Study Desk

How ^(C1)dark the gold has become, How the pure gold has changed! The sacred stones are spilled out At the ^(F1)corner of every street.

The precious sons of Zion, Weighed against pure gold, How they are regarded as ^(C1)earthenware jars, The work of a potter's hands!

Even ^(C1)jackals offer the breast, They nurse their young; But the daughter of my people has proved herself ^(C2)cruel, Like ^(C3)ostriches in the wilderness.

The ^(C1)tongue of the infant clings To the roof of its mouth because of ^(C2)thirst; The children ^(C3)ask for bread, But no one breaks it for them.

Those who used to eat ^(C1)delicacies Are made to tremble in the streets; Those who were raised in crimson clothing Embrace garbage heaps.

For the ^(F1)wrongdoing of the daughter of my people Is greater than the ^(F2)(C1)sin of Sodom, Which was ^(C2)overthrown as in a moment, ^(F3)And no hands were turned toward her.

Her ^(F1)consecrated ones were ^(C1)purer than snow, They shined more than milk; They were more ruddy in ^(F2)body than pearls of coral, Their form was like ^(F3)(C2)lapis lazuli.

Their appearance is ^(C1)darker than soot, They are not recognized in the streets; Their ^(C2)skin is shriveled on their bones, It is dry, it has become like wood.

Better off are those ^(C1)killed by the sword Than those killed by hunger; For they ^(F1)(C2)waste away, ^(F2)stricken By the lack of the produce of the field.

The hands of compassionate women ^(C1)Boiled their own children; They became ^(C2)food for them Due to the destruction of the daughter of my people.

The LORD has ^(C1)expended His wrath, He has poured out His fierce anger; And He has ^(C2)kindled a fire in Zion, And it has consumed its foundations.

The kings of the earth did not believe, Nor did any of ^(C1)the inhabitants of the world, That the adversary and the enemy Would ^(C2)enter the gates of Jerusalem.

Because of the sins of her ^(C1)prophets And the wrongdoings of her priests, Who have shed in her midst The ^(C2)blood of the righteous,

They wandered, ^(C1)blind, in the streets; They were defiled with ^(C2)blood, Such that no one could touch their ^(C3)garments.

"Keep away! ^(C1)Unclean!" ^(F1)they cried out of themselves. "Keep away, keep away, do not touch!" For they ^(C2)distanced themselves as well as wandered; People among the nations said, "They shall not continue to reside with us."

The presence of the LORD has scattered them, He will not continue to look at them; They did not ^(F1)(C1)honor the priests, They did not favor the elders.

Yet our eyes failed, Looking for ^(F1)help was ^(C1)useless; At our observation point we have watched For a ^(C2)nation that could not save.

They ^(C1)hunted our steps So that we could not walk in our streets; Our ^(C2)end drew near, Our days were ^(F1)finished For our end had come.

Our pursuers were ^(C1)swifter Than the eagles of the sky; They chased us on the mountains, They waited in ambush for us in the wilderness.

The ^(C1)breath of our nostrils, the ^(C2)LORD'S anointed, Was ^(C3)captured in their pits, Of whom we had said, "^(F1)In his ^(C4)shadow We shall live among the nations."

Rejoice and be joyful, daughter of ^(C1)Edom, Who lives in the land of Uz; But the ^(C2)cup will pass to you as well, You will become drunk and expose yourself.

The punishment of your wrongdoing has been ^(C1)completed, daughter of Zion; He will no longer exile you. But He ^(C2)will punish your wrongdoing, daughter of Edom; He will expose your sins!

Remember, LORD, what has come upon us; Look, and see our ^(C1)disgrace!

Our inheritance has been turned over to ^(C1)strangers, Our ^(C2)houses to foreigners.

We have become orphans, ^(C1)without a father; Our mothers are like widows.

^(F1)We have to pay for our drinking ^(C1)water, Our wood comes to us at a price.

^(F1)Our pursuers are at our necks; We are worn out, we are given ^(C1)no rest.

We have ^(F1)submitted to ^(C1)Egypt and Assyria ^(F2)to get enough bread.

Our ^(C1)fathers sinned, and are gone; It is we who have been burdened with the punishment for their wrongdoings.

^(C1)Slaves rule over us; There is ^(C2)no one to rescue us from their hand.

We get our bread ^(F1)at the ^(C1)risk of our lives Because of the sword in the wilderness.

Our skin has become as ^(C1)hot as an oven, Because of the ravages of hunger.

They violated the ^(C1)women in Zion, The virgins in the cities of Judah.

Leaders were hung by their hands; ^(F1)(C1)Elders were not respected.

Young men ^(F1)(C1)worked at the grinding mill, And youths ^(C2)staggered under loads of wood.

Elders are absent from the gate, Young men from their ^(C1)music.

The joy of our hearts has ^(C1)ended; Our dancing has been turned into mourning.

The ^(C1)crown has fallen from our head; ^(C2)Woe to us, for we have sinned!

Because of this our ^(C1)heart is faint, Because of these things our ^(C2)eyes are dim;

Because of ^(C1)Mount Zion which lies desolate, ^(C2)Jackals prowl in it.

^(C1)You, LORD, ^(F1)rule forever; Your ^(C2)throne is from generation to generation.

Why will You ^(C1)forget us forever? Why do You abandon us for ^(F1)so long?

^(C1)Restore us to You, LORD, so that we may be restored; Renew ^(C2)our days as of old,

Unless ^(C1)You have utterly rejected us And are exceedingly ^(C2)angry with us.