| International Standard Version | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 1How tarnished the gold has become, the finest gold debased! Sacred stones have been scattered at every street corner. | 1How the gold has become tarnished, the fine gold become dull! The stones of the temple lie scattered at the corner of every street. |
| 2Though the precious people of Zion were like fine gold, how they are valued like clay vessels, the handiwork of a potter! | 2Zion's precious people-- once worth their weight in pure gold-- how they are regarded as clay jars, the work of a potter's hands! |
| 3Even wild animals nurse, suckling their young; but the women of my people are cruel, like ostriches in the wilderness. | 3Even jackals offer their breasts to nurse their young, but my dear people have become cruel like ostriches in the wilderness. |
| 4The nursing child's tongue cleaves to its palate from thirst. Young children beg for bread, but no one gives them any. | 4The nursing infant's tongue clings to the roof of his mouth from thirst. Little children beg for bread, but no one gives them any. |
| 5Those who enjoyed delicacies lie desolate in the streets. Those who were reared wearing purple scavenge in piles of trash. | 5Those who used to eat delicacies are destitute in the streets; those who were reared in purple garments huddle in garbage heaps. |
| 6The guilt of my cherished people surpasses the sin of Sodom, which was overthrown in a moment, without a hand to help her. | 6The punishment of my dear people is greater than that of Sodom, which was overthrown in an instant without a hand laid on it. |
| 7Her princes were purer than snow, whiter than milk. Their bodies were more ruddy than rubies, their beards like the color of precious stones. | 7Her dignitaries were brighter than snow, whiter than milk; their bodies were more ruddy than coral, their appearance like sapphire. |
| 8Now their faces are blacker than coal; they are unrecognized in the streets. Their skin clings to their bones; it has become dry like a stick. | 8Now they appear darker than soot; they are not recognized in the streets. Their skin has shriveled on their bones; it has become dry like wood. |
| 9Those who die by the sword are better off than those who die from starvation, who slowly waste away like those pierced through for lack of food from the fields. | 9Those slain by the sword are better off than those slain by hunger, who waste away, pierced with pain because the fields lack produce. |
| 10With their own hands, compassionate women boil their own children— they become their food— when my beloved people were destroyed. | 10The hands of compassionate women have cooked their own children; they became their food during the destruction of my dear people. |
| 11The LORD has exhausted his wrath, pouring out his fierce anger. He kindled a fire in Zion, consuming its foundations. | 11The LORD has exhausted His wrath, poured out His burning anger; He has ignited a fire in Zion, and it has consumed her foundations. |
| 12None of the kings of the earth would have believed, nor the world's inhabitants, that the adversary and the enemy could have breached the gates of Jerusalem. | 12The kings of the earth and all the world's inhabitants did not believe that an enemy or adversary could enter Jerusalem's gates. |
| 13Due to the sins committed by her prophets, and the iniquities of her priests who shed in her midst, the blood of the righteous, | 13Yet it happened because of the sins of her prophets and the guilt of her priests, who shed the blood of the righteous within her. |
| 14people stagger around in the streets like the blind, defiled by blood unclean so that no one is able to touch their clothing. | 14Blind, they stumbled in the streets, defiled by this blood, so that no one dared to touch their garments." |
| 15"Go away! Unclean!" they shouted at them. "Go away! Go away! Don't touch!" When they fled away and wandered, those among the nations decreed, "They cannot live here!" | 15Stay away! Unclean!" people shouted at them." Away, away! Don't touch us!" So they wandered aimlessly. It was said among the nations," They can stay here no longer." |
| 16The LORD himself separated them; he will do nothing more for them. They did not respect their own priests; they did not honor their elders. | 16The LORD Himself has scattered them; He regards them no more. The priests are not respected; the elders find no favor. |
| 17Our eyes failed, searching in vain for hope; we kept watching and looking for a nation that would not help. | 17All the while our eyes were failing as we looked in vain for assistance; we watched from our towers for a nation that refused to help. |
| 18Our steps were closely stalked, so we couldn't travel on our own streets. Our end is near, our days are over; indeed, our end has come. | 18Our steps were closely followed so that we could not walk in our streets. Our end drew near; our time ran out. Our end had come! |
| 19Our pursuers were swifter than soaring eagles; they pursued us over the mountains, lying in wait for us in the wilderness. | 19Those who chased us were swifter than eagles in the sky; they relentlessly pursued us over the mountains and ambushed us in the wilderness. |
| 20The LORD's anointed, the breath of our life, was captured in their pits. About him we had said, "Under his protection we will survive among the nations." | 20The LORD's anointed, the breath of our life, was captured in their traps. We had said about him," We will live under his protection among the nations." |
| 21Celebrate and rejoice, you women of Edom, who live in the land of Uz. But to you the cup also will pass— you will become drunk and stripped naked. | 21So rejoice and be glad, Daughter Edom, you resident of the land of Uz! Yet the cup will pass to you as well; you will get drunk and expose yourself. |
| 22The punishment for your sin is complete, you women of Zion, and God will no longer exile you. He will punish your iniquity, you women of Edom, and he will expose your sins. | 22Daughter Zion, your punishment is complete; He will not lengthen your exile. But He will punish your iniquity, Daughter Edom, and will expose your sins. |
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