Study Desk

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

How is the gold become dim! how is the most fine gold changed! the stones of the sanctuary are poured out in the top of every street.

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

The precious sons of Zion, comparable to fine gold, how are they esteemed as earthen pitchers, the work of the hands of the potter!

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

Even the sea monsters 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 infant clings To the roof of its mouth because of thirst; The children ask for bread, But no one breaks it for them.

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.

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

They that did feed delicately are desolate in the streets: they that were brought up in scarlet embrace dunghills.

For the wrongdoing 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.

For the punishment of the iniquity of the daughter of my people is greater than the punishment of the sin of Sodom, that was overthrown as in a moment, and no hands stayed on her.

Her consecrated ones were purer than snow, They shined more than milk; They were more ruddy in body than pearls of coral, Their form was like lapis lazuli.

Her Nazarites were purer than snow, they were whiter than milk, they were more ruddy in body than rubies, their polishing was of sapphire:

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

Their visage is 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.

Better off are those killed by the sword Than those killed by hunger; For they waste away, stricken By the lack of the produce of the field.

They that be slain with the sword are better than they that be slain with hunger: for these pine away, stricken through for want of the fruits of the field.

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

The hands of the pitiful women have sodden their own children: they were their meat in the destruction of the daughter of my people.

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

The Lord hath accomplished his fury; he hath poured out his fierce anger, and hath kindled a fire in Zion, and it hath devoured the foundations thereof.

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

The kings of the earth, and all the inhabitants of the world, would not have believed that the adversary and the enemy should have entered into the gates of Jerusalem.

Because of the sins of her prophets And the wrongdoings of her priests, Who have shed in her midst The blood of the righteous,

For 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 wandered, blind, in the streets; They were defiled with blood, Such that no one could touch their garments.

They have wandered as blind men in the streets, they have polluted themselves with blood, so that men could not touch their garments.

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

They cried unto them, Depart ye; it is unclean; depart, depart, touch not: when they fled away and wandered, they said among the heathen, They shall no more sojourn there.

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

The anger of the Lord hath divided them; he will no more regard them: they respected not the persons of the priests, they favoured not the elders.