemy would enter into the gates of Jerusalem. - ¶ It is because of the sins of her prophets, and the iniquities of her priests,
¶ That have shed the blood of the just in the midst of her. - ¶ They wander as blind men in the streets, they are polluted with blood,
¶ So that men cannot touch their garments. - ¶ Depart ye, they cried unto them, Unclean! depart, depart, touch not!
¶ [i]When they fled away and wandered, men said among the nations, They shall no more sojourn here. - ¶ The [j]anger of Jehovah hath scattered them; he will no more regard them:
¶ They respected not the persons of the priests, they favored not the elders. - ¶ Our eyes do yet fail in looking for our vain help:
¶ In our watching we have watched for a nation that could not save. - ¶ They hunt our steps, so that we cannot go in our streets:
¶ Our end is near, our days are fulfilled; for our end is come. - ¶ Our pursuers were swifter than the eagles of the heavens:
¶ They chased us upon the mountains, they laid wait for us in the wilderness. - ¶ The breath of our nostrils, the anointed of Jehovah, was taken in their pits;
¶ Of whom we said, Under his shadow we shall live among the nations. - ¶ Rejoice and be glad, O daughter of Edom, that dwellest in the land of Uz:
¶ The cup shall pass through unto thee also; thou shalt be drunken, and shalt make thyself naked. - ¶ [k]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 uncover thy sins.
FOOTNOTES
- ^ Hebrew that may be weighed against.
- ^ Or, the punishment of the iniquity
- ^ Or, the punishment of the sin
- ^ Or, fell. See 2 Sam. 3:29.
- ^ Or, Nazirites
- ^ Or, corals
- ^ Hebrew darker than blackness.
- ^ Hebrew flow away.
- ^ Or, Yea
- ^ Hebrew face.
- ^ Or, Thine iniquity hath an end
REFERENCES
- ^ 2Sa 3:29
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