41 How dark the gold has become , How the pure gold has changed ! The sacred stones are poured out At the corner of every street . 2 The precious sons of Zion , Weighed against fine gold , How they are regarded as earthen jars , The work of a potter's hands ! 3 Even jackals offer the breast , They nurse their young ; But the daughter of my people has become cruel Like ostriches in the wilderness . 4 The 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. 5 Those who ate delicacies Are desolate in the streets ; Those reared in purple Embrace ash pits . 6 For 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. 7 Her 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 . 8 Their 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 . 9 Better 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 . 10 The hands of compassionate women Boiled their own children ; They became food for them Because of the destruction of the daughter of my people . 11 The 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 . 12 The 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 .
13 Because of the sins of her prophets And the iniquities of her priests , Who have shed in her midst The blood of the righteous ; 14 They wandered , blind , in the streets ; They were defiled with blood So that no one could 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." 16 The presence of the Lord has scattered them, He will not continue to regard them; They did not honor e the priests , They did not favor the elders . 17 Yet our eyes failed , Looking for help was useless ; In our watching we have watched For a nation that could not save . 18 They 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 . 19 Our pursuers were swifter Than the eagles of the sky ; They chased us on the mountains , They waited in ambush for us in the wilderness . 20 The 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 ."
21 Rejoice 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 . 22 The 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 !
